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= = History = =
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The history of Languedoc wines can be traced to the first vineyards planted along the coast near Narbonne by the early Greeks in the fifth century BC . Along with parts of Provence , these are the oldest planted vineyards in France . The region of Languedoc has belonged to France since the thirteenth century and the Roussillon was acquired from Spain in the mid @-@ seventeenth century . The two regions were joined as one administrative region in the late 1980s .
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From the 4th century through the 18th and early 19th centuries , the Languedoc had a reputation for producing high quality wine . In Paris during the 14th century , wines from the St. Chinian area were prescribed in hospitals for their " healing powers " . During the advent of the Industrial Age in the late 19th century , production shifted towards mass @-@ produced le gros rouge — cheap red wine that could satisfy the growing work force . The use of highly prolific grape varieties produced high yields and thin wines , which were normally blended with red wine from Algeria to give them more body .
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The phylloxera epidemic in the 19th century severely affected the Languedoc wine industry , killing off many of the higher quality Vitis vinifera that were susceptible to the louse . American rootstock that was naturally resistant to phylloxera did not take well to the limestone soil on the hillside . In place of these vines , acres of the lower quality Aramon , Alicante Bouschet and Carignan were planted .
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During both World Wars the Languedoc was responsible for providing the daily wine rations given to French soldiers . In 1962 , Algeria gained its independence from France , bringing about an end to the blending of the stronger Algerian red wine to mask the thin le gros rouge . This event , coupled with French consumers moving away from cheap red wines in the 1970s , has contributed to several decades of surplus wine production in France , with Languedoc as the largest contributor to the European " wine lake " and recurring European Union subsidies aimed at reducing production . These developments prompted many Languedoc producers to start refocusing on higher quality , but has also led to many local and regional protests , including violent ones from the infamous Comité Régional d 'Action Viticole ( CRAV ) .
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Despite the general reputation as a mass producer and a consensus that the region is in the midst of an economic crisis , parts of the Languedoc wine industry are experiencing commercial success due to outside investment and an increased focus on quality . Sales have been improved by many vineyards that concentrate on creating a good brand name rather than relying on the sometimes infamous regional designations . Some vineyards have adopted the youngest batch of AOC classifications developed in the late 1990s , while other vineyards eschew designated blends entirely and are instead shifting toward bottling single varietal wines , a practice increasingly demanded by consumers in the large New World wine market .
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= = Climate and geography = =
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The Languedoc @-@ Roussillon region shares many terrain and climate characteristics with the neighboring regions of Southern Rhone and Provence . The region stretches 150 miles ( 240 km ) from the Banyuls AOC at the Spanish border and Pyrenees in the west , along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea to the Rhone River and Provence in the east . The northern boundaries of the region sit on the Massif Central with the Cévennes mountain ranges and valleys dominating the area . Many vineyards are located along the Hérault River .
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Vineyards in the Languedoc are generally planted along the coastal plains of the Mediterranean while those in the Roussillon are to be found in the narrow valleys around the Pyrenees . The peak growing season ( between May and August ) is very dry and the majority of annual rainfall occurs during the winter . In the Languedoc , the plains area is the most arid and hottest region of France . The region 's Mediterranean climate is very conducive to growing a large amount of a wide variety of grapes , with vintners in the area excelling in mass production . The average annual temperature is 57 ° F ( 14 ° C ) . The tramontane inland wind from the northwest often accentuates the dry climate ; drought is the most common threat to vine production , with French AOC and European Union regulation prohibiting the use of irrigation . In December 2006 , the French government responded to global warming concerns and relaxed some of the irrigation regulations .
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In 1999 severe weather had damaging effects on the wine producing industry , including hailstorms in May that affected Roussillon and a rain surge in mid November that saw a year 's worth of rain fall in 36 hours in the areas of Corbières and Minervois in the western Languedoc .
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The composition of soil in the Languedoc varies from the chalk , limestone and gravel based soils inland to more alluvial soils near the coast . Some of the more highly rated vineyards are laid on top of ancient riverbed stones similar to those of Châteauneuf @-@ du @-@ Pape .
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= = Appellations = =
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The five best known appellations in the Languedoc include Languedoc AOC ( formerly known as the Coteaux du Languedoc ) , Corbières AOC , Faugères , Minervois AOC , and Saint @-@ Chinian AOCs . The vast majority of Languedoc wines are produced by wine cooperatives which number more than 500 . However , the appellation system in the region is undergoing considerable changes with both new appellations being created and existing ones changing . One recent change is that the Coteaux du Languedoc has changed name to Languedoc and been extended to include also the Roussillon .
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Within the larger Languedoc AOC appellations are several sub @-@ districts , or Cru 's , with distinct wine styles of their own . Some of these sub @-@ districts have pending AOC applications to become appellations in their own right and some have been granted sub @-@ appellations to the umbrella appellation Languedoc AOC . These include the Quatourze , La Clape , Montpeyroux , St. Saturnin , Picpoul de Pinet , Terrasses du Larzac , and Pic St.-Loup.
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The boundary of the eastern Languedoc with the Southern Rhône Valley wine region was moved slightly in 2004 , with the result that Costières de Nîmes AOC is now a Rhône appellation rather than a Languedoc one . In that year , INAO moved the responsibility for oversight of this appellation 's wine to the regional committee of the Rhône valley . Local producers of Côtes du Rhône @-@ styled wines made from Syrah and Grenache lobbied for this change since the local winemaking traditions did not coincide with administrative borders , and presumably due to the greater prestige of Rhône wines in the marketplace . Such changes of borders between wine regions are very rare , so out of habit , Costières de Nîmes remains listed as a Languedoc wine in many publications .
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= = Grapes = =
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The Languedoc @-@ Roussillon area is home to numerous grape varieties , including many international varieties like Merlot , Cabernet Sauvignon , Sauvignon blanc , and Chardonnay . The traditional Rhône grapes of Mourvedre , Grenache , Syrah , and Viognier are also prominent .
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Chardonnay is a major white grape , used in the Vin de Pays d 'Oc and the sparkling Crémant de Limoux . Others include Chenin blanc and Mauzac , which is also the principal grape in the sparkling Blanquette de Limoux . The sweet fortified wines of the Muscat de Frontignan and Muscat de St @-@ Jean Minervois regions are made with the Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains grapes . In the Muscat de Rivesaltes AOC , fortified wines are made from Muscat of Alexandria grapes .
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Among the reds , Grenache , Syrah , Carignan , Cinsault , and Mourvedre are major grapes of the Corbières , Faugères , Fitou , and Minervois AOCs . Cinsault is also commonly used in rosé production along with Lladoner Pelut , Picpoul noir , Terret noir , and Grenache . Grenache is also the main grape used in the fortified wines of the Banyuls and Rivesaltes region . Some of the oldest vines in France are Carignan grapes . Winemakers often use carbonic maceration to soften the tannins .
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Other varieties that can be found include Roussanne , Marsanne , Vermentino , Bourboulenc , Clairette blanche , Grenache blanc , Grenache gris , Picpoul , Maccabéo , and Rolle .
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= = Wines and taxonomy = =
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Wines from the Languedoc can carry an enormous number of names , ranging from broad regional designations like Vin de Pays d 'Oc to very specific geographical classifications with restrictions on grape variety , like Corbières and Minervois . Since the 1990s , the INAO has been creating smaller AOC classifications which take into account the intricate microclimates and soil variations in the Languedoc @-@ Roussillon . Younger appellations like the Cabardes and subregions like Minervois la Livinière , Corbières @-@ Boutenac and St @-@ Chinian @-@ Berlou are much smaller in scope . While these new appellations have been praised for consistently improving their product , others have criticized the additions for further complicating an already esoteric system of classification .
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The majority of wine produced in the Languedoc are labeled vin ordinaire . There is also sizable production of Vins Doux Naturels .
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= = = Vins de Pays = = =
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The introduction of the vins de pays , a classification produced under less stringent regulations than those of an AOC , opened up the Languedoc wine industry to the labeling of varietal wines and the blending of international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Syrah and Chardonnay . Examples include Vin de pays d 'Oc , Vin de pays d 'Aude , Vin de pays de l 'Hérault , and Vin de Pays du Gard . Winemakers such as Guy Anderson , Thierry Boudinaud and E. & J. Gallo Winery capitalized on this new horizon , producing wines like FAT bastard and Red Bicyclette .
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= = = Vins Doux Naturels = = =
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Vins Doux Naturels are " naturally sweet " wines that have been fortified with brandy to stop fermentation , leaving residual sugar to add sweetness to the wine . The majority of Languedoc sweet white wines are made with a variety of Muscat grapes . The red fortified wines of the Banyuls are made from Grenache grapes , normally have an alcohol level between 16 and 17 % and carry residual sugars in the 8 to 12 % range .
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In Banyuls , winemakers use various methods to " bake " their wines to encourage deep raisin colors . Some winemakers utilize a solera system of transporting the wine among different size barrels of various ages that are left out in the sun to warm . Others will put the wine in large glass jars to expose it to direct sunlight . In addition to the dark color , the resulting wines often have a nutty , rancid taste called rancio . In the Banyuls Grand Cru AOC the wine is required to be aged in wood barrels for two and a half years .
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= = = Crémant de Limoux = = =
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The crémant produced in the Languedoc is made according to the Méthode Traditionnelle - formerly known as méthode champenoise , the same method used to produce the Champagne , including a second fermentation in the bottle to encapture the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast - in the small villages around the town of Limoux . The wines are normally composed of 70 % Mauzac and a 30 % combination of Chardonnay and Chenin blanc . AOC regulations require a year of aging on the lees . The Blanquette de Limoux , when labelled méthode ancestrale , is composed entirely of Mauzac , undergoes only one fermentation and is aged approximately three months less on the lees before the bottling , the actual date being determined by the moon 's cycle .
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= Silver Bullet ( roller coaster ) =
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Silver Bullet is a western @-@ themed steel inverted roller coaster designed by Bolliger & Mabillard located at Knott 's Berry Farm , an amusement park in Buena Park , California . The $ 16 million roller coaster was announced on December 1 , 2003 and opened on December 7 , 2004 . A first rider auction was also held where people would bid on seats to be the first riders . The track is approximately 3 @,@ 125 feet ( 952 m ) long and the lift hill is about 146 feet ( 45 m ) tall . The ride lasts two minutes and thirty seconds and features six inversions including a vertical loop , cobra roll , zero @-@ g roll , and two corkscrews .
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= = History = =
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On May 28 , 2003 , a trademark for the name " Silver Bullet " was filed by Cedar Fair , the owners of the park . Construction for the new roller coaster began in September 2003 with the relocation of The Church of Reflections . As part of a $ 85 million investment in all Cedar Fair parks , Silver Bullet was announced to the public on December 1 , 2003 . The final piece of track was placed on September 30 , 2004 . On November 5 , 2004 , Knott 's Berry Farm launched a " First Rider Auction " in which people from anywhere in the world would bid against each other in order to be one of the first public riders on Silver Bullet on December 7 , 2004 . Although sixty seats were made available , only 13 of these received bids . Out of those bids , the highest bid was $ 200 ( US ) , and a total of $ 1643 was raised with all the money going to the Speech & Language Development Center of Buena Park . After construction and testing was completed , the roller coaster opened first to the media , then to the public on December 7 , 2004 though the initial scheduled opening was on Christmas Eve of 2004 . Silver Bullet was also one of four attractions that opened at Knott 's Berry Farm in the same year and carries a western theme .
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= = Ride experience = =
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Silver Bullet 's layout passes through three of the park 's themed areas : Ghost Town , Fiesta Village , and Indian Trails .
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After the train departs from the station , it makes a 90 degree right turn before beginning to climb the 146 @-@ foot ( 45 m ) lift hill . Once at the top , the train goes through a pre @-@ drop before entering the 109 @-@ foot ( 33 m ) downward right drop . Once at the bottom , the train enters a 105 @-@ foot ( 32 m ) loop . After exiting the loop , the train makes a banked right turn leading into the cobra roll . Almost immediately after , the train goes through a zero @-@ gravity roll followed by a downward left helix . Then , the train enters the first of two corkscrews which are separated by a banked left turn . Next , the train enters an upward left helix ( the beginning of the helix is close to water ) before entering the brake run . The train then makes a right turn into a second , shorter , brake run which leads straight back to the station . One cycle lasts approximately two minutes and thirty seconds .
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= = = Track = = =
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The steel track of Silver Bullet is approximately 3 @,@ 125 feet ( 952 m ) long , and the height of the lift is approximately 146 feet ( 45 m ) high . Silver Bullet , along with all of Bolliger & Mabillard 's other roller coasters , was manufactured by Clermont Steel Fabricators located in Batavia , Ohio and erected by Coan Construction Company . The track is filled with sand to reduce the noise made by the trains . Silver Bullet was also the first Bolliger & Mabillard inverted roller coaster to use magnetic brakes in the brake run . The track and supports of the lift hill are red , with the remaining track being yellow with red rails and the remaining supports colored white .
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= = = Trains = = =
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Silver Bullet operates with two steel and fiberglass trains . Each train has eight cars that can seat four riders in a single row , for a total of 32 riders per train . The seats are coloured light blue , with orange over @-@ the @-@ shoulder restraints and tri @-@ color wheel coverings ( red , orange , and yellow ) .
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= = Reception = =
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Joel Taylor from Amusement Business praised the ride saying , " In all , it 's an exhilarating 2 1 / 2 minutes from start to finish . " He was also impressed with the ride 's smoothness and overall excitement , stating that the ride is , " smooth and comfortable while delivering twisting , stomach @-@ churning excitement . "
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= = = Awards = = =
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Since Silver Bullet 's debut in 2004 , it has consistently been ranked in the top 140 positions in Mitch Hawker 's Best Roller Steel Coaster Poll . It peaked at position 99 in 2010 . The roller coaster has never placed on the Golden Ticket Awards .
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^ No Steel Roller Coaster Poll was held in 2011 .
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= Blackburn Firecrest =
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The Blackburn B @-@ 48 Firecrest , given the SBAC designation YA.1 , was a single @-@ engine naval strike fighter built by Blackburn Aircraft for service with the British Fleet Air Arm during World War II . It was a development of the troubled Firebrand , designed to Air Ministry Specification S.28 / 43 , for an improved aircraft more suited to carrier operations . Three prototypes were ordered with the company designation of B @-@ 48 and the informal name of " Firecrest " , but only two of them actually flew . The development of the aircraft was prolonged by significant design changes and slow deliveries of components , but the determination by the Ministry of Supply in 1946 that the airframe did not meet the requirements for a strike fighter doomed the aircraft . Construction of two of the prototypes was continued to gain flight @-@ test data and the third was allocated to strength testing . The two flying aircraft were sold back to Blackburn in 1950 for disposal and the other aircraft survived until 1952 .
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= = Design = =
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The Firebrand required significant effort by Blackburn to produce a useful aircraft and the first discussions on a redesign of the aircraft with a laminar @-@ flow wing took place in September 1943 . The new wing was estimated to reduce the weight of the wing by 700 lb ( 318 kg ) and increase the aircraft speed by 13 mph ( 21 km / h ) . The extent of redesign increased and this led to a new fuselage and other improvements . In October 1943 , Blackburn 's design staff , led by G.E. Petty , started work on this development of the Firebrand which led to Specification S.28 / 43 being issued by the Air Ministry on 26 February 1944 covering the new aircraft . The specification was designed around a Bristol Centaurus 77 radial engine with contra @-@ rotating propellers that allowed the size of the rudder to be reduced .
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The new design , given the company designation B @-@ 48 , was known unofficially by Blackburn as the " Firecrest " but was always known by its specification number by the Air Ministry and Navy . It was a low @-@ winged , single @-@ seat , all @-@ metal monoplane . Aft of the cockpit the fuselage was an oval @-@ shaped stressed @-@ skin semi @-@ monocoque , but forward it had a circular @-@ section , tubular @-@ steel frame . The cockpit of the Firecrest was moved forward and raised the pilot 's position so that he now looked over the wing leading edge , and down the nose . The canopy was adapted from the Hawker Tempest fighter . In the rear fuselage was a single 52 @-@ imperial @-@ gallon ( 240 l ; 62 US gal ) fuel tank with two 92 @-@ imperial @-@ gallon ( 420 l ; 110 US gal ) fuel tanks in the centre wing section . The aircraft had a redesigned , thinner , inverted gull wing of laminar flow aerofoil section . The wing consisted of a two @-@ spar centre section with just over 6 @.@ 5 degrees of anhedral and outer panels with 9 degrees of dihedral . It could be hydraulically folded in two places to allow more compact storage in the hangar decks of aircraft carriers . Four Fowler flaps were fitted to give good low @-@ speed handling for landing and the wing had retractable dive brakes on both surfaces . In the course of the redesign the structure was simplified which reduced weight by 1 @,@ 400 lb ( 635 kg ) and even after the fuel capacity was increased by 70 imperial gallons ( 320 l ; 84 US gal ) the gross weight was still 900 pounds ( 410 kg ) less than that of the Firebrand .
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Work on two prototypes was authorised in November 1943 , but proposals for alternative engines delayed progress . In 1945 , it was decided that as well as adding another Centaurus @-@ engined prototype , there should be three prototypes with the Napier E.122 ( a development of the Sabre ) as Specification S.10 / 45 . The Ministry believed that this would enable Blackburn to develop their knowledge of aerodynamic and structural design and support the engine development at Napier . However , it was found that the S.10 / 45 aircraft could only be balanced if the E.122 powerplant was placed behind the pilot . The necessary redesign and 1 @,@ 000 @-@ pound ( 454 kg ) weight increase , coupled with the limited funds available to the Royal Navy , meant that it could no longer be justified and the S.10 / 45 was cancelled on 8 October . While in final design , the Centaurus 77 engine with contra @-@ rotating propellers was cancelled in January 1946 and a conventional 2 @,@ 825 @-@ horsepower ( 2 @,@ 107 kW ) Centaurus 57 was substituted . This engine was found to require flexible mounts and was modified into the Centaurus 59 . The vertical stabiliser and rudder had to be enlarged from 33 to 41 square feet ( 3 @.@ 1 to 3 @.@ 8 m2 ) to counteract the new engine 's torque . In September 1946 a strength analysis conducted by the Ministry of Supply revealed that the aircraft would require strengthening to serve as a strike fighter and that a costly redesign would be required to bring it up to requirements . This would have made it comparable in weight and performance to the Westland Wyvern which had already flown so no contract was placed for production aircraft .
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Delayed by the late delivery of its propeller , the first prototype was rolled out at Brough in February 1947 and then taken by road to RAF Leconfield where it made its maiden flight on 1 April that year . All three prototypes were completed by the end of September and the third prototype had been modified to reduce the outer @-@ wing dihedral to 3 degrees . Both the second and third prototypes remained unflown when the Ministry of Supply ordered that flying be ceased and work on the aircraft be stopped . Later in the month , however , the third prototype was allocated to tests of powered aileron controls , as testing of the first prototype had shown that while adequate at cruise speed , the ailerons were heavy both at low and high speed . The second prototype was allocated to structural testing .
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The third prototype made its maiden flight in early 1948 , but the pace of the flight testing was leisurely with only 7 hours and 40 minutes completed by 30 November , over half of which were connected with air show performances . Testing concluded in March 1949 when the officer in charge concluded that there was no further purpose to the tests . While the Firecrest was faster than the Firebrand , and gave its pilot a much better view from the cockpit , it was otherwise disappointing , with test pilot and naval aviator Captain Eric Brown claiming that the Firecrest was even less manoeuvrable than the sluggish Firebrand , while the powered ailerons gave lumpy controls , leading to instability in turbulent air .
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= = Operational history = =
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Operational experience had found Blackburn 's Firebrand strike fighter to be far from suited to carrier operations . In particular , the pilot sat near the wing 's trailing edge , looking over a very long and wide nose which gave a particularly poor view for landing . The Firecrest had also been rendered obsolete by the arrival of gas turbine engines , and while Blackburn did draw up proposals for turboprop @-@ powered derivatives of the Firecrest , ( as the B @-@ 62 ( Y.A.6 ) with the Armstrong Siddeley Python engine ) , these went unbuilt , with orders instead going to Westland for the Wyvern . The two flying prototypes remained in use until 1949 , being sold back to Blackburn in 1950 , and were later scrapped .
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= = Aircraft = =
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RT651
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One of two prototypes ordered on 1 January 1944 to Specification S.28 / 43 . The airframe was sold by the Controller of Supplies ( Air ) to Blackburn on 17 April 1950 .
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RT656
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