Blackburn Aircraft

History

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 aircraft

Blackburn Second Monoplane (1911) - single-engine midwing monoplane aircraft

Blackburn Mercury (1911) - single-engine, two-seat midwing monoplane training aircraft

Blackburn Type B (1912) - single-engine, two-seat midwing monoplane training aircraft. A development of the Blackburn Mercury

Blackburn 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 twin

Blackburn Type I (1913) - single-engine 1/2-seat mid-wing monoplane built both as land- and seaplane

Blackburn Type L (1914) - single-engine two-seat biplane seaplane

Blackburn C.A.15C (1932) twin-engine ten passenger high-wing monoplane/ biplane airliner

Blackburn C.B.2 Nile (1930) - three-engine, two-seat parasol-wing cargo transport, a variant of the Sydney

Blackburn F.1 Turcock (1928) - single-engine fighter aircraft

Blackburn F.2 Lincock (1928) - single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter

Blackburn F.3 (1934) - single-engine single-seat biplane fighter: built, never flew

Blackburn 2F.1 Nautilus (1929) - single-engine two-seat engine biplane fighter

Blackburn R.1 Blackburn (1922) - single-engine, three-seat biplane naval spotter/reconnaissance aircraft

Blackburn R.2 Airedale (1925) - single-engine three-seat high-wing monoplane reconnaissance

Blackburn R.B.1 Iris (1926) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boat

Blackburn R.B.2 Sydney (1930) - three-engine, four-seat parasol-wing long-range flying boat

Blackburn R.B.3 Perth (1933) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boat

Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo (1918) - twin-engine, three-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.1 Swift (1920) - single-engine, single-seat floatplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.2 Dart (1921) - single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.3 Velos (1925) - single-engine, two-seat biplane bomber floatplane

Blackburn T.4 Cubaroo (1924) - single-engine, four-seat large biplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.5 Ripon (1926) - single-engine, two-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.7B (1929) - single-engine three-seat biplane bomber/reconnaissance for Japanese Navy

Blackburn T.8 Baffin (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn T.9 Shark (1933) - single-engine, three-seat carrier-based biplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn B-1 Segrave (1930) - twin-engine, four-seat low-wing monoplane touring aircraft

Blackburn B-2 (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training aircraft

Blackburn B-3 M.1/30 (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane naval torpedo bomber

Blackburn B-5 Baffin

Blackburn B-6 Shark

Blackburn B-7 (1934) - general-purpose biplane

Blackburn B-9 (H.S.T. 10) (1936) - twin-engine twelve-passenger low-wing monoplane airliner: built, never flew

Blackburn B-24 Skua (1937) - single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane naval fighter/dive bomber

Blackburn 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 trainer

Blackburn B-20 (1940) - twin-engine, six-seat experimental monoplane retractable-hull flying boat

Blackburn B-37 Firebrand F Mk.I (1942) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval fighter

Blackburn B.44 (1942) - single-engine flying-boat fighter

Blackburn B-45 Firebrand TF Mk.II (1943) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighter

Blackburn B-46 Firebrand TF Mk.IV (1945) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighter

Blackburn B-48 Firecrest (Y.A.1) (1947) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighter

Blackburn 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 aircraft

Blackburn B-88 (Y.B.1) (1950) - single-turboprop-engine, two-seat contra-rotating propeller naval anti-submarine aircraft

Blackburn 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.39

AD Scout (1915) - Admiralty designed single-engine, single-seat pusher anti-Zeppelin aircraft. Built by Blackburn and by Hewlett & Blondeau

Blackburn Beagle (1928) single-engine two-seat two-seat biplane bomber

Blackburn Blackburd (1918) single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomber

Blackburn Bluebird (1924) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraft

Blackburn Bluebird IV (1929) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraft

Blackburn General Purpose (1916) - twin-engine three-seat seaplane biplane anti-submarine patrol bomber

Blackburn 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 racer

Blackburn Sidecar (1919) single-engine two-seat mid wing monoplane ultra light: may not have flown

Blackburn Sprat (1926) single-engine two-seat biplane advanced trainer

Blackburn Triplane (1916) - Blackburn-designed triplane version of Scout

Blackburn Twin Blackburn (1915) - twin-fuselage, two-engine, two-seat anti-Zeppelin seaplane

Blackburn White Falcon (1916) - single-engine two-seat mid-wing monoplane

Alula D.H.6 (1921) - experimental aircraft to test the Alula wing using an Airco DH.6 fuselage

Alula Semiquaver (1921) - single-engine Alula wing conversion of the Martinsyde Semiquaver

Handley Page HP.88 (Blackburn Y.B.2) - Experimental aircraft for Handley Page using a Supermarine-built fuselage.

Piston engines

Blackburn Cirrus Bombardier

Blackburn Cirrus Minor

Blackburn Cirrus Major

Blackburn Cirrus Midget

Gas turbine engines (with Turbomeca)

Blackburn-Turbomeca Artouste

Blackburn-Turbomeca Palas

Blackburn-Turbomeca Palouste

Blackburn-Turbomeca A.129