FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1247.PDF
604 FLIGHT, 1 May 1959 PART 2: THE COMPANY AND ITS HISTOBT Robert Blackburn (1885-1955), the firm's founder HALF a century ago, in the year 1909, Robert Blackburnbegan to interest himself seriously in flying; and laterthat year he was engaged in the design of a monoplane, which he attempted to fly early in 1910. To celebrate the entryof this true Yorkshireman into aviation the chairman and directors of the great company which perpetuates his name recently gavea dinner in London, whereat tributes were paid by prominent figures in the industry and Services (.Flight, March 6). It is appropriate that the present review should be mainlyconcerned with Blackburn aircraft types. The genealogy and identification of these machines—particularly those built before1919—has for long been obscure; and over the years some garbled, and occasionally irresponsible, assertions have multiplied the con-fusion. The First World War machines have been admirably treated by J. M. Bruce in his great work British Aeroplanes1914-18, and it is hoped that the present review may render a similar service in respect of certain pre-1914 and inter-warBlackburn products. To form a background to the technical survey, however, it isnecessary to outline the development of the company itself. As we have remarked, Robert Blackburn was endeavouring tofly early in 1910; he achieved what he himself termed "sand scratching." Between 1910 and 1914 a number of other Black-burn machines were built and rebuilt, as later detailed; and at Filey —and later at Hendon—a Blackburn flying school was established.In 1911 B. C. Hucks on a Blackburn monoplane made the double crossing of the Bristol Channel. The year 1912 saw a Blackburnaircraft victorious in the "War of the Roses" race. Towards the end of May 1914 a small order for B.E. aircraftwas placed with the company and Robert Blackburn took over some works at Olympia, Leeds, in place of his earlier premises inthat city. Of the 1914-18 Blackburn aircraft the Kangaroo was the most notable. Types produced under licence included theSopwith Cuckoo and Baby. The Cuckoo was a torpedo carrier and from it Blackburn obtained invaluable experience for theproduction of later torpedo machines of their own design, the first of which was the Blackburd. In 1915 the company established a second factory at Brough,where an aerodrome was also laid out and a slipway constructed for seaplanes.In the years between the wars Blackburn were particularly noted for their Fleet Air Arm torpedo bombers and R.A.F. flying-boats;but they also achieved a reputation with their Bluebird and B.2 series of light aircraft. The little Lincock light fighter was anothernotable technical achievement. Reference to subsequent pages will reveal an astonishing variety of designs. Blackburn "firsts" ofthe inter-war period included the Swift—the first biplane with staggered wings designed to fold; the Cubaroo—in its day thelargest single-engined aircraft in the world; the Velos—the first torpedo seaplane; the Iris—the largest and fastest flying-boat of itsclass; and the Bluebird IV—the first British light aircraft of all- metal construction. On September 26, 1939, a Blackburn Skua fighter/bomberbecame the first British machine to destroy a German aircraft in World War 2; Skuas also sank the German cruiser Konigsberg.At Blackburn's Dumbarton factory some 200 Sunderland flying- boats were built during the war years, and at Sherborne about1,700 Swordfish. Barracudas were also constructed; and there was a very large programme of modifications to 4,000 Americannaval aircraft such as Martlets, Avengers, Corsairs and Hellcats. In post-war years Blackburn have added to their tally of Navalstrike aircraft, the latest—and most remarkable—being die NA.39, of which a special feature is made in this issue. Another achieve-ment of note was their production of the Beverley freighter— a design of General Aircraft Ltd., which name was added to thatof Blackburn in 1949. Today Blackburn products include not only aircraft but piston engines, gas turbines, electronics, houses,mowers, agricultural equipment, road rollers, Jowett spares and hydraulic pumps. It remains to record that in recent days three operating sub-sidiaries have been set up by Blackburn and General Aircraft Ltd., which now becomes a holding company. They are BlackburnAircraft Ltd., Blackburn Engines Ltd., and Blackburn Electronics Ltd. PART 3: THE NA.39's ANCESTORS Heavy Type Monoplane Most of the drawings for this, theoriginal Blackburn aeroplane, were prepared during 1909. On completion, early in 1910, the aircraft was taken to the shorebetween Marske and Saltburn, where it met with disaster, des- cribed by Flight (May 28, 1910) in these terms: "While testinghis monoplane on the Marske sands on May 24, Mr. R. Blackburn, of Leeds, met with a mishap. He was running the machine alongthe beach when, through skidding into a hole, the tyre of one of the wheels came off. Mr. Blackburn at once cut off the ignition,and as a result of the sudden stoppage, he was thrown from his seat . . ." It had been intended to install a patent stability device, describedin Flight of June 4, 1910. This original aircraft, called the "heavy type monoplane" to distinguish it from the second, lighter,machine, was not described in Flight until August 13, 1910. The following are extracts: — "Every effort has been made to secure substantial construction ratherthan light weight. It will be observed that the pilot's seat consists of a wicker chair placed on the platform of a car that is suspended at some considerable distance below die planes. The car is supported upon athree-wheeled chassis, of which the suspension forms one of the special features of the construction. The front wheels are mounted on canti-levers, the tail ends of which form skids. Elastic springs are used, and if the shock of landing is very severe the skids come into direct contactwith the ground. In front of the pilot is an inclined steering wheel very much on the lines of that on a motor car . . ." The engine was a 30/35 h.p. Green, the span 30ft, and theweight about 800 lb. Light Monoplane (Mercury) This single-seater closely fol-lowed Antoinette practice, being a wire-braced monoplane with a fuselage of triangular cross-section and a two-wheel-cuwi-skidundercarriage. The engine was a 40 h.p. radial designed by Mr. Isaacson, who was connected with the Hunsler Engine Company.For its day this engine was remarkable, being of stationary type at a time when the Gnome rotary was conquering the flying world.It had overhead valves (push-rod operated) and a propeller reduc- tion gear (2:1). The machine was taken to the Blackpool meetingin August of 1910, but as the engine was untried—indeed, un- 7970: heavy type monoplane and, right, light monoplane (Mercury)
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
