Where were the Beardmore Inverness flying boats built?

Short answer

Both aircraft were assembled using parts made at Rohrbach's plant in Berlin. The first, N183, was assembled at Rohrbach's factory in Copenhagen to speed up delivery. The second was assembled by Beardmore, which had signed the license in 1924, and did not fly until 30 November 1928.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Where were the Beardmore Inverness flying boats built?

Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless

A licensing agreement with Rohrbach

The Scottish shipbuilding firm William Beardmore and Company, of Dalmuir, signed a manufacturing agreement under license with Rohrbach in 1924. In November 1924 Beardmore received an order for two Rohrbach flying boats based on the Ro III, but powered by British Napier Lion engines.

Parts from Berlin, assembly in Copenhagen

To speed up delivery, the first aircraft, serial number N183, was assembled at Rohrbach's factory in Copenhagen using parts manufactured at the firm's main plant in Berlin. It was delivered to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe on 18 September 1925, but trials showed poor handling both in the air and on the water, along with weak performance, and it was destroyed in structural strength tests in May 1927.

The second, assembled by Beardmore

The second prototype, assembled by Beardmore from parts built in Berlin, did not fly until 30 November 1928. The program was halted in April 1929 and the prototype was scrapped.