m (Remove some templates. interwiki links, delink non military terms, add link to Wikipedia and cleanup) |
m (→References: Refine categories and cleanup) |
||
(10 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
− | {|{{Infobox |
+ | {|{{Infobox aircraft begin |
|name= |
|name= |
||
|image= Blackburn b-88.jpg|thumb|300px| |
|image= Blackburn b-88.jpg|thumb|300px| |
||
|caption= A Blackburn B-88 |
|caption= A Blackburn B-88 |
||
}} |
}} |
||
− | {{Infobox |
+ | {{Infobox aircraft type |
|type= [[Anti-submarine warfare]] aircraft |
|type= [[Anti-submarine warfare]] aircraft |
||
− | |manufacturer= |
+ | |manufacturer= Blackburn Aircraft |
|designer= |
|designer= |
||
|first flight= 20 September 1949 |
|first flight= 20 September 1949 |
||
Line 19: | Line 19: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
|} |
|} |
||
− | The '''Blackburn B-54''' and '''B-88''' were prototype [[aircraft carrier|carrier-borne]] [[Anti-submarine warfare]] aircraft of the immediate post [[World War II|Second World War]]-era developed for the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[Fleet Air Arm]] (FAA). They shared a conventional |
+ | The '''Blackburn B-54''' and '''B-88''' were prototype [[aircraft carrier|carrier-borne]] [[Anti-submarine warfare]] aircraft of the immediate post [[World War II|Second World War]]-era developed for the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[Fleet Air Arm]] (FAA). They shared a conventional monoplane design with a mid-mounted inverted-gull wing and tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and observer sat in tandem under a long canopy atop the fuselage. The B-54 had a piston engine and the B-88 a gas turbine driving a large [[contra-rotating propellers|contra-rotating propeller]]. The [[radar]] scanner was mounted in a retractable [[radome]] in the rear fuselage, behind a long internal weapons bay. The program was cancelled in favour of the [[Fairey Gannet]] aircraft. |
==History== |
==History== |
||
− | The B-54, or Y.A.5, was designed to meet [[List of Air Ministry specifications|Specification "G.R.17/45"]] for an advanced carrier-borne anti-submarine aircraft by |
+ | The B-54, or Y.A.5, was designed to meet [[List of Air Ministry specifications|Specification "G.R.17/45"]] for an advanced carrier-borne anti-submarine aircraft by Blackburn Aircraft. Rivals [[Fairey Aviation|Fairey]] designed their Fairey 17 to the same specification, which would eventually evolve into the winning design, the [[Fairey Gannet]]. The original Y.A.5 was designed to take the new [[Napier Naiad|Napier Coupled Naiad]] turboprop engine, consisting of two single Naiads driving a contra-rotating propeller through a common gearbox. This engine was ultimately cancelled, so the Y.A.5 flew as the '''Y.A.7''' with a [[Rolls-Royce Griffon|Rolls Royce Griffon 56]] piston engine driving a contra-rotating propeller. This aircraft made its maiden flight on 20 September 1949 ahead of the compteting Fairey design. In 1950, the [[Admiralty]] added the requirement for a radar and radar operator to the specification. The Y.A.7 was further refined into the '''Y.A.8''', first flying on 3 May 1950, with aerodynamic refinements to improve handling and the third crew position. The Y.A.8 design was used as the basis for the B-88 '''Y.B.1''' which first flew on 19 July 1950. The B-88 had an [[Armstrong Siddeley]] [[Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba|Double Mamba]] engine similar in design to the original Naiad that was to be fitted to the Y.A.5. Development of this design was protracted and the FAA lost interest in favour of the promising Fairey Gannet, which had already flown with the Double Mamba and carried out landing trials, and which was to enter operational service fulfilling the original specification. |
==Design== |
==Design== |
||
− | The B-54 / B-88 shared a common airframe. It was a large, single-propeller conventional monoplane with a mid-mounted, inverted-gull wing and a mid-mounted horizontal tail-plane with considerable |
+ | The B-54 / B-88 shared a common airframe. It was a large, single-propeller conventional monoplane with a mid-mounted, inverted-gull wing and a mid-mounted horizontal tail-plane with considerable dihedral. Unlike the Fairey Gannet, it had a simple wing folding mechanism that split once at the angle of the gull-wing. The deep fuselage accommodated the engine(s), a large weapons bay and the crew of two were seated high up in tandem under a single canopy (the third crewman in the Gannet was specified after the cancellation of the Blackburn design). The undercarriage was a conventional tricycle type and a radar scanner was carried in the rear fuselage in a retractable dome, much like in the Fairey Gannet. |
==Engine== |
==Engine== |
||
Line 100: | Line 100: | ||
==See also== |
==See also== |
||
− | {{aircontent |
||
− | |similar aircraft= |
||
* [[Breguet Alizé]] |
* [[Breguet Alizé]] |
||
* [[Fairey Gannet]] |
* [[Fairey Gannet]] |
||
* [[S-2 Tracker]] |
* [[S-2 Tracker]] |
||
* [[Short Seamew]] |
* [[Short Seamew]] |
||
⚫ | |||
− | |lists= |
||
⚫ | |||
− | }} |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Line 120: | Line 116: | ||
{{refend}} |
{{refend}} |
||
− | {{Blackburn |
+ | {{Wikipedia|Blackburn B-54}} |
− | {{aviation lists}} |
||
− | |||
[[Category:Blackburn aircraft|B-54]] |
[[Category:Blackburn aircraft|B-54]] |
||
− | [[Category:British anti-submarine aircraft |
+ | [[Category:1940s British anti-submarine aircraft]] |
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] |
[[Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft]] |
||
[[Category:Aircraft with contra-rotating propellers]] |
[[Category:Aircraft with contra-rotating propellers]] |
||
Line 130: | Line 124: | ||
[[Category:Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom]] |
[[Category:Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom]] |
||
[[Category:Inverted gull-wing aircraft]] |
[[Category:Inverted gull-wing aircraft]] |
||
+ | [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1949]] |
||
− | |||
− | {{Wikipedia|Blackburn B-54}} |
Revision as of 17:47, 16 August 2020
A Blackburn B-88 | |
Role | Anti-submarine warfare aircraft |
Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
First flight | 20 September 1949 |
Primary user | Fleet Air Arm |
Number built | 3 |
The Blackburn B-54 and B-88 were prototype carrier-borne Anti-submarine warfare aircraft of the immediate post Second World War-era developed for the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm (FAA). They shared a conventional monoplane design with a mid-mounted inverted-gull wing and tricycle undercarriage. The pilot and observer sat in tandem under a long canopy atop the fuselage. The B-54 had a piston engine and the B-88 a gas turbine driving a large contra-rotating propeller. The radar scanner was mounted in a retractable radome in the rear fuselage, behind a long internal weapons bay. The program was cancelled in favour of the Fairey Gannet aircraft.
History
The B-54, or Y.A.5, was designed to meet Specification "G.R.17/45" for an advanced carrier-borne anti-submarine aircraft by Blackburn Aircraft. Rivals Fairey designed their Fairey 17 to the same specification, which would eventually evolve into the winning design, the Fairey Gannet. The original Y.A.5 was designed to take the new Napier Coupled Naiad turboprop engine, consisting of two single Naiads driving a contra-rotating propeller through a common gearbox. This engine was ultimately cancelled, so the Y.A.5 flew as the Y.A.7 with a Rolls Royce Griffon 56 piston engine driving a contra-rotating propeller. This aircraft made its maiden flight on 20 September 1949 ahead of the compteting Fairey design. In 1950, the Admiralty added the requirement for a radar and radar operator to the specification. The Y.A.7 was further refined into the Y.A.8, first flying on 3 May 1950, with aerodynamic refinements to improve handling and the third crew position. The Y.A.8 design was used as the basis for the B-88 Y.B.1 which first flew on 19 July 1950. The B-88 had an Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba engine similar in design to the original Naiad that was to be fitted to the Y.A.5. Development of this design was protracted and the FAA lost interest in favour of the promising Fairey Gannet, which had already flown with the Double Mamba and carried out landing trials, and which was to enter operational service fulfilling the original specification.
Design
The B-54 / B-88 shared a common airframe. It was a large, single-propeller conventional monoplane with a mid-mounted, inverted-gull wing and a mid-mounted horizontal tail-plane with considerable dihedral. Unlike the Fairey Gannet, it had a simple wing folding mechanism that split once at the angle of the gull-wing. The deep fuselage accommodated the engine(s), a large weapons bay and the crew of two were seated high up in tandem under a single canopy (the third crewman in the Gannet was specified after the cancellation of the Blackburn design). The undercarriage was a conventional tricycle type and a radar scanner was carried in the rear fuselage in a retractable dome, much like in the Fairey Gannet.
Engine
After the cancellation of the Napier Naiad programme, the prototype was fitted with the readily available Rolls-Royce Griffon 56 engine, delivering 2,000 hp (1,491 kW) to a 13 ft (4 m), six-blade (two three-bladed propellors) contra rotating propeller mechanism. In the B-88, an engine plant based on the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba gas turbine; the Double Mamba - also known as the "Twin Mamba" - driving an eight-blade counter-rotating propeller through a common gearbox. The ASMD.1 engine used on the B-88 was rated at 2,950 hp (2,200 kW).
Aircraft
- Blackburn B-54/YA.5
- intended to take Napier Naiad engine, converted to YA.7 before completion.
- Blackburn B-54/YA.7
- YA.5 airframe with Rolls-Royce Griffon 56 engine, one prototype WB781 first flown 20 September 1949.
- Blackburn B-54/YA.8
- Three-seat version with a Griffon 56 engine (later changed to Griffon 57), one prototype WB788 first flown 3 May 1950.
- Blackburn B-88 YB.1
- YA.8 with Armstrong Siddeley Double-Mamba engine, one prototype WB797 first flown 19 July 1950.
Specifications (B-88)
Data from Blackburn Aircraft since 1909 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 42 ft 8 in (13.01 m)
- Wingspan: 44 ft 2 in (13.47 m)
- Height: 16 ft 9 in (5.11 m)
- Loaded weight: 13,091 lb (5,950 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Double Mamba ASMD.1 turboprop, 2,950 shp (2,213 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 320 mph (278 knots, 515 km/h)
Armament
See also
- Breguet Alizé
- Fairey Gannet
- S-2 Tracker
- Short Seamew
- List of patrol and anti-submarine aircraft
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Blackburn B-54. |
- Notes
- ↑ Jackson 1968, p. 461.
- Bibliography
- Jackson, A.J. (1968). Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370- 00053-6.
- Williams, Ray (1989). Fly Navy: Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm since 1945. Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-85310-057-9.
The original article can be found at Blackburn B-54 and the edit history here.