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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1251.PDF
606-607 burn Monoplane 'Mercury5 Passenger Type." A somewhatsimilar machine, though of more elementary form, is also illus- trated above it and differs in respect of undercarriage design. Thistype was apparently that in which Hubert Oxley was killed at Filey in 1911. Another photograph (not printed) shows a similarmachine with two bracing pylons and covered fuselage. Military Type ("All-steel Monoplane'' or "Type E") Claimedto have been the first British aircraft of all-metal construction, this type was intended for the Military Trials of 1912 but was notcompleted in time. It first appears in the pages of Flight in the issue of May 25, 1912: a photograph shows it as having "recentlyarrived at Brooklands Aerodrome." Generally similar to the earlier Mercury monoplane in layout, the machine had a triangular-section fuselage of steel tubing. The engine was an air cooled vee-8 Renault of 60/70 h.p., and it is said that take-off was accom-plished in 30 yd with a passenger and petrol for four hours. A contemporary photograph shows an auxiliary tank under the fuse-lage and "Blackburn Monoplane Type E" on the tail. All-steel Monoplane with 60/80 h.p. Green A second speci- men of the all-metal military monoplane was built with a 60/80 h.p. Green water-cooled engine. Single-seat Monoplane (50 h.p. Gnome) In Flight ofMarch 29, 1913, reference is made to "Mr. Foggins' new 50 h.p. Gnome-Blackburn" having risen to "a big altitude." It wasfurther stated that the machine climbed exceedingly quickly and showed a speed of about 60 m.p.h. According to the Blackburncompany, this machine was actually constructed during 1912; thus, it is the more remarkable—and gratifying—that it should stillbe in flying trim today. Flight of April 5, 1913, carried two pictures of the trim mono-plane, and a caption reported that Mr. Cyril Foggin, together with Harold Blackburn (no relation to the aircraft-constructorbrothers), had been giving exhibitions in Leeds at Easter. In general layout the aircraft was similar to the Mercury series buthad a one-piece rudder and a divided elevator. Two-seater Monoplane ("Type I") with 80 h.p. Gnome Flightof August 30, 1913, printed two pictures of "an 80 h.p. two-seater Blackburn monoplane which has just been built for and suppliedto Dr. M. G. Christie for touring purposes." It is recorded that on its test flight Mr. Harold Blackburn climbed to about 7,000ft in10 min and that, since its delivery flight about two weeks pre- viously, the aircraft had made a number of cross-country flights.It was further stated that it was "at present making a tour of the Yorkshire towns piloted by Mr. H. Blackburn, with its owner aspassenger." Speed range was given as about 40 m.p.h. to 70 m.p.h., and reference was made to technical points of interest—the "sim-plified chassis," the "turtle back on the fuselage" and the "new tail planes." A full description was printed in the issue of Decem-ber 27, 1913, together with a detailed full-page three-view draw- ing. On that occasion the aircraft was alluded to as "the 80 h.p.Blackburn monoplane," but a close examination of one of the photographs shows that the rudder carried the designation"Type I." This same machine was the winner of the "War of the Roses"race for a trophy presented by the Yorkshire Evening News. Span, 38ft; length, 28ft; gross weight, 1,500 lb. ; ~ . •- . FLIGHT, 1 May 1959 Improved Two-seater Monoplane with 80 h.p. Gnome A machine very similar to that described above was exhibited at the Olympia Aero Show in March 1914. The engine bearers had been modified and it was reported that the nose was generally neater. Flight's account added, "The old-type Blackburn con- trol has been replaced by one of a more standard type ..." Type L Seaplane Blackburn's first biplane, the Type L, wasoriginally designed for the 1914 Circuit-of-Britain seaplane race organized by the Daily Mail. This contest was prevented by theoutbreak of war, and the aircraft was commandeered by the Admiralty and fined with a machine-gun. In its "Circuit" form itwas described in Flight of September 25, 1914. The engine was a 130 h.p. Salmsdn (Canton Unne) water-cooled radial, providedwith radiators mounted laterally in line with the front cockpit. In his book British Aeroplanes 1914-1918 J. M. Bruce reportsthat the Type L was taken to Scarborough and remained there for some six weeks. Early in 1915 it was flown into a cliff. Land/Sea Monoplane This aircraft appeared in 1915 and wasbased on the two-seater monoplane built in 1913 and sold to Dr. Christie. Initially powered with an 80 h.p. Gnome rotary, theLand/Sea Monoplane was later engined with a 100 h.p. Anzani air-cooled radial. Equipped with floats it was used by theNorthern Aircraft Company as a seaplane trainer, operating from Windermere. T.B. The letters "T.B." signified "Twin Blackburn," for thistype had two fuselages. The Admiralty requirements to which it was designed (and completed in August 1915) called for a load ofRanken Darts for anti-Zeppelin use. The first of the two proto- types had 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupapes, and the second had110 h.p. Clergets. Wooden construction was used, and the general layout of the aircraft is seen in the photograph. Span, 60ft 6in; length, 36ft 6in; empty weight, 2310 lb; grossweight, 3,500 lb. Triplane The Blackburn Triplane was a single-seat fighter ofdistinctive, and not wholly attractive, appearance. The single-seat nacelle projected forwarded of the centre wing, and at the rear ofit was mounted the 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape or 110 h.p. Clerget engine. Though it offered little in the way of performance(the speed range was 45 m.p.h. to 100 m.p.h.) the Triplane did at least afford a good field of view, and of fire, for the pilot. Themachine was flown during 1916. Span, 24ft; length, 21ft 5in; gross weight, 1,500 lb. White Falcon A typical Blackburn monoplane, this wire-braced two-seater was built for an indeterminate purpose (probably for private use, although it was commandeered forGovernment service) about 1915-16. Lateral control was by wing-warping. The engine was a 100 h.p. Anzani. Span, 39ft 6in. GJ». A large seaplane, built in 1916, the G.P. was a three-seater powered with two 225 h.p. Sunbeam engines. It was designed for naval patrol duties, bombing or torpedo-dropping,and was the forerunner of the famous Kangaroo. The wings could be folded, although the span of the upper one was 74ft lOin. S.P. This type was essentially the same as the G.P. but had two 250 h.p. Rolls-Royce Falcon engines and ailerons of increased area. Ailerons were also added to the lower wings. As on the GJP., there were two Lewis guns on Scarff mountings and, as an alternative to the torpedo, four 230 1b bombs could be carried. Kangaroo The Kangaroo resembled the G.P./S.P. types butwas a landplane and had various minor differences, notably in the tail. The type was put into production during 1918 and J. M. Left, the Type L seaplane of 1914 and, right, the Land/Sea monoplane of 1915 For military purposes: the T.B. ("Twin Black- burn") seaplane and the triplane
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