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Aviation History
1939
1939 - 1632.PDF
MAY 25, 1939 The Blackburn Kangaroo, developed from the " G.P.," was designed for night bomb ing and anti-submarine patrol. Shown here is a post-war civil version, operated for a time by the Grahame-White company. The Blackburn Blackburd (in the lower view) was the first machine to be specifically designed for carrying a torpedo. over, as were all the other seaplanes built for the race, by the authorities. It was fitted with a machine gun and then became known as the "Type L." Towards the end of 1914 the Blackburn company took over their new works at Olympia, Leeds, and here were built con siderable numbers of aircraft during the war period, some of Blackburn's own de sign but many more of other firms' designs, such as Sopwiths and B.E.2 Cs. In 1915 appeared a little twin-float monoplane with 100 h.p. Anzani engine. It was bought by the Northern Aircraft Co., which operated a seaplane school on Lake Windermere. Here the machine did a great deal of flying, piloted by Mr. Row land Ding. The machine was known as the Land/sea Monoplane Trainer from the fact that it was available in both forms, the substitution of wheels for floats being a simple matter. The first '' seriously military '' effort of the Blackburn company during the war was known as the "T.B." Built to Admiralty requirements (originally for dropping darts), it was a twin-engined, twin-fuselage, twin-float seaplane with biplane wings. A better designation might, in view of the fact that the machine had two of everything, betn the T.E. However, it was quite a good seaplane, and its performance, in spite of two fuselages and two floats, was by no means bad, with a top speed of 86 m.p.h. and a climb to 5,000ft. in 12 minutes The engines were 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupapes. The second machine was fitted with two no h.p. Clergets. The "T.B." made its appearance in August, 1915. Then came perhaps the weirdest aeroplane the Black burn company has ever turned out. It was a triplane pusher with 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape (single-valve to you!). When this machine appeared, the use of synchron ised machine guns firing through the airscrew disc had not become general, and the idea was to give the pilot a good field of fire for his front gun. The pusher type was always considered inferior to the tractor for sheer speed, and so the Blackburn triplane did not go into production. It had a speed, with 100 h.p. engine, of about 115 m.p.h. Although the "T.B." did not reach the production stage the advantages of two engines had been demonstrated by that machine, and so it was not surprising that by the middle of 1916 another Blackburn twin-engined type should ffi$m? 537 appear. This was known as the "G.P.," and had a long central fuselage, with two Rolls-Royce engines of 190 h.p., each mounted on the lower wing. Later, the Rolls-Royce Falcon engine, of 250 h.p., became available, and the later "G.P.s" were fitted with these engines. The machine carried machine guns and bombs, and was also designed to carry a torpedo if desired. As a seaplane the "G.P." did not go into large produc tion, but a landplane version, which became known as the Kangaroo, was produced in considerable numbers. It had a range of about 600 miles, cruising at approximately 100 m.p.h., and was used for night bombing and for anti submarine patrol. After the war it was converted into a commercial aeroplane, and did a certain amount of survey work as well. Designed to an Admiralty specification, N.i B., a small single-seater flying boat fighter, was laid down in 1917. Not unnaturally, the specification letters resulted in this machine becoming known as the "NIB." It was intended to act as escort to the large flying boats, and was to be powered by a 200 h.p. Hispano-Suiza engine. Owing to certain changes in Service requirements the machine was never completed in its original form, but a modified ver sion* known as the Pellet, was entered for a Schneider Con test at Cowes. There it porpoised and turned turtle with its pilot, Reggie Kenworthy. One of our pictures shows the machine a few moments before that emotioning event. Mention has been made of the fact that *-.he "G.P." and Kangaroo biplanes could, f necessary, carry torpedoes. They were, lowever, bombers first and foremost, The 5rst Blackburn machine to be specifically designed for torpedo-carrying was the Blackburd (spelt with a "u") which ap peared in 1918. By this time the first air craft carrier, the Argus, had come into being, and the Blackburd was designed to operate from her. In order to make this possible a somewhat unusual under carriage arrangement had to be schemed out. The machine was intended to take off from the deck on its wheels, but The Blackburn Sidecar produced in 1920 was a side-by-side two-seater. It had a 40 h.p. A.B.C. Gnat engine.
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