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Blackburn Bluebird

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Produced Variants

L.1 Bluebird I
 
 		 Wooden single-bay biplane, with folding wings and was fitted with a single side-by-side cockpit, designed as a competitor in the 1924 Lympne light aircraft trials. Originally powered by 1.100 cc. Blackburne Thrush powerplant, later fitted with 60 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Genet I.
L.1A Bluebird II Production and strengthened version. One 80 h.p. Genet II powerplant.
L.1B Bluebird III Modified internal structure. One 90 h.p. Genet III powerplant.
L.1C Bluebird IV Completely redesigned with an all metal structure. Various powerplants of 90-135 h.p. as noted.
B.10 Bluebird IV Testbed for Blackburn Cirrus Minor I powerplant.

Production List Page Top

L.1 Bluebird I
L.1A Bluebird II
L.1B Bluebird III
L.1C Bluebird IV



L.1 Bluebird I

Production List Top Page Top 

C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 1 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire. Built for 1924 Lympne Trials.
 9803/1  G-EBKD  To Robert Blackburn; initially carried competion No 12 and no c/n. Modified with A.S. Genet powerplant as c/n 9803/1. First flew in this form 4 June 1926.
Total Production   1



L.1A Bluebird II

Production List Top Page Top 

C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 13 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire. Built in 1927 - 1928.
 9803/2  G-EBRE  To Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club.
 9803/3  G-EBRF  To Yorkshire Aeroplane Club.
 9803/4  G-EBRG  To Yorkshire Aeroplane Club.
 9803/5  G-EBSV  To Yorkshire Aeroplane Club.
 9803/6  G-EBSW  Retained by Blackburn as seaplane demonstrator. Converted to landplane June 1930; to F/Lt G.E. Lynwod.
 9803/7  G-EBSX  To Brazil.
 9803/8  G-EBSY  To Brazil.
 9803/9  G-EBSZ  To Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club.
 9803/10  G-EBTA  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co.
 9803/11  G-EBTB  To Yorkshire Aeroplane Club.
 9803/12  G-EBTC  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co.
 9803/13  G-EBUH  To Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club.
 9803/14  G-EBUI  To Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co.Ltd. Crashed and marks cancelled in March 1929.
 9803/15    Completed as protype Bluebird III
Total Production   13



L.1B Bluebird III

Production List Top Page Top 

C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 6 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire. Built in 1928 - 1929.
 629/1  G-EBWE  Originally laid down as Bluebird II c/n 9803/15
 1450/1  G-AABB  To New Zealand, later ZK-AAQ
 1450/2  G-AABC  Ntu; to Spain
 1450/3  G-AABD  Armstrong Siddeley Motors
 1450/4  G-AABE  Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club
 1450/5  G-AABF  Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club
 1450/6  G-AABG  For Suffolk and Eastern Counties Aero Club; not completed
Total Production   6
Total Not Completed   1



L.1C Bluebird IV

Production List Top Page Top 

C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 3 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire. Built between February and April 1929.  
 1430/1  G-AABV  Initially retained by Blackburn as trials/demonstration aircraft. To Dr. C.S. Glass, Stoke-on-Trent in February 1931.
 1730/1  N-40  Floatplane. Initially registered to Blackburn as G-AACB. To Harr, Narvik, but apparently not imported.
 1730/2  G-AACC  To Sir Robert McAlpine. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 56 aircraft built by Saunders-Roe Ltd., East Cowes, Isle of Wight. Built between between early 1930 and May 1931. Wings were produced by Boulton Paul.
 SB.200  G-AAOA  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.201  NC2487  To USA. To S.Boku, Japan in August 1935 as J-BOJB. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.202  G-AAIR  To Auto-Auctions Ltd., Heston as demonstrator. To The Master of Sempill. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.203  G-AAJE  To National Flying Services Ltd. Re-registered G-AAOB. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.204  G-AAOC  To National Flying Services Ltd. To Alvaro Fernandez Matamoros in December 1933 as EC-UUU. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.205  G-AAOD  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.206  G-AAOE  To National Flying Services Ltd. To Luis Acuna, Argentina, in May 1935 as R-278 (later LV-HCA). 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.207  G-AAJC  Cobham-Blackburn Air Lines Ltd., Bulawayo. To Rhodesia and Nyasaland Airways Ltd, Bulawayo in June 1932 as VP-YAI
 SB.208  G-AASU  To Auto-Auctions Ltd., Heston. Leased to the Airwork School of Flying at Heston.
 SB.209  G-AAOF  To National Flying Services Ltd. To Reykjavik Flying Club, Iceland in July 1936 as TF-ISL (later TF-LOA). 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.210  G-AATE  To John Ellis, Sherburn-in-Elmet. Unknown powerplant.
 SB.211  G-AASV  To Eric L. Gander-Dower.
 SB.212  VH-UNS  To the Larkin Aircraft Supply Co.
 SB.213  G-AAOG  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.214  G-AAOH  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.215  G-AATS  To Harold J. Andrews. Temporarily fitted with floats by Blackbums and first flown as such on 1 October 1930.
 SB.216  VH-UOC  To the Larkin Aircraft Supply Co. 135 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major powerplant.
 SB.217  G-AATM  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. for use by Reserve School trainer at Brough.
 SB.218  G-AATN  To Sir Robert McAlpine. To Capt H.J. Williams, South Waziristan Scouts, Jandola, India in March 1931 as VT-ACR.
 SB.219  G-AATO  To Nonnan Holden, Selsey.
 SB.220  G-AATP  To Peter Dujardin at Sherburn-in-Elmet.
 SB.221  G-AAOI  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.222  G-AAOJ  To National Flying Services Ltd. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant.
 SB.223  G-AAUF  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. for use by Reserve School trainer at Brough.
 SB.224  G-AAUG  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. for use by Reserve School trainer at Brough.Temporatily fitted with floats and first flown as such on 25 Jun 1930.
 SB.225  G-AAUT  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. for use by Reserve School trainer at Brough.Temporatily fitted with floats and first flown as such on 17 Dec 1930.
 SB.226  G-AAUU  To Harold Peake, M.P. Sold abroad in June 1935.
 SB.227  G-AAUV  To The Hon. Loel Guinness.
 SB.228  G-AAUW  To Blackburns for use of Major A.P. Holt of the Aircraft Investment Corporation Ltd from 11 June 1930.
 SB.229  G-AAUX  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. for use by Reserve School trainer at Brough.
 SB.230  G-AAUY  Sold abroad July 1930.
 SB.231  G-AAVF  To Captain the Earl of Amherst.
 SB.232  G-AAVG  To H.R. Fields, Hedon. To Lt.Cdr G.A. Hall, R.A.N, Melbourne in May 1933 as VH-UQZ.
 SB.233  G-AAVH  To Kennings Ltd., Coal Aston.
 SB.234  G-AAVI  To A.F. Horsman, Ipswich. To The Delhi & UP Flying Club Ltd, Delhi, in April 1932 as VT-ADI.
 SB.235  G-AAVJ  Regn. ntu - believed shipped to Japan. Unknown powerplant.
 SB.236  G-AAVK  Regn. ntu - believed shipped to Japan. Unknown powerplant.
 SB.237  G-ABOT  To Norman Holden, Selsey. 90 h.p. A.D.C. Cirrus III powerplant. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy III powerplant.
 SB.238  G-ABPN  To Kennings Ltd. Originally allocated G-ABEV. Unknown powerplant.
 SB.239  VT-ADK  To The Indo American Automobile Co Ltd. Originally allocated G-ABEW but ntu. Unknown powerplant.
 SB.240  G-ABVZ  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. Originally allocated G-ABEX. To K.Winkler, Halbau in June 1933 as D-2536. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy II
     powerplant.
 SB.241  G-ABZX  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. Originally allocated G-ABEY. Unknown powerplant. To Blackburn for conversion to B.10 Bluebird IV.
 SB.242  unknown  
 SB.243  unknown  
 SB.244  unknown  
 SB.245  G-ABDS  To the Hon Mrs Victor Bruce, named 'Bluebird'. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy II powerplant.
 SB.246  G-ABEU  To North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. To H. Lauri, Bern in July 1932 as CH345 (later HB-ULU).
 SB.247  VT-ACP  To Coromondal Automobiles, Madras.
 SB.248  CF-AUP  To L. Bisson, Hull, Quebec. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy III powerplant.
 SB.249  G-ABJA  To Harry Frank Broadbent, named 'City of Sydney'. To Irish Air Lines, Waterford in May 1932 as EI-AAO. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy II powerplant.
 SB.250  VT-ADD  To The Indo American Automobile Co Ltd.
 SB.251  CF-ALN  To the Curtiss-Reid Flying School. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy III powerplant.
 SB.252  G-ABGF  To Miss Delphine Reynolds. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy III powerplant.
 SB.253  G-ABPV  Retained by Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Co Ltd. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy II powerplant.
 SB.254  G-ABMI  To the Hon. Mrs Victor Bruce, named 'Bluebird II'. 120 h.p. de Havilland Gipsy III powerplant.
Total Production   59

B.10 Bluebird IV
C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 1 aircraft converted by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, in late 1935.
 SB.241  G-ADXG  Ex G-ABZX. Cirrus Minor I test bed. Registration not applied; flew under Class B conditions as B-10.
Total Conversions   (1)



Production Summary

Page Top 
All Aircraft By Type
Type Built New Conv. Canc'd Total
 L.1 Bluebird I 1     1
 L.1A Bluebird II 13     13
 L.1B Bluebird III 6   1 7
 L.1C Bluebird IV 59     59
 B.10 Bluebird IV   (1)   1
  79 (1) 1  

Notes
  1. Aircraft were built at the Olympia Works, Leeds, but erected and flown from Brough Aerodrome, East Yorkshire, except as noted.

Production References
  1. Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1989)
  2. British Isles Civil Aircraft Register 1919-2011 (LAAS International)
  3. British Civil Aircraft Registers 1919-1928, Peter W. Moss (Air Britain Publications, 1969)
  4. British Civil Aircraft Registers G-FAAA-'FAAZ (1920-1928) & G-AAAA-'AAZZ (1928-1930), Peter W. Moss (Air Britain Publications, 1971)

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V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020