Blackburn Triplane Rocket

[Daddyisabar]

After seeing the F-22 Raptor at the Airshow with all the hard rock music I was pumped up to build another airplane rocket. Looking through the Rand McNally encyclopedia I wanted to do something more sporty scale. I kept going back in time looking for that one plane that caught my fancy. The tunes running through my mind turned from Hard Rock into Bee Bop, which turned into Big Band which then turned to simply humming "Its a long way to Tipperary." The plane that caught my eye was the Blackburn Triplane, an unsuccessful attempt by the Brits to build an anti Zeppelin interceptor in 1917, only one was built. So I pulled out the extra Baby Bertha kit and started another kit bash, but this one was more like a kit spank. I was uncompromising, it has to look like the real thing, even if it breaks all rocketry conventions. While designing and building it the only song running through my mind was Niki Minaj's "Yo a Stupid Hoe." Well here it is: nosecone weighs 6 oz - lots of plasticine and BB's. The back end weighs 7.5 oz. with an F-24. CG just aft of cockpit. My parachute guy lost his head just like the builder.

 

[Rocketbuilder]

Whaaat?! That is just crazy awesome!

 

[Daddyisabar]

More photos. When it comes to building silly rockets "I beez in the trap!" But will it fly? Small and DANGEROUS!

 

[Daddyisabar]

I flew it today on an F24. Only the very hardy members of the club were present. There had been a lot of scouts earlier today so we were all a bit tired but still ready for some high end rocketry entertainment. It flew beautifully, no spin and lots of drag sure sucked the power out of the F24. It landed just off the range with no damage. Kid tested, mother approved! Post flight photos below. Time to clean her up and fly again.

 

[rstaff3]

Wow, this is the best one yet! Bravo!

 

[chrism]

Awesome!!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Thanks. Here is a drawing of the real aircraft.

 

[Rocket86]

That is awesome. Safe to say there aren't many WWI airplanes that have been built as rockets. And a Blackburn no less! Fantastic build, very true to the original lines, including rotary engine and prop! I salute your effort and results.

 

[iter]

Good job! Thank you for sharing the photos!

Ari.

 

[Pem Tech]

Love it!!
:rofl:

 

[oddmanrockets]

very cool great job

 

[hornet driver]

My God man!! I'll call an exorcist. Crazy cool!!--Does your head spin around when you build these???

 

[Daddyisabar]

Thanks again. It flew a lot better than I expected. In Thrust We Trust! With the Baby Bertha nose cone weighing almost as much as the rest of the loaded rocket I guess I also have to say In Noseweight We Trust! I thought there was a chance the landing gear or wind screen or pilot would mess up the airflow, but with the power of the F24 those 3 wings take over and as long as the CG is ahead of them the aircraft is going up. Even the staggered wings and asymetrical tail did not seem to matter. The 3/16 balsa laminated with lable paper held up fine and all that square edge drag was no big deal. Maybe after nearly 100 years the Blackburn Triplane has finally found success as an oddroc.

 

[Old Muddy]

That has to be one of the greatest model rockets I've ever seen! Wow, fantastic job.



Dean

 

[Daddyisabar]

My God man!! I'll call an exorcist. Crazy cool!!--Does your head spin around when you build these???

Before I put the landing gear and wind screen on it actually looked a bit like a rocket, but then I dared to be stupid and it worked. Now I do seem a bit hungry for Pea Soup. . . thgiewesoN dna rewoP eluR!!!

 

[Daddyisabar]

That has to be one of the greatest model rockets I've ever seen! Wow, fantastic job.



Dean

Danke schoen! Die Zeppelin ist kaput! Hey Englishman in silly Blackburn Triplane, we now throw out all our stuffen and go even higher!

 

[Daddyisabar]

That is awesome. Safe to say there aren't many WWI airplanes that have been built as rockets. And a Blackburn no less! Fantastic build, very true to the original lines, including rotary engine and prop! I salute your effort and results.

Thanks. I would like to see some others, all I have ever seen is the Squirrel Works Red Baron.

I built the first version with the Clerget 9 Z rotary and the four blade prop. Later they tried a Gnome with a 2 blade prop and that did not work either.

 

[chrism]

Hey! Where is all the rigging? (Just kidding! Nice build!)

 

[Daddyisabar]

Hey! Where is all the rigging? (Just kidding! Nice build!)

That would be big $$ for all that Kevlar!

 

[adrienwapkaplet]

That is just incredible! I especially love your interpretation of the pusher-prop. Seeing those pictures put a huge grin on my face.

 

[Daddyisabar]

That is just incredible! I especially love your interpretation of the pusher-prop. Seeing those pictures put a huge grin on my face.

Pusher planes make great rockets. The prop template for my eariler project, the J7M1 Shinden, fit just perfectly on the Blackburn Triplane so fate was on my side. The prop fins sure do help to move that dern CP back and even oversized they still look great.

 

[rstaff3]

I agree completely, the pusher props are awesome. You need a photo of your whole airforce lined up next to each other

 

[Daddyisabar]

I agree completely, the pusher props are awesome. You need a photo of your whole airforce lined up next to each other

I am off work this afternoon so here you go! I see I forgot to remove the used motor from the Spitfire - don't tell the wife I brought a used motor into the house!

 

[rstaff3]

Very inspirational photos, thanks. I don't think I'll mount that foam skull on top of my Baby Bertha after all.

 

[PeterAlway]

What an utterly charming model. Makes me want to try a DH-2!

 

[Daddyisabar]

What an utterly charming model. Makes me want to try a DH-2!

You could end the Fokker Scourge once and for all! The only issue I see with the DH-2 would be a slight case of lower rudder burn.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Very inspirational photos, thanks. I don't think I'll mount that foam skull on top of my Baby Bertha after all.

The Blackburn Triplane was the first Baby B derrived one of the bunch, making it semi Gooney.

 

[GuyNoir]

Insanely inspired. Nice work!

 

[gdiscenza]

I am off work this afternoon so here you go! I see I forgot to remove the used motor from the Spitfire - don't tell the wife I brought a used motor into the house!

Look again... it would appear that you have a motor in the Corsair also....:bangpan:

G.D.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Look again... it would appear that you have a motor in the Corsair also....:bangpan:

G.D.

Yep, but that is a precious unused one. Just didn't have time to fly the Corsair with all the other Warbrids going up.