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Blackburn Cubaroo

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to accommodate the pilot who sat, with a navigator beside him, sitting over the engine. The rear of the fuselage had a triangle cross section to improve the gunner's fields of fire from hatches located near each lower wing root which permitted them to cover the underside of the tail. Bomb aiming was
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To carry the heavy torpedo weighing over 2,000 lb (910 kg) for the required range, the Cubaroo was massive. With a wingspan of 88 ft 0 in (26.82 m), it was claimed at the time to be the largest single-engine military aircraft built, and it had the most powerful aircraft
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accomplished through a hatch in the floor of the cabin that also contained radio equipment and a navigational chart table. A passage ran aft to a ladder, which led up to another gunner's position, with a gun ring mounted on top of the fuselage just aft of the wing trailing edge.
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policy favouring twin-engine designs for the role, a new specification, 16/22 was drawn up, and the type was not ordered into service. Although drawings were made for three different versions with two engines, none of these were built.
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to a revised 16/22 specification which differed mainly in calling for two engines. The Ava was also a large biplane, but powered by two 600 hp (450 kW) 2,137.5 cu in (35.027 L)
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attached to the lower wings, each comprising two sets of two 4 ft (1.2 m) diameter Palmer wheels, with the torpedo or bombs being carried on a crutch under the fuselage, between them.
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but was written off after its undercarriage collapsed on 2 February 1925. A second prototype flew in 1925, but the Air Ministry had by then lost interest in single-engine
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consisted of three balanced rudders, with the outer two having small fins, and an adjustable biplane horizontal stabilizer with a balanced elevator.
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Unbuilt 1927 project, powered with two 650 hp (480 kW) direct-drive V-12 Rolls-Royce Condor IV
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Unbuilt 1927 project, powered with two 650 hp (480 kW) geared V-12 Rolls-Royce Condor III
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The 88 ft 0 in (26.82 m) span, 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) constant chord
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The Cubaroo, with a mainly steel tube metal structure, had an 11 ft (3.4 m) deep
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Both prototypes as built, powered with one 1,000 hp (750 kW) X-16 Napier Cub.
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submitted and then withdrew their similarly powered Type 556, and replaced it with the
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1,800 mi (2,900 km, 1,600 nmi) under test conditions, without warload.
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Unbuilt 1927 project, powered with two 650 hp (480 kW) direct-drive V-12
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engine then available, the Napier Cub, which weighed over a ton, excluding the
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powered by a 1,000 hp (750 kW) 3,681 cu in (60.32 L)
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Blackburn Aircraft's chief designer, Major F. A Bumpus, submitted the
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Specification 8/21 (previously Directorate of Research type IX)
519:"Blackburn Aircraft: A Tribute to a great Yorkshire family". 523:. Vol. 78, no. 2633. 1 May 1959. pp. 602–613. 172: 1259:
Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United Kingdom
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To carry the torpedo, the Cubaroo was fitted with a split
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water-cooled piston engine, 1,000 hp (750 kW)
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and intended to carry a large 21 in (533 mm)
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Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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Naval Institute Press. pp. 183–188. 480:1 × 21 in (533 mm) naval torpedo 335: 718: 704: 662: 635: 623: 582: 431:115 mph (185 km/h, 100 kn) 132: 614: 607: 605: 603: 601: 599: 536: 1231: 725: 397:Just under 2 long tons (2,000 kg) 237: 699: 555: 331:- evaluation and engine testbed only. 596: 484:4 × 550 lb (250 kg) bombs 416:2 or 3-bladed fixed-pitch propeller 373:88 ft 0 in (26.82 m) 367:54 ft 0 in (16.46 m) 13: 379:19 ft 4 in (5.89 m) 14: 1275: 691: 254:and was delivered for testing at 242:The first prototype (with serial 147:Coastal Defence Torpedo Aeroplane 314: 26: 1249:Single-engined tractor aircraft 512: 391:19,020 lb (8,627 kg) 343:The British Bomber since 1914 1: 1244:1920s British bomber aircraft 558:The British Bomber since 1914 539:Blackburn Aircraft since 1909 507: 450:11,800 ft (3,600 m) 385:9,632 lb (4,369 kg) 229:Due to the change of British 1264:Aircraft first flown in 1924 1154:Fighters and Strike fighters 575: 361:/gunner and midships gunner) 307: 7: 488: 272: 10: 1280: 923:Blackburn Second Monoplane 914:Touring and light aircraft 465:.303 in (7.7 mm) 918:Blackburn First Monoplane 907: 734: 659:Jackson, 1990, pp.186-187 556:Mason, Francis K (1994). 100: 95: 87: 77: 69: 59: 47: 39: 34: 25: 20: 336:Specifications (Cubaroo) 114:was a British prototype 611:Mason, 1994, pp.155-156 348:General characteristics 121:of the 1920s. Built by 537:Jackson, A.J. (1989). 160:, which was a massive 133:Design and development 357:4 (pilot, navigator, 192:. The first example, 158:Blackburn T.4 Cubaroo 137:In 1921, the British 112:Blackburn T.4 Cubaroo 675:Jackson, 1990, p.187 650:Jackson, 1990, p.184 632:Jackson, 1990, p.185 593:Jackson, 1990, p.183 521:Flight International 256:RAF Martlesham Heath 1039:Maritime patrol/ASW 389:Max takeoff weight: 294:T.4B Cubaroo Mk.III 238:Operational history 145:to Blackburn for a 35:General information 1239:Blackburn aircraft 620:Mason, 1994, p.156 300:T.4C Cubaroo Mk.IV 289:Rolls Royce Condor 284:T.4A Cubaroo Mk.II 200:, had a flat one. 182:Rolls-Royce Condor 123:Blackburn Aircraft 54:Blackburn Aircraft 1226: 1225: 1028:C.A.15C Monoplane 448:Absolute ceiling: 108: 107: 1271: 720: 713: 706: 697: 696: 685: 682: 676: 673: 660: 657: 651: 648: 633: 630: 621: 618: 612: 609: 594: 591: 571: 552: 533: 524: 458: 424: 350: 320: 318: 317: 278:T.4 Cubaroo Mk.I 264:Beardmore Simoon 30: 18: 17: 1279: 1278: 1274: 1273: 1272: 1270: 1269: 1268: 1229: 1228: 1227: 1222: 1094:Torpedo bombers 1023:C.A.15C Biplane 903: 736: 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243: 241: 231:Air Ministry 228: 221: 210: 202: 197: 193: 186: 177:Avro 557 Ava 157: 155: 146: 139:Air Ministry 136: 111: 109: 101:First flight 88:Number built 78:Primary user 49:Manufacturer 15: 1148:BT.1 Beagle 1118:T.4 Cubaroo 963:Bluebird IV 422:Performance 414:Propellers: 401:Powerplant: 169:X-16 engine 21:T.4 Cubaroo 1233:Categories 1143:TR.1 Sprat 1133:T.8 Baffin 567:0851778615 508:References 468:Lewis Guns 441:Endurance: 405:Napier Cub 359:bomb-aimer 166:Napier Cub 64:F A Bumpus 1208:Buccaneer 1203:Firecrest 1198:Firebrand 1138:T.9 Shark 1123:T.5 Ripon 1113:T.3 Velos 1103:T.1 Swift 1098:Blackburd 1048:Blackburn 1014:Transport 727:Blackburn 576:Citations 371:Wingspan: 341:Data from 308:Operators 252:propeller 217:empennage 73:Prototype 1254:Biplanes 1163:Triplane 1108:T.2 Dart 1058:Kangaroo 1043:Airedale 1033:Beverley 1018:H.S.T.10 953:Bluebird 729:aircraft 489:See also 456:Armament 443:10 hours 273:Variants 205:fuselage 190:radiator 60:Designer 1188:Lincock 1168:Turcock 984:Bombers 973:Mercury 959:Trainer 938:Sidecar 933:Segrave 908:By role 377:Height: 365:Length: 213:folding 162:biplane 151:torpedo 141:issued 127:torpedo 116:biplane 96:History 1218:Pellet 1214:Racers 1073:Sydney 1003:Beagle 998:Baffin 948:Type I 943:Type D 564:  545:  530:Flight 435:Range: 319:  70:Status 1068:Perth 1053:Botha 988:Velos 978:Sprat 899:B-108 894:B-107 889:B-104 884:B-103 879:B-102 874:B-101 869:B-100 355:Crew: 1183:Skua 1088:B-88 1083:B-54 1078:B-20 1063:Iris 864:B-95 859:B-94 854:B-90 849:B-89 844:B-88 839:B-67 834:B-54 829:B-48 824:B-46 819:B-45 814:B-44 809:B-40 804:B-37 799:B-29 794:B-26 789:B-25 784:B-24 779:B-20 562:ISBN 543:ISBN 463:3 × 408:X-16 403:1 × 244:N166 198:N167 194:N166 173:Avro 110:The 104:1924 40:Type 1193:Roc 1178:F.3 1128:T.7 1008:B-7 993:B-3 968:B-2 774:B-9 769:B-7 764:B-6 759:B-5 754:B-3 749:B-2 744:B-1 475:and 1235:: 664:^ 637:^ 625:^ 598:^ 584:^ 482:or 291:IV 269:. 171:. 719:e 712:t 705:v 570:. 551:. 91:2

Index


Manufacturer
Blackburn Aircraft
Royal Air Force
biplane
torpedo bomber
Blackburn Aircraft
torpedo
Air Ministry
Specification 8/21 (previously Directorate of Research type IX)
torpedo
biplane
Napier Cub
X-16 engine
Avro
Avro 557 Ava
Rolls-Royce Condor
radiator
fuselage
folding
empennage
undercarriage
Air Ministry
Avro Aldershot
propeller
RAF Martlesham Heath
heavy bombers
Beardmore Simoon
diesel engine
Rolls Royce Condor

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