Blackburn Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer that concentrated mainly on naval and maritime aircraft during the first part of the 20th century.
Blackburn Aircraft was founded by Robert Blackburn, who built his first aircraft in Leeds in 1908.
The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company was created in 1914, established in a new factory built at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1916, where Robert's brother Norman Blackburn was later Managing Director. By acquiring the Cirrus-Hermes company in 1937, Blackburn started producing aircraft engines, the Blackburn Cirrus range.
By 1937, pressure to re-arm was growing and the Yorkshire factory was approaching capacity. A fortuitous friendship between Maurice Denny, managing director of Denny Bros., the Dumbarton ship building company, and Robert Blackburn resulted in the building of a new Blackburn factory at Barge Park, Dumbarton where production of the Blackburn Botha commenced in 1939.
The company's name was changed to Blackburn Aircraft Limited in 1939, and the company amalgamated with General Aircraft Limited in 1949 as Blackburn and General Aircraft Limited, reverting to Blackburn Aircraft Limited by 1958.
As part of the rationalisation of British aircraft manufacturers, its aircraft production and engine operations were absorbed into Hawker Siddeley and Bristol Siddeley respectively. The Blackburn name was dropped completely in 1963.
An American company, Blackburn Aircraft Corp., was incorporated in Detroit on 20 May 1929 to acquire design and patent rights of the aircraft of Blackburn Airplane & Motor Co., Ltd. in the USA. It was owned 90% by Detroit Aircraft Corp. and 10% by Blackburn Airplane & Motor Co., Ltd. Agreements covered such rights in North and South America, excepting Brazil and certain rights in Canada and provided that all special tools and patterns were to be supplied by the UK company at cost.
Blackburn First Monoplane (1909) - single-engine, single-seat high-wing monoplane aircraftBlackburn Second Monoplane (1911) - single-engine midwing monoplane aircraftBlackburn Mercury (1911) - single-engine, two-seat midwing monoplane training aircraftBlackburn Type B (1912) - single-engine, two-seat midwing monoplane training aircraft. A development of the Blackburn MercuryBlackburn Type D (1912) - single-engine single-seat mid-winged monoplane. Preserved in flying condition by the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, and survives as the oldest British-built aircraft.Blackburn Type E (1912) - single-engine, midwing metal-framed monoplanes, one single-seater one twinBlackburn Type I (1913) - single-engine 1/2-seat mid-wing monoplane built both as land- and seaplaneBlackburn Type L (1914) - single-engine two-seat biplane seaplaneBlackburn C.A.15C (1932) twin-engine ten passenger high-wing monoplane/ biplane airlinerBlackburn C.B.2 Nile (1930) - three-engine, two-seat parasol-wing cargo transport, a variant of the SydneyBlackburn F.1 Turcock (1928) - single-engine fighter aircraftBlackburn F.2 Lincock (1928) - single-engine, single-seat biplane fighterBlackburn F.3 (1934) - single-engine single-seat biplane fighter: built, never flewBlackburn 2F.1 Nautilus (1929) - single-engine two-seat engine biplane fighterBlackburn R.1 Blackburn (1922) - single-engine, three-seat biplane naval spotter/reconnaissance aircraftBlackburn R.2 Airedale (1925) - single-engine three-seat high-wing monoplane reconnaissanceBlackburn R.B.1 Iris (1926) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boatBlackburn R.B.2 Sydney (1930) - three-engine, four-seat parasol-wing long-range flying boatBlackburn R.B.3 Perth (1933) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boatBlackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo (1918) - twin-engine, three-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomberBlackburn T.1 Swift (1920) - single-engine, single-seat floatplane torpedo bomberBlackburn T.2 Dart (1921) - single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomberBlackburn T.3 Velos (1925) - single-engine, two-seat biplane bomber floatplaneBlackburn T.4 Cubaroo (1924) - single-engine, four-seat large biplane torpedo bomberBlackburn T.5 Ripon (1926) - single-engine, two-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomberBlackburn T.7B (1929) - single-engine three-seat biplane bomber/reconnaissance for Japanese NavyBlackburn T.8 Baffin (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane torpedo bomberBlackburn T.9 Shark (1933) - single-engine, three-seat carrier-based biplane torpedo bomberBlackburn B-1 Segrave (1930) - twin-engine, four-seat low-wing monoplane touring aircraftBlackburn B-2 (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training aircraftBlackburn B-3 M.1/30 (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane naval torpedo bomberBlackburn B-5 BaffinBlackburn B-6 SharkBlackburn B-7 (1934) - general-purpose biplaneBlackburn B-9 (H.S.T. 10) (1936) - twin-engine twelve-passenger low-wing monoplane airliner: built, never flewBlackburn B-24 Skua (1937) - single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane naval fighter/dive bomberBlackburn B-25 Roc (1938) - single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane naval fighter/dive bomber with rear turret (built by Boulton Paul Aircraft)Blackburn B-26 Botha (1938) - twin-engine, four-seat high-wing monoplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomber & crew trainerBlackburn B-20 (1940) - twin-engine, six-seat experimental monoplane retractable-hull flying boatBlackburn B-37 Firebrand F Mk.I (1942) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval fighterBlackburn B.44 (1942) - single-engine flying-boat fighterBlackburn B-45 Firebrand TF Mk.II (1943) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighterBlackburn B-46 Firebrand TF Mk.IV (1945) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighterBlackburn B-48 Firecrest (Y.A.1) (1947) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighterBlackburn B-52 single-engined advanced trainer to meet Specification T.7/45, not built.Blackburn B-54 (Y.A.5, Y.A.7, Y.A.8) (1949) - single-piston-engine, two-seat contra-rotating propeller naval anti-submarine aircraftBlackburn B-88 (Y.B.1) (1950) - single-turboprop-engine, two-seat contra-rotating propeller naval anti-submarine aircraftBlackburn B-101 Beverley (1950) - four-engine, high-wing, propellers, transport airplane (designed by General Aircraft)Blackburn B-103 Buccaneer (Y.B.3) (1958) - twin-engine, two-seat jet naval strike aircraft to specification NA.39AD Scout (1915) - Admiralty designed single-engine, single-seat pusher anti-Zeppelin aircraft. Built by Blackburn and by Hewlett & BlondeauBlackburn Beagle (1928) single-engine two-seat two-seat biplane bomberBlackburn Blackburd (1918) single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomberBlackburn Bluebird (1924) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraftBlackburn Bluebird IV (1929) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraftBlackburn General Purpose (1916) - twin-engine three-seat seaplane biplane anti-submarine patrol bomberBlackburn N.1B (1918) - single-engine single-seat biplane flying boat escort bomber (started; not finished; never flew)Blackburn Pellet (1923) - single-engine single-seat biplane Schneider racerBlackburn Sidecar (1919) single-engine two-seat mid wing monoplane ultra light: may not have flownBlackburn Sprat (1926) single-engine two-seat biplane advanced trainerBlackburn Triplane (1916) - Blackburn-designed triplane version of ScoutBlackburn Twin Blackburn (1915) - twin-fuselage, two-engine, two-seat anti-Zeppelin seaplaneBlackburn White Falcon (1916) - single-engine two-seat mid-wing monoplaneAlula D.H.6 (1921) - experimental aircraft to test the Alula wing using an Airco DH.6 fuselageAlula Semiquaver (1921) - single-engine Alula wing conversion of the Martinsyde SemiquaverHandley Page HP.88 (Blackburn Y.B.2) - Experimental aircraft for Handley Page using a Supermarine-built fuselage.Blackburn Cirrus BombardierBlackburn Cirrus MinorBlackburn Cirrus MajorBlackburn Cirrus MidgetBlackburn-Turbomeca ArtousteBlackburn-Turbomeca PalasBlackburn-Turbomeca PalousteBlackburn-Turbomeca A.129
