Robert Blackburn (aviation pioneer): Difference between revisions

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Plaque at what is now Tesco, Roundhay Road, Leeds. Lat 58.82323 Lon -1.5108

Robert Blackburn, OBE, FRAeS (26 March 1885 – 10 September 1955) was an English aviation pioneer and the founder of Blackburn Aircraft.^[1]

He was born in Kirkstall, Leeds, Yorkshire, England. He attended Leeds Modern School and graduated in engineering at the University of Leeds, built his first monoplane in 1909 and flew it at Filey and gave regular demonstration flights for crowds at Roundhay Park^{[citation needed]}.

He moved to Filey and built a second monoplane which established his reputation as an aviation pioneer and in 1911 founded the Blackburn Aeroplane Company. In 1914 he married his wife Jessica, an heiress, and in 1917 they purchased Bowcliffe Hall at Bramham, near Wetherby. In 1914 he created the Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company, which was established in a new factory built at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1916. He introduced the first scheduled air service in Great Britain, offering half-hourly flights between Leeds and Bradford. In 1919 he set up the North Sea Aerial Navigation Company, using ex-First World War aeroplanes, which operated a regular passenger service between Leeds and Hounslow, London as well as cargo flights between cities, including between Leeds and Amsterdam. ^[2]

He was also the founder of Scarcroft golf club. In 1950 he retired, left Bowcliffe Hall and moved to Devon. On his death in 1955 the Blackburn company's production facilities became part of Hawker Siddeley.

References

^ A. J. Jackson "Blackburn Aircraft since 1909" Putnam & Co Ltd (1968)
^ "PPS5 Heritage Assessment- Bowcliffe Hall" (PDF). Retrieved 30 March 2013.

External links

Biographical info and project to build a replica of the first Blackburn monoplane
Humphrey Wynn, ‘Blackburn, Robert (1885–1955)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 21 September 2007

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[1] A. J. Jackson "Blackburn Aircraft since 1909" Putnam & Co Ltd (1968)

[2] "PPS5 Heritage Assessment- Bowcliffe Hall" (PDF). Retrieved 30 March 2013.

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@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 '''Robert Blackburn''', [[Officer of the Order of the British Empire|OBE]], [[Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society|FRAeS]] (26 March 1885 – 10 September 1955) was an [[England|English]] aviation pioneer and the founder of [[Blackburn Aircraft]].<ref>A. J. Jackson "Blackburn Aircraft since 1909" Putnam & Co Ltd (1968) </ref>
-He was born in [[Kirkstall]], [[Leeds]], [[Yorkshire]], [[England]].  He attended [[Leeds Modern School]] and graduated in engineering at the [[University of Leeds]], built his first [[monoplane]] in 1909 and flew it at [[Filey]], gave regular demonstration flights for crowds at [[Roundhay Park]]{{cn|date=August 2012|reason=there is a possible confusion with Harold Blackburn here: Jackson implies Robert B did not fly again after leaving Filey, H B (no relative) and Hucks doing the flying}}, and went on to found a company which on his death became part of [[Hawker Siddeley]].
+He was born in [[Kirkstall]], [[Leeds]], [[Yorkshire]], [[England]].  He attended [[Leeds Modern School]] and graduated in engineering at the [[University of Leeds]], built his first [[monoplane]] in 1909 and flew it at [[Filey]] and gave regular demonstration flights for crowds at [[Roundhay Park]]{{cn|date=August 2012|reason=there is a possible confusion with Harold Blackburn here: Jackson implies Robert B did not fly again after leaving Filey, H B (no relative) and Hucks doing the flying}}.
+He moved to Filey and built a second monoplane which established his reputation as an aviation pioneer and in 1911 founded the Blackburn Aeroplane Company. In 1914 he married his wife Jessica, an heiress, and in 1917 they purchased [[Bowcliffe Hall]] at [[Bramham]], near Wetherby.  In 1914 he created the [[Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company]], which was established in a new factory built at Brough, East Riding of Yorkshire in 1916. He introduced the first scheduled air service in Great Britain, offering half-hourly flights between Leeds and Bradford. In 1919 he set up the North Sea Aerial Navigation Company, using ex-First World War aeroplanes, which operated a regular passenger service between Leeds and Hounslow, London as well as cargo flights between cities, including between Leeds and Amsterdam. <ref> {{cite web|url= http://plandocs.leeds.gov.uk/WAM/doc/BackGround%20Papers-516512.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=516512&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=1|title= PPS5 Heritage Assessment- Bowcliffe Hall|accessdate = 30 March 2013}} </ref>
-He was also the founder of [[Scarcroft]] golf club.
+He was also the founder of [[Scarcroft]] golf club. In 1950 he retired, left Bowcliffe Hall and moved to Devon. On his death in 1955 the Blackburn company's production facilities became part of [[Hawker Siddeley]].
 ==References==
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 | NAME              = Blackburn, Robert
 | ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
-| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
+| SHORT DESCRIPTION = Aircraft pioneer
 | DATE OF BIRTH     = 26 March 1885
 | PLACE OF BIRTH    =
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 }}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Blackburn, Robert}}
-[[Category:Aviation pioneers]]
+[[Category:1885 births]]
+[[Category:1955 deaths]]
 [[Category:People from Kirkstall]]
+[[Category:People educated at Leeds Modern School]]
+[[Category:Aviation pioneers]]
 [[Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds]]
 [[Category:English aerospace engineers]]
-[[Category:1885 births]]
-[[Category:1955 deaths]]
 [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Aeronautical Society]]
 [[Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire]]
 [[Category:Gold Crosses of the Order of the Redeemer]]
-[[Category:People educated at Leeds Modern School]]
 {{Aviation-bio-stub}}