Blackburn R.B.2 Sydney and C.B.2 Nile

Parasol-winged braced monoplane long-range maritime patrol flying boat to meet Specification R.5/27. The wing was mounted on a pylon, providing propellor clearance above the fuselage for the central engine, the three engines being arranged on the wing's leading edge. Structurally the fabric covered wing, which consisted of a rectangular centre-section and two tapered outer sections, was built up of Duralumin box spars and Duralumin ribs, strut braced from the centre section/outer wing joint to the lower fuselage. The monoplane tailplane was fitted with triple fins and rudders. The five crew roles were: Captain and Second Pilot / Navigator, located side-by-side in an enclosed cockpit, bow-gunner / bomb-aimer, midships gunner / wireless operator and rear gunner / engineer. Armament included three .303 in Lewis Guns in open bow, dorsal and ventral positions, plus up to 1,100 lb bomb load, along with provision for carriage of two 1,850 lb torpedoes. Three 525 h.p. Rolls-Royce F.XII MS powerplants.

R.B.2 Sydney Specification
Span	Length	Height	Wing Area	Empty Wt	Max AUW	Cruise Speed	Maximum Speed	Endurance	Service Ceiling
100 ft	65 ft 7 in	20 ft 4 in	1500 sq ft	17065 lb	23350 lb	100 mph/ 87 kn	123 mph/ 107 kn	7.5 hrs	16500 ft
30.48 m	19.99 m	6.2 m	139.35 m2	7741 kg	10591 kg	161 km/h	198 km/h		5029 m

Three crew, 14 passenger derivative of the R.B.2 Sydney, intended for Cobham-Blackburn Airlines Ltd. The two pilots were located in a cockpit as the R.B.2 Sydney, aft of which was located the passenger saloon with seating accommodation for 14, arranged generally in groups of 4, two of which face forward and two aft, with a table between. Aft of the saloon was a lavatory and the steward's pantry. Access to the saloon was by way of a hatchway at the rear. Behind the saloon hatchway was the compartment for luggage and mail. Three 515 h.p. Bristol Jupiter IX powerplants.