Blackburn Bluebird IV

infobox Aircraft
name = L.1C Bluebird IV
type = Tourer /Trainer
manufacturer = Blackburn Aircraft


caption =
designer =
first flight = 1929
introduced = 1929
retired = 1947
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced = 1929-1931
number built = 58
unit cost =
developed from = Blackburn Bluebird
variants with their own articles = Blackburn B-2 The Blackburn Bluebird IV was a single engined biplane light trainer/tourer biplane with side by side seating designed by Blackburn Aircraft. It was an all metal development of the wooden Blackburn Bluebird I, II and II.

Design and development

In 1929, Blackburn completely redesigned the wooden Bluebird side-by-side trainer aircraft with an all-metal structure as the L.1C Bluebird IV. With its metal structure, the Bluebird IV was larger and heavier than its wooden predecessors, and was fitted with a near rectangular balanced rudder, without a fixed fin to replace the rounded fin and rudder assembly of the wooden Blackbirds. It could be fitted with a variety of engines, with the de Havilland Gipsy, ADC Cirrus or Cirrus Hermes engines available as standard, and could also be fitted with floats. The first Bluebird IV flew in early 1929, and was used to fly its owner home to South Africa in March 1929, completing the journey between Croyden and Durban between 7 March and 15 April 1929 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 ] . A further two aircraft were built by Blackburn, who were busy fulfilling orders for military aircraft, so further construction was sub-contracted to Saunders-Roe, who built a further 55 aircraft cite book |last= Taylor |first= M J H (Editor) |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages= p.158] with Boulton & Paul Ltd producing the wings. [http://daveg4otu.tripod.com/iowweb/sar.html]

Operational history

Like the wooden Bluebirds, the Bluebird IV was heavily used by flying clubs, and unfortunately also suffered high attrition, with several being lost in fatal crashes, including a number of unexplained dives into the ground from normal cruising flight .

Privately owned Bluebird IVs undertook a number of pioneering long distance flights, the most famous of which was the round the world trip by The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce, and also including a number of flights to Australia and Africa .

Operators

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urvivors

No Bluebirds survive today, the last being scrapped in 1947 .

pecifications (Bluebird IV (Gipsy I engine))

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

ref=British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 1

crew=Two
capacity=
length main= 23 ft 2 in
length alt= 7.06 m
span main= 30 ft 0 in
span alt= 9.15 m
height main= 9 ft 0 in
height alt= 2.74 m
area main= 246 ft²
area alt= 22.9 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,070 lb
empty weight alt= 486 kg
loaded weight main= 1,750 lb
loaded weight alt= 795 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)=de Havilland Gipsy I
type of prop=Four cylinder inline engine
number of props=1
power main= 100 hp
power alt= 75 kW
power original=
max speed main= 104 knots
max speed alt= 120 mph, 193 km/h
cruise speed main= 74 knots
cruise speed alt= 85 mph, 137 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 278 nm
range alt= 320 mi, 515 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 730 ft/min
climb rate alt= 3.7 m/s
loading main= 7.11 lb/ft²
loading alt= 34.7 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.057 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.094 kW/kg
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=*Blackburn Bluebird
*Blackburn B-2

similar aircraft=*Avro Avian
*de Havilland Moth

lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.ivyandmartin.demon.co.uk/v_bluebird.htm The Hon Mrs Victor Bruce's Bluebird]
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=595 British Aircraft Directory]