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The Blackburn Firebrand By Martin La Grange After the First World War, naval aviation in the Fleet Air Arm had not advanced greatly in terms of technology. All the way through the inter-war period, development of existing biplanes had been the main order of business. All the way until, and then during hostilities from 1939 to 1945, one of the premier FAA biplanes remained the Fairey Swordfish, introduced in 1936, and itself novel only in terms of structure, which had at last fully replaced wood with aluminium tubing and steel. Aside from this, it would not have looked out of place on the flightlines of aircraft carrier deck in 1918. Other aircraft builders, keen to build a better mousetrap, and in response to a series of operational requirements issued by the FAA, produced a sequence of new designs, each intended to fill the frontline role of torpedo bomber taking over from the Swordfish. The main products tended to come from Fairey Aviation, makers of the Swordfish, in a series of types each progressively more marginal in performance and more terrifying in terms of on-the-edge flying characteristics - the Albacore, Barracuda and ultimately the underwhelming Spearfish, mercifully not destined to see production. Fairey did however produce a set of slightly better performing monoplane fighter-bombers in the form of the Fulmar and the crisp Firefly. These could, if pressed, be made to carry torpedoes, though this definitely was not their primary armament or design function. However, Fairey were not alone in attempting to modernise this particular requirement - Blackburn also made two stabs at monoplane dive and torpedo bombers, in the form of the ill-fated Roc and Skua. While undoubtedly modern in terms of construction and aerodynamic refinement, the poor choices available in terms of engines with decidedly insufficient power, and combined with a set of engineering choices with regard to landing gear, and armament (in particular with the Roc, which was equipped with a Boulton-Paul turret-fighter system shared with the equally ill-fated Boulton-Paul Defiant) resulted in a pair of types with decidedly lacklustre performance. The Skua, ultimately, was to have only one combat engagement during hostilities, with raid by 800 and 803 Squadrons RN against the Konigsberg in 1940, successfully sinking this vessel by dive bombing, and this is thought to be the first successful deployment of this technique in naval warfare. After 1940, however, the Skua's number was well and truly up, as it was easy prey to the Bf-109 and even Bf-110 Zerstorers being fielded by the Luftwaffe in Norway by 1940. The Skua's epithet had also, by this time, become "Too slow, too heavy, too vunerable...too late!" which essentially became its epitaph. As the war progressed, Lend-Lease examples of the Douglas SPD Dauntless, and in particular the Grumman TBF Avenger reshaped FAA thinking - these torpedo bombers had higher powered engines in comparison with previous British examples, which often made do with engines of lower power than those used in contemporary fighters. Also, the American types were considerably lighter where they could be, and better protected where it counted - around the aviators and cargo. As a result, in 1940, a new operational requirement - N.11/40 - for a type known as a strike fighter, whose primary role was as a sea attack type able to deliver ordinance for the interdiction of surface ships, as well as potentially dive-bomb or torpedo of surfaced submarines. If stripped down, the type should also, in extremis, be able to function as a second-line fleet defence platform for any attacking enemy planes not dealt with by interceptors on combat patrol. The successful contender for this requirement was Blackburn, who, intent on making good after the disappointment of the Skua/Roc family, now proposed their B-37, soon to become known as the Firebrand. Protracted Development The first prototype of the B-37 Firebrand took place in 1941. Like its predecessors, it was an example of combination of the very best in aeronautical engineering, to deliver ordinance on target while producing good in-flight performance, range, and internal firepower. For power, the largest fighter engine at a useful stage of development was employed - the Napier N-24, soon to be known as the Sabre - the famous H-24 featuring Sleeve-valve combustion chambers which at the time both promised and delivered very high specific outputs in the later Hawker Typhoon and Tempest - in 1942! In 1941, the Sabre was at the beginning of its development, and could, at best, match the performance of the Merlin 43, and also of the nascent Griffon. This would have been acceptable, had the Firebrand been lighter and the Sabre lighter too, for it was, as aero-engines of the time went, quite heavy. This was to have unintended and highly unwelcome effects on design as the Firebrand matured. The Firebrand had good features as a development type - it made use of large slotted Frise-type flaps, giving excellent control in dive-bombing. To provide good spin recovery, the fin was placed in front of the tail plane, which was a feature of the earlier Skua/Roc. However, to give maximum control as well as minimum force for the pilot, the tail control surface areas were literally enormous, taking up nearly 50% of the wetted area of each flying surface. Their gigantism was exacerbated by the hinge line placement, which for the tail plane was at 50% of chord, and for the tailfin at the 37.5% of chord position. The fin was also angled at 3° to fully compensate for slipstream torque. This was to pay dividends, however, as the design matured. The Ministry of Production quickly decided that all Sabres should be earmarked for use in the Typhoon and coming Tempest, which were needed urgently to be in sufficient numbers in order to support forthcoming invasion and ground operations at Dieppe (which failed) and later in Overlord (which succeeded beyond all measure). The necessary development of the Firebrand then had to make use of the next available high performance engine, which turned out the be the excellent Bristol Centaurus radial, which already in 1942 was producing a much higher specific output than the Sabre, with more promised. It too was a sleeve valve engine, promising a compact power package. Flight trials had revealed a need for a larger wing, and this was accomplished using a centre-fuselage plug of 1 foot 3 inches, to accommodate a torpedo between the main undercarriage legs. In the event, only 9 of the original Mk. 1 variant were produced, to act as development airframes. The use of the Centaurus had a very marked consequence - in order to preserve centre of gravity, and to increase operational range, the engine was moved quite far forward in relation to that of the Sabre. Entering Service - And Leaving It In Swansong During flight trials on HMS Illustrious in 1941, test pilots found that the Mk. 1 Firebrand was, to be generous, challenging in terms of visibility during the landing phase. Prior to landing, the long nose obscured vision. However, in terms of vision loss, this situation was also considered acceptable if there was sufficient peripheral vision around the side of the nose to allow good depth judgement - this was the design criterion used in the Chance-Vought Corsair, also now in service. Like the American types, the Firebrand did make use of both low-pressure tires combined with long-travel oleo shock absorbers made by Dowty, which permitted a high level of sink during landing to be well absorbed without significant damage or compromise to the airframe. All of this was good, but now became further compromised - dramatically - on the appearance of the TF Mk. III in 1943. Featuring the Centaurus V engine, and the long-range fuel tank, as well as larger empennage (incorporating an anti-slipstream torque angle on the tailfin), the Mk. III was deemed by Captain Eric Brown to be "a disaster as a deck landing aircraft" as can be seen in the photographs of a typical deck landing and its aftermath: In essence, pilots were unable to see over the nose of their aircraft, or to see over the wings, due to the position of the cockpit. It was literally impossible to see the view ahead of the aircraft. The definitive Mk. IV and V featured the Bristol Centaurus VII, and the ability to mount either torpedo, bombs, drop tanks, or eight rockets. All were equipped with 4 x 20mm Hispano cannons with 200 rpg magazines - a hefty punch. In terms of operational performance, Eric Brown again commented that this mark remained "short of performance, sadly lacking in manoeuvrability, especially in rate of roll". Fortunately, at the time this was not a major concern in terms of vunerability, as on the date of introduction and issue - late 1945, the war in Europe was essentially at an end. Its first squadron, 813, disbanded soon after receiving its aircraft on the 1st of September that year. The Firebrand was to make a cruise on two vessels with a reformed 813 Squadron in 1953 with HMS Implacable and later HMS Indomitable. 800 Squadron also made use of the Firebrand in 1950 onboard HMS Eagle. This was to be the Firebrand's first and last use - as in 1953 the Torpedo Fighter role passed the mighty Westland Wyvern, the first turboprop bomber in the world. The Firebrand never fired a shot in anger, and never took part in wartime operations. All its losses were, unsurprisingly, attrition as deck landing accidents. The AlphaSim Firebrand Created in 2008, and now freeware to be found on FlightSim.Com, the AlphaSim Firebrand is a package consisting of five aircraft: Blackburn Firebrand TF Mk. IV EK627 Blackburn Firebrand TF Mk. V EK628 With Torpedo With Rockets Blackburn Firebrand TF Mk. V, EK844 - ALCC Racer, 1950 The flight models are derived of the Firebrand's characteristics: Length: 38 ft 9 in Span: 51 ft 4 in Wing Area: 383 square feet Empty Weight: 11,385 lbs Maximum Weight: 17,500 lbs Power: Bristol Centaurus IX radial, 2520 HP Propeller: 4 blade, 13 ft diameter Range: 700 miles at 256 mph Maximum speed: 345 mph at 13000 feet Rate of Climb: 2800 fpm Service Ceiling: 28,500 ft Armament: Four 20mm Hispano Cannon, Plus one 1850 lb torpedo Or two 1000 lb bombs or 4 unguided rockets under each wing. The Firebrand is noteworthy on a number of fronts, which endear it to the flight simulation enthusiast looking for a new and unusual experience: 3D modelling with meticulous detailing of flight surfaces, and texture mapping Full animation of all working components of the aircraft Beautiful 2D and virtual cockpit 3D sound, where moving of the head in the virtual cockpit changes the audio being delivered from loudspeakers and from earphones Multiple sub-panels of high functionality A vital addition - Ctrl+Down Hat puts the pilot view standing on the wing of the Firebrand for a better view forward - this soon becomes a critical addition! Installation is very straightforward, with the downloaded .ZIP file containing easy to follow instructions. The aircraft set is comprehensive, containing models, variants, instruction documentation, sound files, and effects as well as specific gauges. Once installation is completed, it is possible to move onto opening Flight Simulator 2004, and to begin flying the Firebrand. A Default Scenery Jewel - Lossiemouth AB I have been finding lately that much scenery that I download does give rise to the occasional glitch and crash of FS2004 in Windows 10 64 bit, as the application runs out of useable RAM. Not all scenery does this, but enough does these days to make me wary. However, there are several areas of default FS scenery deserving of special mention for their beauty out of the box. Chicago Miegs Field, now no longer with us, is one such. The Seattle-Tacoma scenery, where Microsoft is based, is another. A third is to be found in the United Kingdom - Lossiemouth AB, which features a truly excellent scenery model, coupled with landscaping texture mapping which is very compelling. It is also right on the coast, providing an excellent mix of sea, land and sky. The flight testing was done from there, and I recommend it to anyone wanting a lovely place to fly as part of default scenery. Preflight Preflight for the Bristol Centaurus is very simple - is it turning over? Yes? Then preflight is done! Not really... Actually, there is a simple process used for preflight on a WWII-era fighter and bomber, which goes something like this: Wheel brakes: are they set - because if they are not, bad things tend to happen! Flaps: up, or down? Should be a notch or two when taking off. Trims: neutral? Surfaces: are they moving freely? Engine: Magnetos: on or off? Should be on...or else! Mix: lean or rich? Should be rich-ish for takeoff Boost: yes or no? Depends on loading of the plane weight wise - and there's going to be an upper limit, typically no more than 1.2 - 1.5 atmospheres for the Centaurus. Radiators: open or closed? Applies even for radials, their oil coolers/intercooler radiators - and they should definitely be open for takeoff, or else! Cowl flaps: open or closed? Should be open, though not for the Centaurus, its close cowled - but critical for American radials. Prop pitch: coarse or fine? Coarshish for takeoff, and fine at altitude. Undercarriage: down and locked. Altimeter: set to correct barometric pressure with the B key Radio: contact the tower This isn't a full blown checklist of course - real preflight also requires checking the fuel, carburetor, and engine oil of course. Tires and oleos are also checked regularly on real aircraft. The Cockpit The view from the cockpit in the Firebrand is actually a very good experience. The panel is well appointed, utilizing standard gauges used in many other British warbirds of the period, and therefore easy on the eyes with a clear contrast of white on black. The panel itself is a dark battleship grey, a fitting color for a fleet torpedo bomber. Critical instruments are ringed in colored bezels, and there are large functional instrument lights in green lamp enclosures. There is a reflex target sight, and unusually, an external airspeed indicator visible through the windscreen. And - there is a reason for that, for what is literally an elephant in the cockpit room - or perhaps better put forward as an elephantine protrusion in front of the pilot. This is, quite literally, the engine and rest of the Firebrand! Visibility forward, while never amazing even in such icons as the Spitfire and P-51 Mustang before takeoff, is at least passable as the engine does not occupy the forward field of view when the aeroplane is flying straight and level, and therefore landing approaches can be judged well, permitting practically all WWII land fighters to be adaptable to naval operations with a reasonable amount of success. The Chance-Vought F-4U Corsair was the most marginal of these fighters in terms of forward visibility, with a nascent hump of engine occupying the field of view forward to an extent, but not to the detriment of forward visibility during landing. The Firebrand, however, is TERRIBLE! There's no easy way to say this better, or more tactfully. The reason for the external airspeed indicator is now obvious - a naval pilot wanting to get back on deck and not be a casualty would have essentially been sitting up and peering over the nose of the big beast during landing in order to see where he was going. Not being able to concentrate on his instruments meant that the extra airspeed indicator was absolutely critical. The developers at AlphaSim themselves admitted the futility of the poor view, and so inserted two cheats. The first, when you are using a hat-equipped joystick is the combination of Ctrl+Down Hat when inside the cockpit. This alters your point of view so that you are effectively standing in airstream to the right of the cockpit, now able to see over the wing. This emphasizes just how epically bad the forward view is for the pilot - there just flat out isn't any! When you start off, a message also appears on screen recommending using the W key to remove the nose view ahead, leaving critical flight instruments superimposed. This is a very good suggestion, and a very necessary cheat indeed. But this isn't quite the end of the story... When setting the radiator by using Ctrl+Shift+V and Ctrl+Shift+C, what should appear immediately in front of the pilot but another optical obstruction! This is the intercooler radiator, and it literally rises out of the body of the aircraft right in front of the pilot's front windscreen: This absolutely beggars belief - it's not already bad enough that there is no view forward, but this compounds the offense! Flight Characteristics So, after getting through all the bad news, what about the good? What is the Firebrand really like to fly? Well, there is actually a lot of good mixed in with the bad, and this is what makes the Firebrand particularly endearing. Special Keys Animations Canopy: May be opened and closed with Shift-E Underwing radiator flaps: Shift+Ctrl+C and Shift+Ctrl+V Tailhook: T key Wingfold: F key (flaps should be raised before wings are folded) Pop-up Panels Shift-2: Autopilot Shift-3: Radios Shift-4: Engine controls Shift-5: GPS Wing Walking: when in 2D panel mode, pull the joystick hat switch back (normally for rear view), or if you are using a keyboard then press the down arrow key (or sometime shift-down arrow). This will provide a 'head out of the window' viewpoint which aids taxiing - and landing! Flying Surfaces To begin with, it has the most amazing flaps ever seen after those fitted to the Fieseler Storch: When the Firebrand lets it all hang out, it literally is one of the most amazing sights imaginable. The Fairey Barracuda was the only one of its contemporaries to give it a run for its money in this department. Visible too is the very sturdy, very businesslike undercarriage, with its long travel oleo shock absorbers, which are descendant in concept with those fitted to the Vought Corsair. Also visible here is the very large and authoritative rudder. First impressions are that, in a crosswind at least, the weather-cocking tendency would be very large and unmanageable. The reality is very different - for a start, the Firebrand is actually a very heavy craft for its type, and so its inertia is high. Then, the surface area of the fin is extremely well balanced by the very large side area of the nose, which balances against the rudder surfaces very well. Finally, the high dihedral of the outer wing surfaces actually counterbalance any wandering tendency when in crosswind conditions. All of this speaks of careful aerodynamic design, to give the Firebrand a better chance of landing on a pitching deck no matter what the conditions at the time. Flight Performance While it is unreservedly true that the Firebrand was never going to be as sprightly as a fighter such as the contemporary Sea Fury or Sea Hornet, for what it is capable of the type is not nearly as bad as you might think. For lining up on a target, and being a steady gun platform, the Firebrand is actually a very decent type indeed. Speeds In terms of flight performance, the following apply: V1 clean configuration: 100 kts IAS V2 (takeoff speed) clean configuration: 120 kts IAS V1 full flap: 65 kts IAS V2 full flap: 80 kts IAS Stall, clean configuration: 85 kts IAS Stall, full flap: 60 kts IAS Maximum speed: 220-235 kts IAS, no boost, fine pitch Maximum speed: 235-245 kts IAS, max boost, fine pitch Overall, flight speed performance is very respectable - in many ways, the Firebrand resembles a large lightplane, such as a Cessna 182, in terms of its flight speeds in the landing regime, making it easy to catch and correct by the new pilot. This is an endearing characteristic of any powerful aeroplane, and makes the Firebrand into a pussycat to handle...if only you can see where you are going! Stall During stalls, the stall warning horn will sound with good audibility, and one of the wings will drop, but the stall is not violent - there are no pronounced swings or rolls. Recovery is immediate when putting the nose down by 5°. Recovery of airspeed with minimum loss of altitude after a stall is also very rapid, as the large wing with its Clark YH aerofoil wing section has a high camber, and this is to the benefit of flight performance. Thanks to the large tailfin area, stalling while rolling does not easily induce a flat spin - the fin acts as an aerodynamic airbrake in this case. The wing dihedral also inhibits spanwise flow of air, acting much like a gigantic wing fence. This is critical to flight safety. Turning Performance As the Firebrand is not a fighter type, its turning performance is not amazing, unfortunately: Standard Turn, 30° bank angle 90° = 12 seconds 180° = 24 seconds 360° = 48 seconds Military Turn, 90° bank angle 90° = 4-5 seconds 180° = 8-9 seconds 360° = 16-18 seconds This performance is at medium altitude, at a cruise speed of 200 kts IAS, 75% throttle. This is on par with most fighter bombers of its period. Adding one notch of flaps knocks a second off the turn speeds, but also knocks about 10 kts IAS off the airspeed. More flap is deleterious to airspeed, and at full flap induces loops more readily than turns. Looping Looping is actually really easy in the Firebrand, but there is an element of reluctance in the type to do so with gusto - again, this is in keeping with its mission design. The best loop range is from 160-220 kts IAS, and loops are completed in an average of 10-12 seconds. Loss of altitude is inevitable during the loop exit, the Firebrand losing about 400 ft when empty, and losing as much as 1200 ft when loaded with full ordnance. With full flaps, a loop can be entered into at speeds as low as 120 kts IAS, but there is the likelyhood of stall on re-entry to level flight, necessitating a minimum altitude for recover of 1500 feet. It's recommended that you have a minimum altitude of 1000 feet before starting a loop near sea level. Best altitude for this type of aerobatic maneuver is 4000 ft for preference. An airshow aerobatic performer the Firebrand most definitely is not! Landing Provided that the W key view, or regular use of the Ctrl+Down Hat is used, landing the Firebrand is actually really easy - the aircraft flies straight and level to its appointment with the runway, and only needs minor rudder corrections to bring it into alignment. The Firebrand is remarkably sensitive to the throttle - despite its bulk, a throttle input results in a rise in airspeed in a second or so, and the same for reduced throttle. This is a welcome thing to the pilot when needing fine control. With full flap down, the Firebrand literally floats in on a cushion of air, making landings deeply satisfying, as well as very controllable. The long oleos permit relatively high rates of sink, which are an inevitability during a questionable angle of incidence reducing visibility forward far further than normal. In crosswind landings, full flaps is a very sensible precaution, to allow for fine rudder and aileron control during the landing phase, and to reduce landing speed. I have found from experience that carrying 20% throttle during a landing with 90° crosswind is very effective in allowing good control authority. The wing dihedral fence-effect is very welcome in keeping the Firebrand near-level during the landing phase. After landing, it is necessary to hold the tail on the ground with elevators before tapping on the brake key (full stop, or .) to bring the Firebrand to rest. Despite its very obvious handicaps, the Firebrand is a deeply satisfying plane to land, and really sorts the pilot from the aviation hobbyist! Ordnance The Firebrand is equipped with two sets of simulated ordnance: Torpedos - and ZLL Rockets: A Curtailed Future - The Firecrest Blackburn did attempt to develop the Firebrand into the more manageable Firecrest, which did show great promise, but was doomed from the outset as it was inherently a piston type (resembling in some ways a Blackburn +50% sized Hawker Sea Fury, complete with the same powerplant), with no capacity to accept a gas turbine powerplant without encountering a similar nose development problem as the Firebrand. Three Firecrests were built, and while better than the Firebrand in terms of visuals during landing, they were definitely still marginal. Overall flight performance was better too - but the jet age was dawning, and the Firecrest simply had no future. Despite all of this, the Firebrand retains a definite interest among aviation enthusiasts, for being an uncompromising vision of the ultimate in piston engine torpedo bombers, which it shares with the Spearfish and the Grumman Guardian. Blackburn would make one final naval bomber in the jet age - the Buccaneer - and with this, Blackburn would finally make good. But that is another story, for another time. Acknowledgementsr Designer: C Lampard Panel: P Perrott Sounds: P Perrott Gauges: H Pralle Flight model: J McDaniel Textures: G Flores www.flightsim.com for distributing the AlphaSim stable as freeware add-ons for MS flight simulator fans, including the Firebrand Michael W. Pocock and www.MaritimeQuest.com for kind permission to republish the images of a typical deck landing by a Firebrand. Pinterest.com for public access to the cutaway drawing and 3-view drawing of the Firebrand published in this article. References Brown, Eric. "The Firebrand...Blackburn's Baby 'Battleship'". Air International, July 1978, Vol. 15:1. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll. pp. 25-31, 46-47. FRAeSS : Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Simulation Society SRN : Simulated Royal Navy