Control Line: Navy Carrier
MYSTERY PLANE from the February issue is the Blackburn B-48, unofficially designated Firecrest by the manufacturer. It was to be a follow-on to the Firebrand Mk. 5 with an improved pilot position and a new wing. Its design mission was surface-strike carrying torpedo, bombs, rockets, or externally mounted .50 caliber guns. It did not achieve its first flight until after WW II, at a time when piston engines were losing popularity in favor of jets as the power plant of choice for military aircraft. The design was terminated after the second prototype. As before, I will accept entries in the mystery plane contest at my home address shown at the beginning of this column. The winner of a year's membership in the Navy Carrier Society will be selected from among those who correctly identify the mystery plane. Because of the mail delays around Christmas, I have delayed selecting a winner for the February issue. The results of that contest will be announced in my next column.
