Was the Tarrant Tabor a flawed design?

[Default Setting]

The Tarrant Tabor was a giant plane for its time, and it featured a number of bold design features. It crashed on its maiden flight, but was that because the upper engines were too high or because the nose had been weighed down with ballast?

And had it flown, would it have been viable as a commercial passenger aircraft?



From Wikipedia:

The Tabor's maiden flight was from the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough on 26 May 1919. The Tabor, with two pilots and five passengers was taxied around the landing field using only the four lower engines. Satisfied with the behaviour of the aircraft the crew decided to take-off. The tail was off the ground but it was still running on the main wheels, intermittently lifting off. When the top two engines were started the aircraft pitched forward, burying the nose into the ground and seriously injuring all on board. The second pilot died after reaching hospital and the pilot died of his injuries a few days later.

Later analysis suggested that the upper engines were so far above the fuselage that they forced the nose down when driven up to full power. The situation may not have been helped by the addition of 1,000 lb of lead ballast in the nose against the wishes of Tarrant.

[Captain Canada]

Wow that is sad. 

[maxmwill]

I have often wondered exactly that myself, as wasn't there an HP design of an airliner which was of the same approximate configuration?

I think it was the HP42, although I could be wrong.

[PR19_Kit]

I have often wondered exactly that myself, as wasn't there an HP design of an airliner which was of the same approximate configuration?

I think it was the HP42, although I could be wrong.

Correct, there's even an Airfix kit of it. 

The HP42 was a lot lower than the Tabor, and had a longer fuselage so the overturning moment would have been a lot less acute I reckon.

[maxmwill]

Then there was the Barling Bomber, which was designed by the same guy who designed the Tabor.