BOULTBEE monoplane (Harold E. Boultbee, Holy Trinity Vicarage, Burton-on-Trent and James Gardiner, Woolton, Liverpool)

   This was a single-seater, midwing monoplane, with a fuselage constructed of steel tubing. The longerons curved down to the nose, where a bearing supported the propeller shaft. The rotary engine was set back in the fuselage, where it was mounted on a cruciform frame carried on the four longerons. The wing was constructed of wood and warping was used for lateral control. The control system was covered by patent No. 14990/1909. The under-carriage, fitted with long coil springs, was raked well forward as a precaution, owing to uncertainty about the fore and aft balance. It was to be retractable in flight and was covered by patent No. 17291/1909. A tall strut with tail wheel was fitted.
   The partners separated and work on the machine was stopped at an advanced stage. Boultbee later held various senior design positions at Bristol and Handley Page and for a time, between the wars, had his own company, the Civilian Aircraft Co.

   Power: 12hp Scott two-cylinder horizontally-opposed rotary driving a 6ft Hollands two-bladed steel propeller.
   Data
   Span 36ft