Blackburn B-2
| B-2 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Blackburn B2 at the Shuttleworth Collection | |
| Role | Trainer |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft |
| First flight | 1931 |
| Introduction | 1932 |
| Retired | 1942 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 42 |
| Developed from | Blackburn Bluebird IV |
The Blackburn B-2 was a British biplane side-by-side trainer aircraft of the 1930s. Designed and built by Blackburn Aircraft, 42 were built.
The Blackburn B-2 was developed by Blackburn as a successor for its earlier Bluebird IV trainer, retaining the layout and side-by-side seating of the earlier aircraft, but having a semi-monocoque all-metal fuselage, instead of the metal and fabric-covered fuselage used by the earlier aircraft. The single-bay biplane wings were of similar structure to those of the Bluebird IV and could be folded for easy storage. Leading edge slots were fitted to the upper wing to improve low-speed handling, with ailerons on the lower wings only. The conventional landing gear was fixed, with the mainwheels supported on telescopic legs and a spung tailskid. The prototype B-2 (registered G-ABUW) first flew on 10 December 1932, powered by a 120 hp (89 kW) de Havilland Gipsy III engine, although the 130 hp (97 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major and 120 hp Cirrus Hermes IV engines were also fitted to production aircraft. Testing proved successful, with the aircraft proving to be very manoeuvrable, and the first production aircraft flew in 1932.
The B-2 was aimed mainly at the military trainer market, and the prototype B-2 was shipped to Lisbon in September 1933 for evaluation by Portugal. Although it performed well in the evaluation, the Portuguese preferred a tandem layout, and purchased the de Havilland Tiger Moth. Although not successful in competing for major military orders, the B-2 continued in production to equip civilian flying schools in the United Kingdom that were busy training pilots for the Royal Air Force under the RAF expansion scheme, with the B-2 equipping flying schools owned by Blackburn at Brough Aerodrome and London Air Park, Hanworth. A total of 42 B-2s, including the prototype, were built, with production continuing until 1937.
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