| Airedale | |
|---|---|
 The second Airedale, with tail and undercarriage modifications | |
| General information | |
| Type | 3-seat reconnaissance |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1924 |
TheBlackburn R.2 Airedale was a single-engine three-seatmonoplane deck-landing aircraft for land and seareconnaissance, built in the UK in 1924. Only two were built.
The Airedale was designed by F.A.Bumpus toAir Ministry specifications R.37/22 calling for a three-seat deck-landing reconnaissance aircraft intended to replace the Fleet Air Arm'sBlackburn B.1 Blackburn and theAvro 555 Bison. Unlike the B.1, it was a monoplane with a high wing for good visibility.[1]
The wooden-sparred thick wing was of low aspect ratio, with a maximum chord section of about 38% of the span. This chord was maintained from about ¼-½ the span with a much narrower centre section to improve vision; the wingtips were very square.[1] The wings, braced with N-typestruts to the fuselage, could befolded by rotation around an inclined axis so that they lay chord-vertical alongside the fuselage for storage aboard anaircraft carrier.[1]
The fuselage was of semi-monocoque construction with ashlongerons and aplywood covering.[1] At the front was a metal mounting for the uncowled 385 hp (286 kW)Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar III radial engine and at the rear an empennage similar to that of the B.1. The second prototype carried small stabilising fins on the underside of thetailplane. The mainundercarriage was of the single axle type complemented by a tailskid. During development the undercarriage was strengthened with two extra struts forward of the main axle which carried arrestor claws at each end for deck-landing. These engaged with the fore and aft wires used onRoyal Navy carriers up to 1926.[1]
The pilot sat in an open cockpit forward of the wing for optimum visibility during deck landings and behind him in an enclosed, windowed cabin were the navigator and wireless operator, who could access an open gunner's position further aft. The pilot was able to enter the cabin if needed, in which case the navigator could fly the aircraft from a rear folding seat provided with duplicate controls.[1]
Two Airedales were built, the first in 1924 for trials against theHawker Hedgehog. It crashed after these trials and a second Airedale went toMartlesham Heath for testing in 1926. It was judged not to offer sufficient performance advantage over the B.1 and the Bison, and no orders followed. Blackburn considered a biplane derivative with a more powerful engine, the R.3A, but this remained on the drawing board.[1]
Data fromJackson 1968, p. 214
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
