Blackburn B2
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Blackburn B2

 

Blackburn B2 History
Blackburn Aircraft built 42 Blackburn B2 trainers in the early 1930's. The aircraft was very similar in appearance to the de Havilland Tiger Moth and was even powered by de Havilland's Gipsy engine. The most obvious operational difference between the two aircraft was the cockpit. In the B2 both trainer and trainee pilots were seated side by side, rather than in tandem with one in front of the other. The main difference in construction was that the Blackburn B2 used a semi-monocoque all-metal fuselage rather than the fabric covered wood used in the Moth.

In later years the side by side seating arrangement used by the Blackburn B2 became favoured, but at the time of it's introduction there was a preference for the traditional tandem layout that could be found in all existing RAF military biplane training aircraft.

Blackburn B2 Biplane use in WW2
At the outbreak of WW2 both RAF and privately owned B2 biplane trainers were transferred to the RAF's No 4 Elementary Flying Training School, who operated them until 1942, at which time the surviving aircraft were designated as instructional airframes for use by the Air Training Corps.

Various scale models, model kits and plans of this aircraft have been available in the market place.

Blackburn B2 Biplane Specifications:

Blackburn B2 Crew: Instructor and trainee
Blackburn B2 Length: 24 ft 3 in (7.39 m)
Blackburn B2 Wingspan: 30 ft 2 in (9.20 m)
Blackburn B2 Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
Blackburn B2 Wing area: 246 ft² (22.9 m²)
Blackburn B2 Empty weight: 1,175 lb (534 kg)
Blackburn B2 Loaded weight: 1,850 lb (841 kg)
Blackburn B2 Engine: Single 120 hp (90 kW) de Havilland Gipsy III 4 cylinder in-line engine
Blackburn B2 Maximum speed: 97 kn (112 mph, 180 km/h)
Blackburn B2 Cruise speed: 83 kn (95 mph, 153 km/h)
Blackburn B2 Range: 278 nmi (320 mi, 515 km)

Trainer aircraft of the 1930's - Blackburn Speed - Shuttleworth Collection - Royal Air Force - Blackburn Series 1 - Trainer aircraft of the 1930's - Blackburn B2 Aircraft - Shuttleworth Collection - Royal Air Force

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