The Blackburn Firebrand was a British single-engine strike fighter for the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy designed during World War II by Blackburn Aircraft.
Originally intended to serve as a pure fighter, its unimpressive performance and the allocation of its Napier Sabre piston engine by the Ministry of Aircraft Production for the Hawker Typhoon caused it to be redesigned as a strike fighter to take advantage of its load-carrying capability.
Development was slow and the first production aircraft was not delivered until after the end of the war.
Only a few hundred were built before it was withdrawn from front line service in 1953.
Variants
Blackburn B-37
Three prototypes ordered to meet Specification N.11/40, named Firebrand on 11 July 1941.
Second prototype re-built as T.F. II prototype.
Firebrand F. I
Production variant of the Blackburn B.37 with an order for 50 aircraft to be built at Brough, most completed as T.F. II and T.F. III variants, first nine completed as F. Is.
Firebrand T.F. II
Improved variant, 12 built from original production branch.
Firebrand T.F. III
Blackburn B-45, a Centarus VII powered-variant, two prototypes to S.8/43 and 27 production aircraft for original production batch.
Firebrand T.F. IV
Blackburn B-46, improved variant with 2,520 bhp Centaurus IX or Centaurus 57, 250 ordered, but only 170 were completed, of which 124 were converted to T.F. 5 standard, some before delivery.
Six were modified and designated as T.F. IV (mod).
Firebrand T.F. 5
Improved variant, 124 modified from T.F. IV, two conversions to T.F. 5A.
Firebrand T.F. 5A
One prototype modified from a T.F. 5 and six conversions from either T.F. IV or Vs.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
38 ft 9 in (11.81 m)
Wingspan
51 ft 3.5 in (15.634 m)
Height
13 ft 3 in (4.04 m)
Wing area
383 sq ft (35.6 m2)
Empty weight
11,457 lb (5,197 kg)
Gross weight
16,700 lb (7,575 kg)
Fuel capacity
239 imp gals (1,090 l; 287 US gal)
Powerplant
1 × Bristol Centaurus IX 18-cylinder radial engine,
