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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 1254.PDF
1 May 1959 609 These varied Blackburn types of the 1924-27 era, from left to right, are the Cubaroo and Velos; Sprat and Airedale; and Ripon Mks I and II. The Cubaroo (ifiOO h.p. Napier Cub) was the world's largest single-engined aircraft and could carry a 116-ton torpedo or bomb-load. The Airedale (385 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar) was the first British monoplane to be built specifically for naval duties Ripon I Built in 1926, the Ripon represented a considerableadvance over the Swift/Dart/Velos family of torpedoplanes in having a much cleaner airframe, with single-bay wings. It hada Lion V engine and was built both as a landplane and as a sea- plane. Construction was principally of wood. Two machines ofthe type were completed and tested before the Ripon II was built and adopted by the R.A.F. The Ripon I landplane had agross weight a little over 7,000 lb and a top speed of 112 m.p.h. Ripon II (and Ha) An even cleaner development of theoriginal Ripon, engined with the more powerful Lion XI or XIA, the Ripon II was likewise built both as a landpiane and as aseaplane and was ordered into quantity production as a replace- ment for the Dan. The version adopted was known as theRipon Ila. Even as late as 1928 Flight remarked that it was still "premature to say that the Ripon would supplant the Dart,"although a number were to be given a full test. Composite con- struction was employed and the Lion was installed in conjunctionwith laterally mounted retractable radiators. The two-bay wings were fitted with Handley Page slots after the Ripon Ila had beenin service for some time; also added were engine exhaun mani- folds. A torpedo of about 1,500 lb or an equivalent bomb loadcould be carried, and the following particulars apply to the land- plane version: span, 45ft 6£in; length, 37ft; gross weight, 7,280 lb;top speed at s.l., 132.5 m.p.h.; endurance, 3-4 hr. Ripon IIF This designation was used for a version of the Ripon supplied to Finland and fitted with the Gnome-Rhone (Bristol) Jupiter or Armstrong Siddeley Panther. Ripon III An all-metal development of the Ripon, with NapierLion XI engine, and redesigned in respect of wing-tip shape and other particulars. One example of this aircraft was tested atMartlesham Heath. Tiger-Ripon (B-4) During 1932 the Ripon was tested withthe Armstrong Siddeley Tiger and Bristol Pegasus radial engines. The Tiger version bore, and was sometimes known by, theS.B.A.C. designation B-4. Pegasus-Ripon (B-5) This aircraft was the prototype Baffin and was tested with its Pegasus engine both uncowled and with a Townend ring. Like the Tiger-Ripon it underwent trials at Martlesham Heath and the type was ordered in quantity as the Baffin. A number of Finnish Ripons were fitted with the "L" and "M" (low supercharged and moderate supercharged) Pegasus. Bluebird I For the Air Ministry competitions at Lympne in1924 the Blackburn company built a side-by-side two-seater light biplane powered with a Blackburne (no connection with the air-craft company) seven-cylinder engine, although the airframe had been stressed for a more powerful unit. This original Bluebirdwas described in Flight of September 25, 1924. It was of wooden construction and had a span of 28ft and a length of 21ft 8in.Flight commented in these terms: — "In producing light 'plane two-seaters at the present time two coursesare open to designers. One is to design for the Lympne competitions, i.e., solely with the object of gaining marks according to the formula used asa basis for judging, and the other is to attempt to anticipate the form which the cheap school machine of the future will take. Although thereis no reason to believe that it will not do quite well in the competitions, the 'Bluebird' biplane of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd.,of Leeds, belongs rather to the second class, inasmuch as its designers have not gone out of their way to produce a 'mark collector,' but haverather aimed at developing a type in which such features as are deemed desirable in a school machine aie incorporated. One result of this is thatthe 'Bluebird' is a side-by-side tractor biplane . . ." During 1926 an Armstrong Siddeley Genet was substituted for the Blackburne engine. Bluebird II Sometimes known as the "1927 Model," theBluebird II had a raised top plane with a cut-out in the centre- section and differed somewhat in the shape of its forward fuselage.The Genet engine gave it a top speed of 88 m.p.h. and the landing speed was as low as 35 m.p.h. A float undercarriage was optional. Bluebird III This version of the Bluebird appeared in 1928and when a machine of the type was exhibited at the Berlin Aero Show of that year Flight wrote of it as follows: — "The Blackburn 'Bluebird III' is a modified version of the Mark II. Ithas the petrol tank in the top centre plane, whereas the tank in Mark II was installed inside the fuselage behind the dashboard. A larger oiltank hawing a capacity of S gallons is also fitted. Further, the ailerons have been shortened to give lighter control. The wings are of normalspruce spar and built up rib construction with internal bracing of spruce drag struts and steel tie rods. External bracing consists of streamlinewires. The design of the folding joints ensures that no undue stress is put upon the wings or joints when folding . . ." Built tor the clubs: the Bluebird in its original form (left) and in subsequent form as the Bluebird II and IV
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