Blackburn Bluebird

infobox Aircraft
name = L.1 Bluebird
type = Trainer
manufacturer = Blackburn Aircraft


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1924
introduced = 1928
retired = 1937
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced = 1928-1929
number built = 20
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Blackburn Bluebird IV

The Blackburn L.1 Bluebird was a British single engined biplane light trainer/tourer with side by side seating built in small numbers by Blackburn Aircraft in the 1920's.

Design and development

The Bluebird L.1 was initially designed as a competitor in the light aircraft trials to be held at Lympne in September 1924 for a low powered two seater, fitted with a 1,100 cc Blackburne Thrush three cylinder radial engine cite book |last= Jackson|first= A.J. |title= British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 1|year= 1974|publisher= Putnam|location= London|isbn=0 370 10006 9 ] . The Bluebird was a wooden single bay biplane, with folding wings and was fitted with a single side-by side cockpit.

Although first flying in 1924 cite book |last= Taylor |first= M J H (Editor) |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages= p.157] , it was not finished in time to compete in the 1924 competition. It was realised that the machines that resulted from the 1923 and 1924 light aircraft trials were too low-powered for serious use, the Daily Mail sponsored a similar competition in September 1926, this time allowing the use of heavier and more powerful engines. The prototype Bluebird was then fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Genet radial engine and dual controls for entry into the competition. Interest in the Bluebird following the competition and its success in the 1926 Grosvenor Cup air race, which it won, resulted in Blackburn manufacturing a batch of thirteen production aircraft, known as the L.1A Bluebird II, which were similar to the prototype, and a further seven modified L.1B Bluebird III. The Bluebird formed the basis for the all-metal Blackburn Bluebird IV.

Operational history

The wooden Bluebirds were mainly used by flying clubs, and were heavily used, but several were quickly written off, with only three surviving for more than four years . One Bluebird II was fitted with floats and another, the Bluebird III prototype, was fitted with a ADC Cirrus engine as a testbed for the Bluebird IV. The last wooden Bluebird was destroyed in a fire fighting demonstration in 1937.

Variants

;L.1 Bluebird I: Prototype. Originally powered by Blackburne Thrush engine, later re-fitted with Armstrong Siddeley Genet I radial engine and dual controls.;L.1A Bluebird II: Production. Powered by Genet II engine. Thirteen built.;L.1.B Bluebird III: Modified internal structure. One prototype and six production aircraft.

Operators

;UK

pecifications (Bluebird II, III)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 1

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 22 ft 6 in
length alt= 6.86 m
span main= 28 ft 0 in
span alt= 8.54 m
height main= 8 ft 4 in
height alt= 2.54 m
area main= 237.5 ft²
area alt= 22.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 793 lb
empty weight alt= 360 kg
loaded weight main= 1,385 lb
loaded weight alt= 630 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Genet II
type of prop=five cylinder radial
number of props=1
power main= 80 hp
power alt= 60 kW
power original=
max speed main= 77 knots
max speed alt= 88 mph, 142 km/h
cruise speed main= 61 knots
cruise speed alt= 70 mph, 113 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 5.83 lb/ft²
loading alt= 28.5 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.058 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.095kW/kg
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=
*Blackburn Bluebird IV
*Blackburn B-2

similar aircraft=
*Avro Avian
*de Havilland Moth

sequence=

lists=

see also=

References

External links