Butler Blackhawk: A Glimpse into 1920s Aviation

The Butler Blackhawk was an open-cockpit biplane developed in the late 1920s by Butler Manufacturing Company, known for its pre-engineered steel buildings. Diversifying into aircraft production, Butler introduced the Blackhawk series, which included the Skyway, Coach, and the main Blackhawk variant.

Design and Development

Constructed with a fuselage made from chromium-molybdenum alloy steel tubing, the Blackhawk featured a fabric-covered structure. The design accommodated a pilot and two passengers, with separate cockpits and a baggage compartment behind the pilot. Notably, the pilot's cockpit was equipped with dual engine controls on each side. The wings were built around solid spruce spars with plywood ribs, joined along the centerline without a center section. Frise-type ailerons were mounted on the lower wings, and the undercarriage was a split-axle design.

Variants

Skyway: The prototype variant, with two units built.
Coach: A cabin variant, with one unit constructed.
Blackhawk (ATC 135): The primary production variant, with 11 units built, including conversions from the Skyway.

Operational History

Production of the Blackhawk was limited due to the onset of the Great Depression, with only 13 serial numbers allocated. Notable figures such as aviator Art Goebel and actor Hoot Gibson owned Blackhawks. Some aircraft were later adapted for crop dusting in the late 1930s.

Surviving Aircraft

Msn 110 (N593H): Currently registered and airworthy, owned privately in Rockton, Illinois.
Msn 111 (NX299N): Displayed at Science City at Union Station, painted orange with cream wings.

Get in Touch

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