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Aviation History
1928
1928 - 0414.PDF
MAY 24, 1928 Some of the distinguished visitors in front of the Blackburn " Ripon." THE Blackburn Aeroplane Co., of Leeds and Brough, directed its sole attention to the development of torpedo-carrying aircraft after the war, with the benefit of their war-time experience as an impetus. It was their immediate success which resulted in the company's definite establishment in the industry and the scale of operations which now proceeds at Leeds and Brough. Incidentally, they turned to other spheres in aeronautical design later and won separate repu- tations, notably with the Blackburn " Iris " flying-boat. Their first excursion into torpedo work dates as far back as 1916, when they produced a twin-engined seaplane fitted with 160 h.p. Sunbeam engines. It was turned into a land machine later with two 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce " Falcon " engines and called the Blackburn " Kangaroo," which will immediately make it more familiar to many of our readers to-day, and particularly to members of the R.A.F. Reserve who are attached to Brough School for their annual training. The type was never actually used for its original purpose, but it justified its production admirably on sea patrol during the submarine warfare, amongst the war stations equipped ~with them being Seaton Carew, on the north-east coast. After the war the Blackburn company acquired many of them again, and they found permanent utility eventually in giving twin-engined instruction to the R.A.F. Reserve at Brough. Later in the war the company put into production a machine called the " Cuckoo," fitted with a Sunbeam " Arab " engine and giving a speed of 90 knots and a ceiling of 14,000 ft. It was really the Sopwith bomber, which had been fitted with a 200 h.p. Hispano engine and recommended for adaptation to torpedo work. When this was done and the machine tested in 1917 the results were satisfactory, and led to a production contract, but this was passed to the Blackburn company as the Sopwith company were so busy. Repeated contracts led to improvements in the design, and the machine became the first torpedo craft to be used extensively. In 1918 Blackburn experiments were carried out on a machine with a higher performance and carrying a heavier torpedo, fitted with a Rolls-Royce " Eagle " engine. The end of the war then intervened in the work, but in 1920 the company produced the " Swift," with special facility for deck landing besides other improvements acquired by experience. It had a Napier " Lion," carried a military load of 2,070 lbs. with 3J hours' fuel, and had a top speed of 108 m.p.h and a service ceiling of 11,500 ft. After it had been produced on the company's own initiative it was pur- chased by the Air Ministry. Following developments, it was extensively produced as the " Dart " and became a standard service torpedo machine, whilst as the " Swift " it was modified, though still differing from the " Dart," and several foreign Governments ordered it in small numbers, including, we believe, America and Spain. It was supplied both as a seaplane and land machine. Mr. R. Kenworthy, the old Hendon pilot, and then the [" FLIGHT " Photograph INTRODUCING A NEW CLASS IN FIGHTERS : The Blackburn " Lincock " with Armstrong-Siddeley " Lynx "engine is of a type known as a " light fighter." It was demonstrated during the visit to Brough by Squadfon- Leader Jack Noakes, who did some amazing " crazy-flying " on it. 378 '
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