The Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company was created in 1914[3] and established in a new factory at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1916.[4] Robert's brother Norman Blackburn later became managing director.
Blackburn acquired the Cirrus-Hermes Engineering company in 1934, beginning its manufacture of aircraft engines. However an updated range of engines was under development and Blackburn wanted to wait until it was established before giving its name to them, so Cirrus Hermes Engineering was retained as a separate company for the time being.[5]
The company's name was changed to Blackburn Aircraft Limited in 1936.[6]
In 1937, with the new Cirrus engines now well established, engine manufacturing was brought into the parent company as an operating division, giving rise to the Blackburn Cirrus name.[7]
By 1937, pressure to re-arm was growing and the Yorkshire factory was approaching capacity. A fortuitous friendship between Maurice Denny, managing director of William Denny and Brothers, the Dumbarton ship building company,[8] and Robert Blackburn resulted in the building of a new Blackburn factory at Barge Park, Dumbarton where production of the Blackburn Botha commenced in 1939.[9]
Blackburn amalgamated with General Aircraft Limited in 1949 as Blackburn and General Aircraft Limited,[10] reverting to Blackburn Aircraft Limited by 1958.
As part of the rationalisation of British aircraft manufacturers, its aircraft production and engine operations were absorbed into Hawker Siddeley and Bristol Siddeley respectively[3] in 1960/1961. The Blackburn name was dropped completely in 1963.[11]
An American company, Blackburn Aircraft Corp., was incorporated in Detroit on 20 May 1929 to acquire design and patent rights of the aircraft of Blackburn Airplane & Motor Co., Ltd. in the USA. It was owned 90% by Detroit Aircraft Corp. and 10% by Blackburn Airplane & Motor Co., Ltd. Agreements covered such rights in North and South America, excepting Brazil and certain rights in Canada and provided that all special tools and patterns were to be supplied by the UK company at cost.
Locations
The company had factories at Olympia in Leeds, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Brough (East Yorkshire) and Dumbarton. In the early days, Blackburn himself flew aircraft on the beaches at Marske and Filey,[12] with the company also using the former RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor.[13] Before production shifted to Sherburn-in-Elmet and Brough from the Leeds site, aircraft were flown in and out of Olympia works by an adjacent airstrip in Roundhay Park.[14]
Blackburn Beverley photographed in 1964. The type served the RAF as a heavy lift transport between 1955 and 1967. A total of 47 were built
Blackburn Type D (1912) – Single-engine single-seat mid-winged monoplane. Preserved in flying condition by the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden, and survives as the oldest British-built aircraft.
Blackburn Type E (1912) – Single-engine, midwing metal-framed monoplanes, one single-seater one twin.
Blackburn Type I (1913) – Single-engine 1/2-seat mid-wing monoplane built both as land- and seaplane.
Blackburn Type L (1914) – Single-engine two-seat biplane seaplane.
AD Scout (1915) – Admiralty designed single-engine, single-seat pusher anti-Zeppelin aircraft. Two each built by Blackburn and by Hewlett & Blondeau.
Blackburn Roc (1938) – Company designation B-25. Single-engine, two-seat low-wing monoplane naval fighter/dive bomber with rear turret (detail design and built by Boulton Paul Aircraft)[8]
Blackburn B-29: Submission for a naval torpedo-bomber reconnaissance aircraft to Specification S.24/37 (which resulted in the Fairey Barracuda); mock-up only, never flew.
Blackburn B-20 (1940) – Twin-engine, six-seat experimental monoplane retractable-hull flying boat. Built for Air Ministry specification R1/36
Blackburn B-104 (1953) - Design proposal for a two-engine medium-range military transport for the Royal Air Force. Not built.[citation needed]
Blackburn B-109 (1958) – Design proposal for a Mach 1.5 strike fighter version of the Buccaneer for the Canadian Air Force. Not built.[21]
Blackburn B-112 (1958) – Design proposal for a Mach 1.5 fighter version of the Buccaneer for the Royal Navy. Not built.[22]
Blackburn B-117 (1960) – Design proposal for a high attitude fighter version of the Buccaneer. Not built.[22]
Blackburn B-120 (1962) – Design proposal for a Mach 1.8 fighter version of the Buccaneer. Not built.[22]
The company also produced aircraft from other aircraft companies' specifications, such as the Sopwith Cuckoo (1918)[23] and the Fairey Swordfish (1942), both of which were built at Blackburn's Sherburn-in-Elmet factory.[24][25]
Fraser, Derek (1980). "VI: Industrial Development, 1780–1914". The History of Modern Leeds. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p.164. ISBN0-7190-0781-X.
Gunston, Bill (2005). World encyclopedia of aircraft manufacturers: from the pioneers to the present day (2ed.). Stroud: Sutton. p.61. ISBN0-7509-3981-8.
