Blackburn Bluebird IV
Blackburn Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1929 · light aircraft
The Blackburn Bluebird IV was a British single-engine light trainer and tourer biplane with side-by-side seating. It was an all-metal development of the wooden Bluebird I, II and III.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.06 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat biplane with side-by-side seating
- Rectangular horn-balanced rudder with no fixed fin
- Ailerons on the lower wing only
Look for a small, neat metal biplane with a rectangular rudder and no fixed fin, side-by-side seating and ailerons on the bottom wing only.
Specifications
- The Blackburn Bluebird IV has a length of 7.06 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.14 m (30 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 190 km/h (118 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The design team under G. E. Petty redesigned the Bluebird with a more streamlined nose, a simplified structure and a revised tail unit and undercarriage. The prototype first flew on 23 February 1929.
Variants
The Bluebird IV could be fitted with several engines, including the de Havilland Gipsy, ADC Cirrus and Cirrus Hermes.
Where you'll see it
Saunders-Roe built 55 between late 1929 and May 1931, with Boulton and Paul making the wings for a period. Privately owned examples made pioneering long-distance flights, including the round-the-world trip by Mrs Victor Bruce, and the last is believed to have been scrapped in 1947.
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- Blackburn Iris Mk III
- Blackburn B-1 Segrave
- Blackburn B-2
- Blackburn B-3
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- Aero A.34 Kos
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