Blackburn Blackburn
The Blackburn Blackburn was a single-engine, three -seat reconnaissance aircraft of the Royal Air Force for British aircraft carrier. The machine used in 1923 in the supporting units until early 1931 in the service. It was developed alongside the Avro Bison. Both replaced the Westland Walrus and were replaced in 1929 by the Fairey IIIF.
Development of the Blackburn Blackburn
The Blackburn Aircraft Company developed the Blackburn after the tender 3/21 for a carrier-based reconnaissance and artillery observation. The wings and tail of the Blackburn Dart you designed a new hull. The pilot sat on the Napier Lion IIB engine in an open cockpit in front of the wings. The navigator had its place in the hull and at the end of the cabin was located above a MG mount. The structure adopted by the dart could be folded in. The wing center section of the upper wing replaced the hull, where the upper wings were attached. The armament consisted of a rigid Vickers machine gun, which was grown outside the left of the pilot and a movable Lewis machine gun on a Scarff ring for the gunners. Three prototypes were completed during the year 1922 and granted a first production order for 12 machines The series machines were named Blackburn and I have been delivered from April 1923 to the RAF in Gosport. 18 more Blackburn I were built until 1924. These machines were for the first use of the machine in an active unit, the Fleet Spotter Flight 422, available, which was used on the HMS Eagle in the Mediterranean.
Another order was issued for 29 Blackburn, who should receive the slightly stronger Napier Lion V engine. In addition, the upper wing was mounted 57 cm above and braced against the hull, which yielded an improvement in flight characteristics. The thus completed machines were referred Blackburn Blackburn Mk.II. All existing machines of the type Mk.I were converted accordingly. At least two Blackburn Mk.I were converted to training machines side by side with seated pilot.
The following variants were delivered to the RAF:
Use in the British Fleet Air Force
On April 1, 1923, the Royal Air Force reorganized its for the fight by sea provided units. For the first time specific Flights were erected ( swarm ) for the use of aircraft carriers. It also emerged three "Fleet Spotter " Flights, who possessed initially on Westland Walrus machines as mission aircraft.
The Flight 422 was the first combat unit of the RAF, which was equipped with the Blackburn Blackburn Mk.I in June 123. The new machines replaced in the reconnaissance unit, the Westland Walrus previously used. The flight was on the HMS Eagle bestimmtund went to the end of the year finished aircraft carrier early June 1924 Mediterranean Fleet.
The plane group of the Eagle was then the biggest of an aircraft carrier and consisted of four Flights of six machines. In addition to 422 were the flights 402 with Fairey Flycatcher fighter planes, 440 with Supermarine Seagull III reconnaissance and 460 Blackburn Dart torpedo aircraft on board. However, usually one of the four had been detached Flights to the land bases Halfar in Malta or Aboukir near Alexandria. In January 1927, Flight 422 was preparing to temporarily Fairey IIID on, with whom he was on duty on the HMS Argus. In May 1928, the flight was preparing to again and received Blackburn Blackburn Mk.II. He was re- assigned to the Eagle. In April 1929, the unit was renumbered as Flight 450 then the HMS Courageous new foundation of Flight 450, but in November 1930 gave its Blackburn Blackburn and replaced by Fairey IIIF in September 1929.
Second unit with the Blackburn Blackburn Mk.I was established in January 1925, the Flight 420 HMS Furious, who had used until then Westland Walrus. A year later the unit exchanged the initial version of the machine against Mk.II. In April 1929, the unit was renumbered as Flight 449 In June 1930, the Flight of the Courageous was allocated and in June 1931 he gave his Blackburn Blackburn, and replaced them by Fairey IIIF.
This was the period of use of the machines with the peculiar hull shape and the " double name " ended after 8 years. So it was almost two years longer in a combat unit than the competing model also procured Avro Bison. As a float plane has been tested probably only one of the prototypes of Blackburn Blackburn..