Blackburn White Falcon

White Falcon

National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd
First flight: 1915-6
Number built: 1

The Blackburn White Falcon was a two-seat single-engine monoplane built as a personal transport for Blackburn's test pilot during the First World War. Only one was built.

Development

The White Falcon was built by Blackburn during 1915 for the personal use of their test pilot, W. Rowland Dring. It was a mid-wing, wire braced monoplane with open cockpits for pilot and passenger, powered by an uncowled 100 hp (75 kW) Anzani radial engine driving a four-blade 9 ft (2.74 m) diameter propeller. The wings were of parallel chord and generally like those of the Improved Type I, though 1 ft (31 cm) greater in span, similarly wire braced to an inverted V kingpost and to the undercarriage. The wing warping wires also ran via the kingpost. The White Falcon initially used a standard B.E.2c undercarriage (Blackburn's were one company manufacturing these aircraft during the war) but this was replaced later with a simpler structure without skids.

The fuselage was a standard Blackburn Warren girder structure, though of square rather than the company's previously favoured triangular cross-section. The decking was rounded. While the tailplane was like that of the Improved Type I, the fin and rudder formed a neat triangular shape with a vertical trailing edge.

The first flight date is not known nor is there much information on its use. It has been suggested that it was used by Dring to communicate with RNAS stations that had received Blackburn built B.E.2c machines, and to collect their delivery pilots. In the winter of 1916-17 it wore RAF roundels but no serial number. Rowland Dring died in a B.E.2c crash in Leeds on 12 May 1917.

Specifications

Data from Jackson 1968, pp. 104

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 passenger
Length: 26 ft 11¼ in (8.21 m)
Wingspan: 39 ft 6 in (12.04 m)
Wing area: 209 ft² (19.4 m²)
Powerplant: 1 x— 10 cylinder Anzani radial, 100 hp (75 kW)

Jackson, A.J. (1968). Blackburn Aircraft since 1909. London: Putnam Publishing. ISBN 0 370 00053 6.

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Source: WikiPedia