Blackburn aircraft: books - history and technology

The Blackburn Aircraft Company

It was in 1911, on a beach by the North Sea, that Robert Blackburn's Second Monoplane made its first successful flight. By 1914, the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co Ltd had been formed, based in Leeds, and had taken its place in the ranks of the British aircraft industry.
By the time the First World War ended, Blackburns had become a major supplier of aircraft for the armed forces, particularly those associated with the sea. In the inter-war years, the company's activities were gradually transformed to its erstwhile seaplane base at Brough, on the Humber, where its great three-engined flying boats mingled with Fleet Air Arm Darts, Baffins and Sharks on the shop floor and in the air.

After 1945, Blackburns meant first the giant Beverley troop carrier and then, in complete contrast, the Buccaneer naval strike aircraft. Today, although Brough remains, the name of Blackburn, like those of all the other pioneers, has disappeared into the generalised title of British Aerospace.

Blackburn Aircraft & General Aircraft Advertisements (Volume Two) - 1941-1970

This compilation of British aviation industry advertisements comprises the listings for Blackburn Aircraft, Blackburn & General Aircraft, aircraft & engines from 1941 to 1970. It is one of a series of compilations providing a unique source of reference for researchers, enthusiasts and anyone interested in the timelines of British aviation industry companies.
The advertisement images are reproduced at one per page and without any accompanying narrative. Each item includes the source title and original date of publication.

The Buccaneer

The Blackburn, later Hawker Siddeley, Buccaneer enjoyed an incredible service career that lasted over four decades. Designed as a carrier-borne attack aircraft, the Buccaneer was a solid aircraft designed to take the punishment of carrier operations and the constant stresses to the airframe caused by low-level flying.

The aircraft entered service with the Royal Navy in 1962 in place of the Supermarine Scimitar and would continue with the senior service until 1978. The RAF received their first aircraft in 1969 - a legacy of the cancelled TSR.2 and F-111K, which resulted in a capability gap that had to be closed.
The Buccaneer went on to serve the RAF in the low-level strike and reconnaissance role until 1994, serving with distinction during the Gulf War of early 1991.

A robust and reliable aircraft that was popular with both its air and ground crews, the Buccaneer was a breed apart. This is a lavishly illustrated tribute to the Blackburn Buccaneer, a truly great British piece of engineering.

Blackburn Buccaneer Manual (1958-1994) - An insight into the design, operation and preservation (Haynes Aircraft Manual)

Designed as a carrier-borne strike aircraft for the Royal Navy, the Blackburn/BAe Buccaneer eventually went on to serve with the RAF and the South African Air Force.
Operating from Royal Navy aircraft carriers to deliver nuclear weapons and conventional ordnance, the Navy transferred its Buccaneers to the RAF in 1969 where they were used in the overland strike role, later seeing combat in Gulf War 1 in 1991. The last Buccaneers were retired from RAF service in 1994.

Author Keith Wilson gives compelling insights into the design, operation and preservation of this iconic Cold War jet.

Click here to know more about the Haynes Aircraft Manuals

Flying the Buccaneer - Britain's Cold War Warrior

Originally conceived as a carrier-born maritime attack aircraft, the Blackburn design included many original features such as Boundary Layer Control, a system which blew hot air over the flying surfaces to increase lift when landing. The rotating bomb bay was also new and enabled easier maintenance, accessibility and reduced drag.
The first model, the S Mk 1, entered operational service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1961. S Mk 2 became operational in 1964, powered by Rolls-Royce Spey engines that gave considerably more thrust.
The aircraft were armed with rocket pods, up to 1,000 lb free-fall bombs, Martel air-to-ship missiles or the nuclear Red Beard system. During the financial upheavals of the mid 1960s, the government decided to retire the RN carrier fleet, thus eliminating a fixed-wing aircraft requirement. Simultaneously, the TSR2 development programme was abandoned and left the RAF without a new attack aircraft. Enter the S Mk2B, a land-based Buccaneer, with increased range and payload, which joined the RAF in 1969, and by the early 1970s the ex-Fleet Air Arm aircraft were also carrying RAF markings.

This book presents a comprehensive history of the Buccaneer, giving details of the design, operational history including front-line action during Operation Desert Storm.