Blackburn Blackburn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

R.1 Blackburn
Type Carrier-based reconnaissance
Manufacturer Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company Limited
Maiden flight 1922
Introduced 1923
Retired 1931
Primary user Fleet Air Arm
Number built 44
Developed from Blackburn T.2 Dart

The Blackburn R-1 Blackburn was a 1920s British single-engined fleet spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built by Blackburn Aircraft.

Contents

[edit] History

The Blackburn was developed to meet a naval requirement for a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft and gun spotting aircraft. Blackburn designed a new fuselage and used the wing and tail surfaces from the Blackburn Dart. The pilot sat in an open cockpit above the engine, a navigator sat inside the fuselage and a gun position was located at the rear of the fuselage cabin. Three prototypes were flown during 1922 leading to a production contract for 12 aircraft. The production aircraft were designated Blackburn I and the first deliveries to the Fleet Air Arm at Gosport began in April 1923. From 1923 the aircraft served aboard HMS Eagle in the Mediterranean.

A further order for 29 Blackburns was placed with the larger Napier Lion V engine and designated the Blackburn II. A few Blackburns were used as dual-control trainers and all the Blackburn Is were converted to II standard before the type became obsolete in 1931 when they were replaced by the Fairey IIIF.

[edit] Variants

Blackburn
Prototype, three built.
Blackburn I
Production version with a 335 kW Napier Lion IIB engines, 33 built.[1]
Blackburn II
Improved production version with a 346 kW Napier Lion V, and increased gap between wings. 29 built.[2]
Blackburn Trainer
Trainer version of Blackburn I, fitted with side by side cockpit and dual controls. Known by the Fleet Air Arm as the Bull. Two out of Blackburn I batch.[3]

[edit] Operators

[edit] Specifications (Blackburn II)

Data from British Aircraft Directory[4]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3
  • Length: 36 ft 2 in (11.02 m)
  • Wingspan: 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
  • Wing area: 650 ft² (60.40 m²)
  • Empty weight: 3,929 lb (1,786 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 5,962 lb (2,710 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 6,648 lb (3,022 kg)
  • Powerplant:Napier Lion 12-cylinder W-block inline engine, 450 hp (346 kW)

Performance

Armament

[edit] See also

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Thetford 1978, p.48.
  2. ^ Thetford 1978, p.49.
  3. ^ Thetford 1978, p.50.
  4. ^ British Aircraft Directory 14th March 2007

[edit] Bibliography

  • Thetford, Owen (1978). Aircraft of the Royal Navy since 1912, Fourth edition, London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 30021 1. 
  • The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.