Avro Bison

[dsawan 613]

While looking for the m4 bison info on wiki, found article on this plane for Royal Navy during the inter-war period.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Bison

[Wrench 9,421]

OMG!!

That thing is almost a fugly as the Blackburn Blackburn!!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[+SkippyBing 8]

Nothing is as ugly as the Blackburn Blackburn!

[zmatt 2]

Nothing is as ugly as the Blackburn Blackburn!

 

QFT!

[charlielima 328]

Heinous!

Amazing that a naval aviation force (Fleet Air Arm) that opererated carrier launched aircraft that were so easy on the eyes as the seafire, seacane, firefly, and sea fury, seemed bent on scaring any potential beligerant force into submission with a, scary looking airplane.

Blacburn or bison? is this worth a poll?

:ph34r: CL

[sugarblues 0]

...now the truth can be revealed...

 

In reality, the Blackburn Blackburn couldn't fly at all. The truth was that it was so ugly, the earth repelled them!

 

SB

[+SkippyBing 8]

You say that, I've read in one of my books that the side by side twin stick Blackburn, aka the Bull could just about manage a 100' per minute climb rate, which by most definitions meant it had reached it's service ceiling at ground level!

[sugarblues 0]

Yeah,

 

I've read the same thing about the Bull... It never ceases to amaze me that the nation that basically invented the aircraft carrier has had such an endless list of truly awful aircraft to fly off of them... Some very nice exceptions, but the interwar period especially seemed to have some of the ugliest, poorest performing aircraft ever to leave the drawing board.

 

On the subject of exceptions - One aircraft of the period I've always had a soft spot for is the Fairey Flycatcher. Every time I see a photo of one of those tiny things flying over Courageous etc. I get a funny feeling... imagine, being out in the middle of the med out of sight of land, in an aircraft so small I'm certainly you could put it under your arm and carry to your quarters at the end of flight ops...!

 

SB

[+SkippyBing 8]

SB,

 

I think the main problem inter-war was that with the RAF controlling all aviation their priorities were elsewhere so the Fleet Air Arm sucked the hind teat. It's the same today, I've heard RAF support helicopter mates describe being a rotary pilot as being treated like you've got syphilis!

 

I do like the Flycatcher, they've got a flying replica in the FAA musuem and it does look like something you could knock up in your garage! Actually I think the replica may have been... Anyone got any plans?

[Derk 265]

My car is about 40% faster on less than half the power......

Long live progress !!

 

Derk