Simply Named, Simply Built, Simply Unstable | Blackburn Blackburd [Aircraft Overview #47]
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- Опубліковано 9 вер 2024
- Today we're looking at the imaginatively named Blackburn Blackburd. Designed as a torpedo bomber that could be easily built in large numbers, it turned out to be a bit of a let-down.
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***
Producing these videos is a hobby of mine - and apparently its now a full-time job too! I have a passion for history, and personally own a large collection of books, journals and other texts, and endeavor to do as much research as possible. However if there are any mistakes, please don't hesitate to reach out and correct anything :)
Sources:
Jackson.A.J (1989). Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909.
Mason.F.K. (1994). The British Bomber Since 1914.
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F.A.Q Section
Q: Do you take aircraft requests?
A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:)
Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others?
A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both.
Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos?
A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :)
Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators?
A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible.
Feel free to leave your questions below - I may not be able to answer all of them, but I will keep my eyes open :)
CF-100 Canuck maybe? :D
I would love to see a series on us aircraft carrier planes prewar loadout 1941 loadout 1943 loadout and 1944 to 45 loadouts
@@Synystr7 gotta love the clunk!
@@brentfellers9632 She's such a pretty plane.
@@Synystr7 1st all weather interceptor!
Clearly lived up to the concept that "If it looks right, it'll fly right". It didn't, and didn't.
I want to know how these designers got access to the top secret crayon drawn biplane blueprints my parents put on the fridge when I was 4.
We've all seen worse. And many of them flew.
They got it from their refrigerator. Not really a secure place for top secret blueprints.
Its looks are right up there with the Farman F. With the Farman F it looks like they took a WWI biplane and knocked the lower wings off of it. The Blackburn Blackburd looks like a coffin with wings. Did someone spill their tea on the blueprints? 😄
I was thinking along the same lines. I'm pretty sure some cardboard and milk crate planes I put together when I was 5 had as good a chance at actually flying.
I made that plane in lego
The naming choices from this era of aviation reflects the madness that drove these lads to create and operate these deathtraps
Deathtrap is SO accurate.
I wonder how those planes were ever able to even take off when their pilots all had huge balls of steel?
Warren Buffett once said, more or less, that the best investment humanity could have made would have been to shoot down the Wright Brothers at Kittyhawk because no airplane manufacturer and no airline has ever made money.
Toss in all the bombing they've been used for, and it's an interesting thought.
But consider Mr. Blackburn. From this point of view, wasn't he doing the right thing, being the anti-Wright-Brother?
Blackburn had some notable successes, but the sheer number of turkeys it produced was impressive.
Law of Averages. Produce enough stuff and some of them are bound to be world beaters.
I represent the law firm of Cohen, Berger, and Weinstein, and on behalf of the International Brotherhood of Food Fowl, you are hereby ordered to cease and desist all derogatory comparisons between our clients and aircraft of dubious performance and/or aesthetics.
They were a genuinely awful aircraft company.
@@AnonNomad
Are you forgetting the Buccaneer?
Are you referring to the Blackburn Turkey F-3 first flown in 1928?😂😂
2:05 That dazzle camo is effective! I didn't know what I was looking at, or if it was coming or going!
Leliel carrier
Ah yes, the legendary precursor to the SR-71
Simple but ineffective, story of my life.
same here Gresvig
@JZ's Best Friend yes id be down to get nuked as well
Hopefully you have, and I'm quoting the video here, "huge undercarriage" as well.
@@DeathInTheSnow lol
"A bit of a let-down."
What more did you expect from a Flying Brick?
Hehe.... This turkey makes Pave Blue look positively elegant by comparison.
As a true flying brick, the F-4 Phantom was highly successful. Of course, this was achieved through its outrageously high thrust. 🤓
Reminds me of when I was a little kid and built airplanes using Legos.
Right, same for me too 😜👍
I was thinking it look like a airplane that made from a cereal or cracker box.
@@Will-sq3ip Or from Lego....
Admiralty : only a total drunk could like it.
Winston Churchill: I object! I do not like it, and am offended that you would think so!
They named one of their aircraft,
"The Blackburn, Blackburn."
Imagination was obviously not Blackburn's long suit.
So this plane was obviously set up to do one thing well, dive straight down even when sitting still.
So good they named it twice!
Kind of like when Dodge changed their truck division to Ram. The Ram Ram.
Or the Ferrari La Ferrari…
Yes, and it was as pretty as the Blackburd and flew only somewhat better...
So every time this thing flies a mission, the RAF has to buy another set of wheels for it? I'm sure they would love that.
Exactly my thoughts. Any time a major component is being tossed for every operational flight that's a bad deal. Especially since its not just wartime consumption (like external fuel tanks on the P-51s) but every time you do a training drop of a torpedo. At least in the case of the Me 163 and its detachable landing gear the wheels are being left at the airfield so they can be gathered up and reused.
Nah, that's dirt cheap, relative to the plane.
You didn't listen. The wheels would drop in preparation to drop the torpedo. Within 3 miles of a target. As it never flew in combat, this was only done in testing . And maybe some training flights with dummy torpedoes.
@@kkarllwt Presumably they could be dropped on takeoff as well, which I would think would be the ideal time to dispose of them to relieve the plane of extra weight and drag. Which it sounds like would have been of great benefit.
@@sgthop
on a carrier based aircraft....
how long a line anchored to the carrier would you allow before the wheels get yanked off the aircraft to allow recovery of said wheels and axles?
man, if only we lived in a world where wicker chairs are standard on military aircraft
It'd be the splinters when the explosive ejector portion fired that would cause all the "wickered" problems.
Dick Dasterdlys vulture squadron want to order 100 of these fine machines.
Oh, thank God, there's someone else here with the same twisted childhood television history...!
@@nairbvel
Heeheehee.......
Muttley rides again....
Simply named is an understatement lol
It's incredible how this company survived so long, its aircrafts where (mostly) real turkeys, pratically only the Buccaneer was a real success, and ironically the RAF had to be strongarmed to adopt it!
They knew that one day they would need the Bucc, so, for decades, they kept the company going…. It was destiny
Blackburn never failed to entertain.... Hail Blackburn!
Not sure, but , Sopwith’s next project, after the Cookoo, was called the cocoa puff….
So the Sopwth company was Cookoo for Cocoa Puffs!
Great information on this early Torpedo Bomber Prototype! Excellent
Wicker seats were pretty much standard in RFC/RAF aeroplanes in 1914-18
thank you
This is like a plane designed by the 3 Stooges. Thank God no one ever had to fly operationally in this.
It would survive enemy action, as they'd all be incompacitated by laughing hysterically. 😄
They really needed an official "Who the hell comes up with these names, No no we will give them less silly names" committee.
What's wrong with Blackbird Blackbird? Perfectly reasonable name. Just like the Vickers Vickers, the Morris Morris, and the Rolls Royce Rolls Royce.
@@IntrospectorGeneral ^Blackburn Blackburd!
@@IntrospectorGeneral Thanks that made my day
Awesome Rex great job Sir thank you
Incredible black turd... Thanx for intressting video!
Man a lot has changed since that time. I could tell you it would be nose heavy and that the rudder would be ineffective just by looking at it, and I bet most aviation enthusiasts would be able to, as well.
Another great video! This is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels.
I like my aircraft like I like my women. Unstable, British and armed with a 1400 pound torpedo.
You just made me spit laughing. Well done sir, well done.
😂
And I thought I was the only one who conflated women with airplanes.
You mean : Unstable, built like a brick and always ready to jettison the undercarriage ?
Winning youtube comment of the day
I suspect that fans of this fascinating channel are rapidly becoming connoisseurs of the weird and wonderful in aircraft design. The Blackburd however is not only weird but also offers a new explanation as to why WWI pilots sometimes referred to their aircraft as 'crates' ...
Once again, like the Beechcraft Bonanza, no consideration was taken for the turbulent air at the rear of....
I've recently stumbled upon this channel and I am ABSOLUTELY HOOKED!
Very eloquent and informative. I've always been an aviation history buff. Your channel humbles me.
Nowt wrong with the Bonanzas. The main issue was always lacking pilot proficiency leading to overspeeding of the airframes and subsequent breaking up midair.
What these designs show is that until recently, aircraft designers had very little knowledge of aerodynamics; ie design was mostly guesswork and they often guessed wrong.
Somewhere out there, a random Cartoonist will come across this video and yell:
*See! I told those guys my design was realistic!*
Blackburn's aircraft design requirements:
1. Underpowered.
2. Unstable (pref in flight)
3. Difficult to land
4. Initial designs are to be taken from a pool of kindergarten children.
Well, to be fair, the Admiralty looked at the Skua and said "You know what would make that a better fighter? A turret!" So it wasn't ALL Blackburn's fault. Just mostly.
Savage 🤣
I can see some Blackburn engineers going to a school full of 6 year olds and instruct them all to draw their version of a torpedo bomber. Then they’d take the best (or worst) three and pick the required design features. Haha
...and those were its good points
The specification was pushing the boundries of the available technology. Hefting a large 21 inch torpedo with a single engine resulted in an ungainly aircraft with other minimally available extras. They tried but the specification was doomed to failure. Blackburn went on to produce some really good torpedo biplanes culminating in the Shark.
I thought the Blackburn Blackburd was easy but this makes it ludicrous. Blackturd really screams.
Rex? Are you sure burr is spelt with a b and not t?
Thanks for covering more naval aircraft!
She's a beauty. They should have to sell photos of this barge at air shows throughout the English Midlands.
Well it flew pretty well … for a shipping crate …
Simply beautiful video!
Just recently found this channel and I’m loving the videos. Been binge watching. It’s nice you upload pretty frequently
This plane looks like a bad drawing from one of my kids 😂 I’d definitely put it up on the fridge
The 'Crosswinds-R-us School of Fancy Footwork' - no bellbottoms . . .
When I saw the plan, just for a moment it looked like it said "Blackburn Blackturd." Which it kind of was, I guess.
An assessor could sum up this plane with one word, "Why???".
Nice to see a dazzle ship.
The dazzle is cool.
Seems to have a certain gallic taste this one!
issuing correction on a previous post of mine, regarding the aircraft corporation Blackburn. you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to them" for naming their plane the "Blackburd"
ok maybe a little 🤏
The Blackburn “Blackburn” also scores an honourable mention… (and that went into production…)
wint was here
They should have called it the "blackturd".
@@raycollishaw673 wunt*
1:22 Woah. Didn’t even realize it was a U instead of an I until now.
Good vid, thank you :)
@ 1:00 the plane looks like a cotton gin with wings and a torpedo.
What makes you think it's not, Jonathan D?
Erks at Martlesham Heath be like 'Blackturd'... Tell me i'm wrong!
every time i think ive seen the most british looking plane another one comes along
So get a kick out of how you always manage to get a dig or two into your videos. Thanks!
Hey Rex, Id love for you to cover the Fairey Firefly, its one of my favorite looking planes but video content is lacking to be sure
This looks like something that would be in the Royal Canadian Air Force in a South Park episode.
When the Air Ministry expressed so little interest in the first Mosquito, they wanted Geoffrey de Havilland to build the wings only for another's aircraft to be called the 'Ape'. One can not imagine the Ape (whatever that became) becoming a household name.
Brutal analysis. I almost feel bad for it. lol
it looks like a shipping crate they bolted wings to lol.
Blackburn just can’t be normal for one single second, not even when naming
Were there ever any good Blackburn aircraft?
Well, the Buccaneer was probably one of the best naval aircraft ever made by anyone anywhere, but it took Blackburn a long time and many failures to get there.
@@Kevin-mx1vi Everytime i see another one of Blackburns utter failiures i am left wondering, how on earth did they manage to create the Buccaneer?
Well they did manage to make some good (although not necessarily good looking) aircraft like the Blackburn Blackburn.
Who designed this thing? Bruce McCall?
The French colors seem appropriate for this plane. It looks like it could be French.
Don’t underestimate the ability of English designers to create ugly aircraft! The Avro Bison comes to mind.
Sometimes the Lotus maxim, ‘simplify and add lightness,’ doesn’t actually work.
I saw the title in the thumbnail, did a double take and re-read it, actually lol'd out loud
Could you do a review on the chance vought xf5u and v-173?
if I know anything, it is that anything can fly with enough thrust, in games and real life
Wow!
The Mk 8 torpedo… is it the same type that HMS Conqueror sank ARA General Belgrano with?
Probably still had one in the inventory....was worth a crack old boy....
No. The Mk8 fired by Conqueror was a 21 inch jobby. I’m pretty sure this was an 18inch torpedo .
All hail the Blackbird!
Out of one Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire gems the British had to put up with so many dogs including this. What was going on with British aviation industry during interwar years?
'ate stability
'ate comfort
'ate wheels
luv box
luv crashin'
luv nose diving
simple as
So, except for that, it was great?
You could do a whole series of Blackburn Aircraft that failed
A Blackburn designer at a pub drunkenly scribbled an airplane on a napkin. Next morning goes to the office with a hangover and hands it off saying "build this or whatever"
You know, the Blackburn company back in the day had created far too many failures. Not sure why this was the case, but if I had to guess based to what I've researched, their designs were simply awful. The company should've gone bankrupt long ago. I think political intervention was involved in keeping the company afloat. Lousy designs. Just lousy. And in some cases, stupid.
You got me curious about this. According to Wikipedia, Robert Blackburn started his company with his wife's inheritance money.
Based on available photos she was a looker, and "(She) became an important asset in the sales and marketing of the company. She hosted RAF officials, politicians, media and aviation pioneers in their homes in Leeds and in Bowcliffe Hall, in Bramham." As they say, money talks. Oh, and sex sells.
@@yes_head Thanks for that. At least they seemed to be successful at conducting PR.
@Fred brandon uh oh. Someone doesn't understand the utility and purpose of wikipedia, which aims not to be a scholarly source of ultimate knowledge but instead a way for the masses to digest specialized fields.
It was only taxpayers' money they were wasting. Some things never change, aye?
Let's not be judgemental. A lot of us are simple but ineffective.
Blackbird
Did Blackburn manage to design *any* good planes? Genuinely curious.
Buccaneer !
The Blackburn Buccaneer provided good, reliable years' service to both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, and is very much one of the most recognizable British aircraft of the Cold War.
It was indeed the last great strike aircraft that Britain ever produced.
Google is your friend...
Thank you both. Its just everything I hear about them, from this thing to the firebrand and beyond, has their aircraft ranging from "meh" to "well, it flies..." to the "actively attempts to kill its pilot" that this thing seems to be, and it left me to wonder how they kept getting contracts. Thank you for the information. :)
the Blackburn Black box
It looks like someone nailed wings to a crash box
Please cover the "Blackburn Bluckbarn". I'm sure if anyone, then it is you who can find one.^^ Greetings from Germany.
good video
That dazzle camouflage hurts my eyes!
What camouflage...I can't see any camouflage...oh wait....
I have SEVERAL questions!
And yes, all of them begin with "Why...?"
Looks like a giant box kite with an engine🤔
To make a summary of the title,
"Simply usless"
That is one awkward looking airplane. 😳
Early history of Bristol aircraft company?
If you want assistance with the research I’m available.
7:25 🧐😯 Are those oil streaks or is the fabric bagging into pleats above the lower wing?
Pleats, I think. The oil splatter can be seen on the glass here 3:40
Some designers needs to actually fly their own designs and/or be flogged in public.
Blackburd? I guess Boxturd was already taken.
Our Blackbird was a bid more successful. And memorable.
Translation: In the US, and the plane was the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Immeasurably better looking than the Blackburd.
Just passing. The grandson of this bird, changed the name to Blackbird in order not to be affiliated with this grandfather. He now lives in the USA in the complex of Lockheed.
I have read that "Blackburn" was an old Scottish way of spelling.... yep, you guessed it. Great doc, tho.
going by the pictures the size of this bird and it's intended for a carrier???
Takeoff speed would be minimal if the top speed is 91mph...
stall @40mph maybe?
@@JohnSmith-yv6eq takeoff speed isn't the issue the issue is it's size storing and moving it around on a small deck and the hanger!! from the scale in the pictures it'd be like a great dane in a beagles doghouse!!
Isn't it striking how many of the crappest aircraft were Blackburns? On this and other channels.
It is clearly a Type Y aircraft. As in, y u do this to me?
Sounds like they should have called this plane the _BLACKTURD._
Sorry, I meant BLACKBURD was an ancient Scottish way etc, etc. Maybe I had to fly one of the darn things in a previous life!