The British purchasing commission bought a licence to produce Brewster Buffalo, and bought a Vought V-143 outright. They brought their booty home and presented their goods to Blackburn Aircraft to make something happen. Blackburn engineers waved a magic stick (pencil) over a drafting table, and the Firebird was born. The Vought wing carried a clever and strong undercarriage, and folded inward easily. American engines were relied on until the Griffon was developed. Overseas sales, including the US, helped make the aircraft a sales success.
Blackburn Firebird for FAA
- Thread starter Just Leo
- Start date
The British purchasing commission bought a licence to produce Brewster Buffalo, and bought a Vought V-143 outright. They brought their booty home and presented their goods to Blackburn Aircraft to make something happen. Blackburn engineers waved a magic stick (pencil) over a drafting table, and the Firebird was born. The Vought wing carried a clever and strong undercarriage, and folded inward easily. American engines were relied on until the Griffon was developed. Overseas sales, including the US, helped make the aircraft a sales success.
Even Blackburn couldn't make the Buffalo undercarriage as badly as Brewster did. IIRC the fault was less in the design than in the materials and finish so a copy one would have the undercarriage built by the normal UK contractors who would do the job properly so one could just go with the Buffalo wings and maybe a Pegasus engine. Did I just say 'Buffalo Wings'? Note to self. Treat yourself to a dinner at Buffalo Grill (who will doubtless come out tonight.....). In an ideal world Blackburn would skip making the Botha as they were too busy with Firebird production. As it was their Roc was farmed out to Boulton Paul. Maybe BP could make Firebirds instead?
I suspect a Griffon engine would make take off difficult as the nose would drag on the deck.
The Buffalo began production in 1938 so Blackburn would have to buy the licence pretty well off the drawing board to get them into standard FAA hands by late 1939.
I suspect a Griffon engine would make take off difficult as the nose would drag on the deck.
The Buffalo began production in 1938 so Blackburn would have to buy the licence pretty well off the drawing board to get them into standard FAA hands by late 1939.
Span: 38'9" Area 210 sq ft Airfoil 2415/2409
Length 31'2" to 35'9" depending on engine.
Weights and performance highly variable depending on engine and equipment fit.
Basic armament: 4 .50" Browning M2.
Nobody made the Buffalo undercart well, so the reasoning remains conjectural, and I go with design for a start. The V-143 gear became the prototype for Nakajima gear in Ki-43 and Ki-44 as well as being mentioned by Horikoshi as an influence in the A6M. Aspects of the Vought/Northrop wing also appear in the Nakajima products. The Brewster management, ethics and multi-floor production facility remain at the bottom of any scale of measure, which is why the winged garbage can is my chosen Brewster logo.
Re: Griffon engine. An engineering problem. There is a solution.
Relaxed ASB protocols and a good dustpan could find a way to squeeze a production envelope in somewhere. Wings sound good, but rib-fest is pending. I'm always ready for a good ribbing. Chacun a son gout.
Thanks. The solution, found on V-143, is a longer moment arm. The continuing problem with V-143 sales was the old, small engine. While vicious, they were not bastards, having a good heritage.
Switching from.a radial to an inline engine is a pretty big change. The Griffon engined version will probably have a different name.
REally nice artwork and redesign
I don't know much about the woes of the Buffallo apart from 'it wasn't very good'
It just needed some "Finnish-ing" touches.
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