Blackburn Mercury

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}} {{Use British English|date=December 2016}}  {{Infobox aircraft |name=Mercury |image=Service of Squadron Leader H Buss With 16 Naval (216 RAF) Squadron in England, Imbros and France, First World War Q115215.jpg |caption=A Mercury at Hendon, 1912 |type=Trainer |manufacturer=Blackburn Aeroplane Company |designer=Robert Blackburn |first_flight=17 May 1911 |introduction= |retired= |status= |primary_user= |more_users= |produced= |number_built=9 |developed_from=Blackburn Second Monoplane |variants= }}

The '''Blackburn Mercury''' was an early British aircraft designed as a pilot trainer for the Blackburn Flying School, Filey, in 1911. It was an enlarged, two-seat version of the Second Monoplane that flew earlier that year. It was a mid-wing monoplane of conventional configuration that accommodated pilot and student in tandem, open cockpits. This prototype was displayed at the Olympia Aero Show in March 1911, and led to orders being placed for two racers to participate in the ''Daily Mail'' Circuit of Britain race. The first of these crashed on takeoff, and the second was first rebuilt into a two-seat trainer, then into a single-seat trainer known as the '''Type B'''.<ref>"The Blackburn School Monoplane", p.1051. Though ''Flight'' refers to this aircraft as the Blackburn School monoplane, it is the Type B.</ref> Another six Mercuries were built for various private buyers.

[[File:Blackburn Mercury 1 (Nigel Coates).jpg|thumb|Replica at the Yorkshire Air Museum]] A full-scale non-flying replica of Mercury II configuration was constructed for the Yorkshire Television series ''Flambards'' and is now displayed at the Yorkshire Air Museum.

==Variants== * '''Mercury I''' – two-seat prototype powered by Isaacson engine (one built) * '''Mercury II''' – single-seat racer version with Gnome rotary engine (two built) ** '''Type B''' – one Mercury II converted to single-seat trainer * '''Mercury III''' or '''Mercury Passenger Type''' – (six built) two-seaters powered by a variety of Isaacson, Gnome, Renault and Anzani engines

==Specifications (Mercury I)==

{{Aircraft specs |ref=Blackburn aircraft since 1909<ref name=Jackson>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=A.J. |title=Blackburn aircraft since 1909 |date=1 April 1989 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |isbn=978-0870210242 |pages=60–71}}</ref> |prime units?=imp  |crew=2 |length ft=33 |length in=0 |length note= |span ft=38 |span in=4 |span note= |height ft=6 |height in=9 |height note= |wing area sqft=288 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight lb=1000 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Isaacson |eng1 type=7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine |eng1 hp=50 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=fixed-pitch propeller |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=  |max speed mph=60 |max speed note= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed note= |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |range miles= |range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |more performance= }}

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==References== {{commons category|Blackburn Mercury}} * {{cite journal |title=The Blackburn School Monoplane |journal=Flight |date=16 November 1912 |pages=1048–51 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1912/1912%20-%201048.html |accessdate=2009-02-23 }} * {{cite book |last=Jackson |first=A.J. |title=Blackburn Aircraft since 1909 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |year=1968 }} * {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages=155 }} * {{cite book |title=World Aircraft Information Files |publisher=Bright Star Publishing|location=London |pages=File 890 Sheet 31 }} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070702225316/http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.co.uk/collections/aircraft/pre_wwII_aircraft_info.asp?id=1 Yorkshire Air Museum website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930153838/http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=402 Blackburn Mercury] – British Aircraft Directory

Category:1910s British civil trainer aircraft Mercury Category:High-wing aircraft Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1911 Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Category:Single-engined piston aircraft

Blackburn Mercury

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