Blackburn: B-2
Note: This is a sub-section of Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co
The Blackburn B-2 was a British biplane side-by-side trainer aircraft of the 1930s. Designed and built by Blackburn Aircraft, 42 were built.
The Blackburn B-2 was developed by Blackburn as a successor for its earlier Bluebird IV trainer, retaining the layout and side-by-side seating of the earlier aircraft, but having a semi-monocoque all-metal fuselage, instead of the metal and fabric covered fuselage used by the earlier aircraft.
The single-bay biplane wings were of similar structure to those of the Bluebird IV and could be folded for easy storage. Leading edge slots were fitted to the upper wing to improve low-speed handling, with ailerons on the lower wings only. The conventional landing gear was fixed, with the mainwheels supported on telescopic legs and a spung tailskid.
The prototype B-2 (registered G-ABUW) first flew on 10 December 1932, powered by a 120 hp (89 kW) De Havilland Gipsy III engine, although the 130 hp (97 kW) De Havilland Gipsy Major and 120 hp Cirrus Hermes IV engines were also fitted to production aircraft. Testing proved successful, with the aircraft proving to be very manoeuvrable, and the first production aircraft flew in 1932.
Surviving Aircraft
Only two B-2s survived to fly postwar; one crashed in 1951, and the sole survivor (G-AEBJ) is preserved and maintained in airworthy condition by Blackburn (now part of British Aerospace). G-AEBJ is located with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden. Another fuselage was for many years seen up a tree in an Essex scrapyard before being rescued in the 1980s. The aircraft displays two identities, G-ACBH and G-ADFO and is preserved, still wearing its original paint, at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum.
See Also
Sources of Information