Blackburn B-20
Blackburn Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1940 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Blackburn B-20 was an experimental flying boat that first flew in 1940. It tried to raise flying-boat performance by using a retractable float as its hull.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Large retractable central float that forms the planing hull and folds up into a notch in the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Large retractable central float that forms the planing hull and folds up into a notch in the fuselage
- Wing floats that fold outwards to become the wingtips
- Two Rolls-Royce Vulture X-24 engines
A twin-engined high-wing flying boat whose single float retracted up into the fuselage and whose wing floats folded to form the wingtips.
Specifications
- The Blackburn B-20 has a length of 21.23 m (70 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 24.99 m (82 ft).
- Typical crew: 6.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Blackburn tendered it to Air Ministry Specification R1/36 using a patent by chief designer John Douglas Rennie. The Ministry authorised a prototype, which flew for the first time on 26 March 1940.
Variants
There were no variants: only one prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
On 7 April 1940 the prototype suffered severe vibration from aileron flutter during a test run, the crew bailed out and three were lost. Development ceased, and the wreck is a designated war grave.
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