Why did the Blackburn B-2 lose out to the Tiger Moth?

Blackburn developed the B-2 in the early 1930s as a successor to its earlier Bluebird IV trainer. It retained the basic layout of the previous model, including the side-by-side seating arrangement, but differed chiefly in being redesigned with an all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage instead of its predecessor's metal-and-fabric covering. The prototype, registered G-ABUW, made its first flight on 10 December 1931 at Brough.

In September 1932 the prototype was sent to Lisbon for evaluation by Portugal; accounts say the aircraft performed well in that evaluation and drew some favourable comments from the examining officers, but the Portuguese preferred a tandem cockpit and ultimately opted to purchase the rival trainer, the de Havilland Tiger Moth.

A total of 42 B-2s were built counting the prototype, with production continuing until 1937. The last three were sold to the Air Ministry and immediately assigned to the Brough flying school, where they operated under RAF markings. In February 1942 the remaining aircraft were transferred to the RAF, which assigned them to the Air Training Corps. Only two B-2s survived to fly in the post-war period, and one of them was lost in an accident on 16 June 1951.