Blackburn Blackburd

Blackburd
Role	Torpedo bomber
Manufacturer	Blackburn Aircraft
Designer	Harris Booth
First flight	1918
Status	Prototype
Number built	Three

The Blackburn Blackburd was a British prototype single-engine torpedo bomber developed by Blackburn Aircraft in 1918 as a replacement for the Sopwith Cuckoo. It was unsuccessful, only three being built.

Design and development

In January 1918, the Admiralty issued specification N.1B, seeking an aircraft to replace the Sopwith Cuckoo torpedo bomber. While the Cuckoo was successful, it could only carry a 1,000 lb (450 kg) Mark IX torpedo, which was not believed to be powerful enough to sink large armoured warships. The specification therefore required an aircraft capable of carrying a 1,436 lb (647 kg) Mark VII torpedo, which had a much larger warhead.^[1]

In response, Harris Booth designed the Blackburd, a large, three-bay biplane with unswept, unstaggered wings and a slab-sided fuselage.^[2] The Blackburd's simple lines were designed to facilitate rapid production,^[2] and the wings were able to fold backwards to facilitate storage in the ship's hangar.^[3] Unusually, the pilot's cockpit was situated towards the rear of the aircraft, with 17 ft (5 m) of fuselage ahead of the windscreen. The Blackburd's undercarriage had to be jettisoned before the torpedo could be dropped, requiring the aircraft to land on steel skids.^[1]

The first Blackburd flew in May 1918, and was delivered to Martlesham Heath for evaluation against the Short Shirl.^[1] The Blackburd was found to be unstable, with the first prototype crashing before trials were complete. The second and third aircraft were fitted with an enlarged rudder. The Blackburd was considered to be inferior to the Shirl, and was therefore not ordered. Although orders were placed for production of the Shirl, they were almost immediately replaced by more orders for the Sopwith Cuckoo.^[1]

Specifications

Front view of the Blackburd.

Data from The British Bomber Since 1914^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
• Wingspan: 52 ft 5 in (15.98 m)
• Height: 12 ft 4½ in (3.77 m)
• Wing area: 684 ft² (63.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 3,228 lb (1,467 kg)
• Loaded weight: 5,700 lb (2,590 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII V-12 water-cooled, 350 hp (261 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 79 kn (91 mph, 146 km/h) (with torpedo)
• Service ceiling: 11,000 ft (3,350 m)
• Wing loading: 8.33 lb/ft² (40.7 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.061 hp/lb (0.10 kW/kg)
  
• Endurance: 3 hr
• Climb to 6,500 ft: 16 min 15 sec

Armament

• One 1,423 lb (647 kg) Admiralty Mark VIII torpedo

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Short Shirl

References

1. Mason, Francis K. (1994). The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
2. Jackson, Aubrey J. (1989). Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-830-5.
3. "Blackburd". airwar.ru. 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2015.