Blackburn T.B. (Twin Blackburn)
Blackburn Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1915 · fighter
The Blackburn TB, for Twin Blackburn, was a long-range twin-engined anti-Zeppelin seaplane. It was Blackburn's first multi-engine aircraft to fly.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Twin fuselages set about 3.35 m apart |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin fuselages set about 3.35 m apart
- A tractor rotary engine in front of each fuselage
- Unequal-span unstaggered biplane wings on floats
It was a seaplane with twin fuselages 10 ft apart, the pilot in one and the observer in the other. Each fuselage had its own tractor engine in front.
Specifications
- The Blackburn T.B. (Twin Blackburn) has a length of 11.13 m (37 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 18.44 m (60 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 138.4 km/h (86 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Admiralty ordered nine in March 1915 after the first German airship attacks. The intended Smith Static radial engines proved unsatisfactory, so 100 hp Gnome Monosoupape engines were fitted and the first aircraft flew in August 1915.
Variants
The ninth and final aircraft was fitted with 110 hp Clerget engines, which made little difference to performance.
Where you'll see it
Seven were delivered to the Royal Naval Air Service and four served briefly at Killingholme in 1917. All nine were broken up in 1917.
Related aircraft
- Blackburn Type L
- Blackburn Type I
- Blackburn Blackburd
- Blackburn Kangaroo
- AGO DV.3
- Airco DH.1
- Airco DH.2
- Avro 521
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