Blackburn Firebrand
Blackburn · United Kingdom · first flew 1942 · bomber
The Blackburn Firebrand was a British single-engine strike fighter for the Fleet Air Arm.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 11.81 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing single-engine naval strike fighter
- Fin and rudder placed forward of the elevator
- Large Fairey-Youngman flaps and manually folding outer wing panels
A low-wing carrier aircraft with a radial engine and four wing cannon; the fin sits forward of the elevator.
Specifications
- The Blackburn Firebrand has a length of 11.81 m (39 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 15.62 m (51 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 550 km/h (342 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed in the Second World War as a pure fighter but was redesigned as a strike fighter when its Napier Sabre engines were allocated to the Typhoon. The first prototype flew on 27 February 1942.
Variants
The TF.III had a Centaurus VII radial; the TF.IV, the first mass-produced version, had the Centaurus IX. The TF.5 was converted from the TF.IV.
Where you'll see it
Development was slow and the first production aircraft was not delivered until after the war. 170 TF.IV were built, and it was withdrawn from front-line service in 1953.
Related aircraft
- Beverley
- Blackburn Perth
- Blackburn R.B.2 Sydney
- Blackburn Beagle
- Aichi B7A Ryusei
- Avro Lancaster B.III
- B-29 Superfortress
- Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress
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