Blackburn B-20
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| Blackburn B-20 | |
|---|---|
 The B-20 afloat. Note the notch in the lower fuselage where the main float retracted. A notch can also be seen in the end of the wing, where the support for the wing float lay when it folded outward. |
|
| Type | |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
| Designed by | J. D. Rennie |
| Maiden flight | March 1940 |
| Introduced | n/a |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Number built | 1 |
The Blackburn B-20 was an experimental aircraft, first flying in 1940, that attempted to drastically increase the performance of flying boat designs. Blackburn Aircraft undertook an independent design study based on a patent filed by their chief designer, J. D. Rennie.[1]
The B-20 was an attempt to combine the best features of both the flying boat and the floatplane. While on the water, the B-20 was essentially a floatplane, using a large float under the fuselage for buoyancy, and two smaller floats near the wing tips for stability. In flight, the main float retracted towards the fuselage, fitting into a "notch" to become streamlined as a part of the fuselage. The wing floats folded outward to become the wing tips.[2]
Blackburn along with Supermarine and Saunders-Roe tendered craft for Air Ministry Specification R1/36. What would enter service as the Saunders Roe Lerwick was the chosen aircraft but the Ministry was interested enough to authorise two prototypes of the B-20. The prototype would fly for the first time in March 1940. On the 7 April during a test run the aircraft experienced extreme vibration due to aileron flutter and the crew bailed out, three were lost the other two were picked up by HMS Transylvania, a converted merchantman. Development ceased when the first prototype crashed, as Blackburn's resources were dedicated to the war effort.[1]
[edit] Specifications (B-20, as designed)
Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 6
- Length: 69 ft 8 in (21.2 m)
- Wingspan: 82 ft 0 in (25 m, tip-floats retracted)
- Height: 25 ft 2 in (7.65 m)
- Wing area: 1,066 ft² (99 m²)
- Empty weight: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (16,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Vulture 24-cylinder X-type engines, 1,720 hp (1,280 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 306 mph (266 knots, 490 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Range: 1,500 mi (810 nm, 2,400 km)
Armament
- Guns: provision for two turrets and other defensive positions
- Bombs: bomb-cells in center section
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Bridgeman, Leonard. “Blackburn B.20.” Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London: Studio, 1946. p. 107. ISBN 1 85170 493 0.
- ^ Dell, John. Blackburn B20. Dinger's Aviation Pages. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
- Blackburn B-20. British Aircraft Directory (2003-07-20). Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
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