Blackburn Mercury
Blackburn Aeroplane Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1911 · light aircraft
The Blackburn Mercury was an early British aircraft designed as a pilot trainer for the Blackburn Flying School at Filey in 1911. It was an enlarged, two-seat version of the Second Monoplane.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 10.06 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Mid-wing monoplane of conventional configuration
- Pilot and student in tandem open cockpits
- Single engine driving a two-bladed propeller in the nose
It is a mid-wing monoplane with pilot and student in tandem open cockpits. A non-flying replica of the Mercury II was built for the television series Flambards and is displayed at the Yorkshire Air Museum.
Specifications
- The Blackburn Mercury has a length of 10.06 m (33 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.68 m (38 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 97 km/h (60 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype was displayed at the Olympia Aero Show in March 1911 and led to orders for two racers for the Daily Mail Circuit of Britain race. Nine Mercuries were built in all.
Variants
The Mercury I was the two-seat prototype with an Isaacson engine, and the Mercury II was a single-seat racer with a Gnome rotary engine, two built. The Type B was one Mercury II converted to a single-seat trainer, and the Mercury III was a two-seater built six times with a variety of engines.
Where you'll see it
The first racer crashed on takeoff, and the second was rebuilt into a two-seat trainer and then the single-seat Type B. Another six were built for private buyers.
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