Blackburn M.1/30
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| B-3 (M.1/30) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Torpedo Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
| Maiden flight | 8 March 1932 |
| Status | Prototype |
| Number built | 2 |
The Blackburn B.3 was a prototype British torpedo bomber designed and built by Blackburn Aircraft as a potential replacement for the Blackburn Ripon. It was unsuccessful, with only the two prototypes being built.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
In 1930, the British Air Ministry issued Specification M.1/30 for a carrier based torpedo bomber to replace the Blackburn Ripon, to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Buzzard or Armstrong Siddeley Leopard engines. Prototypes were ordered from Blackburn, Handley Page and Vickers. The Blackburn design, the B-3, was a single bay biplane, with a fabric covered steel tube fuselage, powered by a Buzzard engine. The prototype was first flown on 8 March 1932 [1] and crashed in June 1933 following an engine failure.
Following relaxation of some of the specifications requirements, Blackburn constructed a second aircraft (also known as the M.1/30A) as a private venture, with a watertight metal monocoque fuselage replacing the previous steel tube fuselage[2], this first flying on 24 February 1933[1]. It performed poorly during testing, still being incapable of meeting the performance requirements of the specification even though they had been relaxed, and being too heavy for the carrier deck lifts. As none of the competitors for the specification could meet its requirements, the specification was cancelled, with no aircraft being ordered.
[edit] Specifications (M.1/30A)
Data from Mason, The British Bomber since 1914 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 39 ft 10 in (12.14 m)
- Wingspan: 49 ft 6 in (15.09 m)
- Height: 14 ft 7 in (4.45 m)
- Wing area: 651 ft² (30.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 6,138 lb (2,790 kg)
- Loaded weight: 10,393 lb (4,724 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Buzzard IIIMS V-12 engine, 825 hp (615 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 123 knots (142 mph, 229 km/h)
- Service ceiling 9,150 ft (2,790 m)
- Wing loading: 16.0 lb/ft² (155 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.079 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)
- Climb to 6,500 ft (2,000 m): 20 min
Armament
- 1 fixed, forward firing Vickers gun (not Mk II) and one Lewis gun in rear cockpit.
- One 1,900 lb (860 kg) 18 in (457 mm) torpedo or four 550 lb (250 kg) bombs.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Mason, Francis K (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0 85177 861 5.
- ^ Lewis, Peter (1980). The British Bomber since 1914, Third Edition, London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 30265 6.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
|
||||||||||||||
