Blackburn Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer that concentrated mainly on naval and maritime aircraft during the first part of the twentieth century.

History

The origin of Blackburn is with Robert Blackburn who built his first aircraft in 1908. The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company was created in 1914. A new factory was built at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1916. By acquiring the Cirrus-Hermes company in 1937, Blackburn started producing aircraft engines - the Blackburn Cirrus range. 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. By 1958 the name was Blackburn Aircraft Limited. It was absorbed into Hawker Siddeley in 1960 as part of the rationalisation of British aircraft manufacturers, and the Blackburn name was dropped completely in 1963.

Aircraft

• 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 I (1913)
• Blackburn Type L
• Blackburn Twin Blackburn (1915) - twin-fuselage, two-engine, two-seat anti-Zeppelin seaplane
• AD Scout (1915) - Admiralty designed single-engine, single-seat pusher anti-Zeppelin aircraft. Built by Blackburn and by Hewlett & Blondeau

Blackburn General Purpose

• Blackburn Kangaroo R.T.1 (1918) - twin-engine, three-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Blackburd (1918) single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburd Sidecar
• Blackburn Swift T.1 (1920) - single-engine, single-seat floatplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Dart T.2 (1921) - single-engine, single-seat biplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Blackburn R.1 (1922) - single-engine, three-seat biplane naval spotter/reconnaissance aircraft
• Blackburn Bluebird B-2 (1924) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraft
• Blackburn Cubaroo T.4 (1924) - single-engine, four-seat large biplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Velos T.3 (1925) - single-engine, two-seat biplane bomber floatplane
• Blackburn Iris R.B.1 (1926) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boat
• Blackburn Ripon T.5 (1926) - single-engine, two-seat biplane reconnaissance/torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Sprat
• Blackburn Cubaroo
• Blackburn Turcock F.1 (1928) - single-engine fighter aircraft
• Blackburn Beagle
• Blackburn Lincock F.2 (1928) - single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter
• Blackburn Nautilus 2F.1 (1929)
• Blackburn Bluebird IV (1929) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training/touring aircraft
• Blackburn Sydney R.B.2 (1930) - three-engine, four-seat parasol-wing long-range flying boat
• Blackburn Nile C.B.2 (1930) - three-engine, two-seat parasol-wing cargo transport, a variant of the *Blackburn Sydney
• Blackburn Segrave B-1 (1930) - two-engine, four-seat low-wing monoplane touring aircraft
• Blackburn Airedale R.2
• Blackburn T.7B
• Blackburn B-2 (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane training aircraft
• Blackburn M.1/30 (B-3) (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane naval torpedo bomber
• Blackburn C.A.15C
• Blackburn Baffin T.8/B-5 Baffin (1932) - single-engine, two-seat biplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Shark T.9/B-6 Shark (1933) - single-engine, three-seat carrier-based biplane torpedo bomber
• Blackburn Perth R.B.3 (1933) - three-engine, five-seat biplane flying boat
• Blackburn B-7 (1934) - general-purpose biplane
• Blackburn Skua B-24 (1937) - single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane fighter/dive bomber
• Blackburn Roc B-25 (1938) - single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane fighter/dive bomber with rear turret (built by Boulton Paul Aircraft)
• Blackburn Botha B-26 (1938) - two-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 Firebrand B-37 F Mk.I (1942) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval fighter
• Blackburn Firebrand B-45 TF Mk.II (1943) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighter
• Blackburn Firebrand B-46 TF Mk.IV (1945) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike figher
• Blackburn Firecrest B-48 Y.A.1) (1947) - single-engine, single-seat propeller naval strike fighter
• Blackburn B-54 (Y.A.5, Y.A.7, Y.A.8) (1949) - single-piston-engine, two-seat contrarotating propeller naval anti-submarine aircraft
• Blackburn B-88 (Y.B.1) (1950) - single-turboprop-engine, two-seat contrarotating propeller naval anti-submarine aircraft
• Blackburn Beverley B-101 (1950) - four-engine, high-wing, propellers, transport airplane (designed by General Aircraft)
• Blackburn Buccaneer B-103 (1958) - two-engine, two-seat jet naval strike aircraft
• Blackburn B-107 - proposed 4 engine military transport

External links

• The history of Blackburn Aircraft Ltd.
• British Aircraft Directory entry