Blackburn Pellet and N1B

 

In 1923, Great Britain was the host nation for the Schneider Trophy Race, following the victory of the Supermarine Sea Lion at Naples in 1922. As a consequence, Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company decided to design and build a small, single-seat flying boat to compete in the 1923 event.

 

Named the Blackburn Pellet, the aircraft made use of the hull from the unfinished N1B Flying Boat project which was intended as a replacement for the Sopwith Baby. The Blackburn N1B had a 'refined hull', built according to the Linton Hope design. It featured a smooth external skin, made up of a double layer of narrow mahogany strips laid diagonally at 90 degrees to each other, over underlying frames and stringers. The pilot was positioned in front of the propeller which was mounted on the upper wing

 

 

On the Blackburn N1B, power had been intended to be supplied by a 200 hp Hispano Suiza engine although when the contract was cancelled in November 1918, only the completed fuselage was retained engine-less in storage at Brough.

 

 

Although the intention had been to complete the aircraft by the end of August 1923, the Pellet (registered G-EBHF) was not actually launched until early September. Unfortunately, shortly after launching the aircraft, it was caught by the strong river current and slowly capsized.

 

 

With the race only three weeks away, the aircraft was recovered, dried out and rapidly repaired, with larger tip floats fitted.

 

It was sent to Hamble, still unflown and finally launched from the Fairey Aviation slipway on 26th September where it was taxied prior to an initial flight test. Unfortunately, this soon revealed that the aircraft was extremely nose-heavy and that engine cooling was deficient, resulting in a forced landing south of Calshot.

 

 

A new radiator was fitted overnight, mounted between the centre-section struts and a two-blade metal propeller fitted. This  replaced the wooden one, which had suffered water-spray damage during the previous day’s trials.

 

27th September was the deadline for conducting navigability and water-tightness trials and the

Pellet was started and subsequently launched without any problems.

 

However, when opened up to full throttle for take-off from the River Medina, the aircraft began to 'porpoise' and was thrown into the air in a semi-stalled condition. The starboard wing then dropped and the aircraft cart-wheeled below the surface.

 

The pilot (RW Kenworthy) was rescued from the river by motor launch and the aircraft wreckage was eventually recovered later in the day.  With the aircraft beyond repair the Pellet was consigned to the scrap pile.