The Blackburn R.B.2 Sydney (serial N241) was a long-range maritime patrol flying boat developed for the Royal Air Force in 1930, in response to Air Ministry Specification R.5/27.
It was a parasol-winged braced monoplane of typical flying boat arrangement with triple tailfins and its three engines arranged on the wing’s leading edge.
After evaluation, it was not ordered into production and no further examples were built.
With development of the Sydney abandoned, construction of a cargo-carrying variant powered by radial engines, the C.B.2 Nile was also ended.
Specifications
Crew
5
Length
65 ft 7 in (19.99 m)
Wingspan
100 ft (30 m)
Height
20 ft 4 in (6.20 m)
Wing area
1,500 sq ft (140 m2)
Empty weight
17,065 lb (7,741 kg)
Gross weight
23,350 lb (10,591 kg)
Powerplant
3 × Rolls-Royce F.XII MS V-12 liquid-cooled piston engines,
525 hp (391 kW) each
Propellers
2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
123 mph (198 km/h, 107 kn)
Cruise speed
100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
Endurance
7 hours 30 minutes
Service ceiling
16,300 ft (5,000 m)
Rate of climb
390 ft/min (2.0 m/s)
Armament
Guns
3 × trainable .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun in open bow, dorsal and ventral positions
