The Brantly B.2 first flew in 1953 and had a simplified the rotor head, with flapping hinges at the end of aerodynamically-faired stub arms that reduced vibration. The drive from the main gearbox did away with the usual rotor mast, resulting in a very low rotor disc and low centre of gravity and so reduced the risk of a roll-over during takeoff or landing. Improvements to the basic design eventually led to the B.2B, which introduced a new cockpit canopy, new metal rotor blades and an uprated fuel-injected 180 hp Lycoming piston engine. The production of both versions totalled 334 units.

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