- Blackburn Blackburn
infobox Aircraft
name = R.1 Blackburn
type = Carrier-based reconnaissance
manufacturer = Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company Limited
caption =
designer =
first flight = 1922
introduced = 1923
retired = 1931
produced =
number built = 44
status =
unit cost =
primary user =Fleet Air Arm
more users =
developed from = Blackburn T.2 Dart
variants with their own articles = The Blackburn R-1 Blackburn was a 1920s British single-engined fleet spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built byBlackburn Aircraft .History
The Blackburn was developed to meet a naval requirement for a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft and gun spotting aircraft. Blackburn designed a new fuselage and used the wing and tail surfaces from the
Blackburn Dart . The pilot sat in an open cockpit above the engine, a navigator sat inside the fuselage and a gun position was located at the rear of the fuselage cabin. Three prototypes were flown during 1922 leading to a production contract for 12 aircraft. The production aircraft were designated Blackburn I and the first deliveries to theFleet Air Arm atGosport began in April 1923. From 1923 the aircraft served aboard HMS "Eagle" in the Mediterranean.A further order for 29 Blackburns was placed with the larger Napier Lion V engine and designated the Blackburn II. A few Blackburns were used as dual-control trainers and all the Blackburn Is were converted to II standard before the type became obsolete in 1931 when they were replaced by the
Fairey IIIF .Variants
;Blackburn: Prototype, three built.;Blackburn I: Production version with a 335 kW Napier Lion IIB engines, 33 built. Thetford 1978, p.48.] ;Blackburn II: Improved production version with a 346 kW Napier Lion V, and increased gap between wings. 29 built. Thetford 1978, p.49.] ;Blackburn Trainer: Trainer version of Blackburn I, fitted with side by side cockpit and dual controls. Known by the Fleet Air Arm as the Bull. Two out of Blackburn I batch. Thetford 1978, p.50.]
Operators
; UK
*Royal Navy
*Royal Air Force pecifications (Blackburn II)
aircraft specification
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=British Aircraft Directory [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=552 British Aircraft Directory] 14th March 2007]
crew=3
length main= 36 ft 2 in
length alt= 11.02 m
span main= 45 ft 6 in
span alt= 13.87 m
height main=12 ft 6 in
height alt= 3.81 m
area main=650 ft²
area alt= 60.40 m²
empty weight main=3,929 lb
empty weight alt= 1,786 kg
loaded weight main= 5,962 lb
loaded weight alt= 2,710 kg
max takeoff weight main= 6,648 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 3,022 kg
engine (prop)=Napier Lion
type of prop=12-cylinder W-blockinline engine
number of props=1
power main= 450 hp
power alt=346 kW
max speed main=122 mph
max speed alt= 157 km/h
max speed more=at 3,000 ft
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main= 12,950 ft
ceiling alt= 3,950 m
climb rate main= 690 ft/min
climb rate alt= 210 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
* Endurance: 4.25 hours
guns= 2 × .303 in (7.7 mm)Lewis gun see also
aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
*Avro Bison lists=
*List of aircraft of the RAF
see also=References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*cite book |last= |first= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title= The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985)|year= |publisher= Orbis Publishing|location= |issn=
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