Blackburn Baffin
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Designed by Major F A Bumpus to meet a Fleet Air Arm requirement, the Blackburn B-5 Baffin torpedo bomber was a development of the Blackburn Ripon, the chief change being that a 545 hp Bristol Pegasus I.MS radial replaced the Ripon's Napier Lion water-cooled inline engine.
The Baffin was a conventional two-seat single-bay biplane of mixed metal and wooden construction with fabric covering. It had swept, staggered, equal-span wings, the lower having an inverse gull to provide clearance for the torpedo while retaining a short undercarriage. Armament comprised one fixed forward-firing 0.303-in (7.7-mm) Vickers gun and one free-mounted Lewis gun in rear cockpit, plus one 2,000-lb (908-kg) bomb, or 1,576-lb (716-kg) Mk VIII or Mk IX torpedo, or three 530-lb (241-kg) or six 250-lb (114-kg) bombs.
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[edit] Development
The Baffin first flew on 30 September 1932, and production began in 1933. 39 new-build aircraft were supplemented by 60 Ripon airframes converted to Baffin standard. Late production models had the 580 hp Pegasus II.M3 engine.
The aircraft is said to have inspired the coining of the word "Boffin".
[edit] Royal Navy/Royal Air Force Service.
Two prototypes and 33 production Baffins went to a training flight at Gosport for dummy deck-landing and torpedo practice. The type went to sea with 810 Squadron on HMS Courageous, 811 on HMS Furious and 812 on HMS Glorious. In addition 14 were sent to Malta to serve on carriers in the Mediterranean. The Baffin served barely two years before being replaced by the Blackburn Shark. All British aircraft appear to have been withdrawn from service before the outbreak of World War II.
[edit] Royal New Zealand Air Force
In 1937 New Zealand acquired 29 of the best condition Baffins from the UK to equip Territorial Air Force (reserve) squadrons in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Twenty-four were operational on the outbreak of war, 16 in Wellington and eight in Christchurch. On the outbreak of war these aircraft were utilised as trainers. With the realisation of the threat posed by surface raiders, the RNZAF Baffin was returned to the active list, the survivors being merged in March 1940 as the NZ General Reconnaissance Squadron, renamed 1 GR Squadron in 1941 when half the strength was transferred to 3 GR Squadron. The Baffins were replaced by Lockheed Hudsons before the outbreak of war with Japan; the last Baffins were broken up at Rongotai in 1941.
[edit] Variants
- T.5J Ripon Mk V : Prototypes.
- Baffin Mk I : Two-seat torpedo bomber aircraft for the Royal Navy.
[edit] Specifications
[edit] Performance
- Maximum speed : 125 mph (201 km/h) at sea level and 136 mph (219 km/h) at 6,500 ft (1,981 m).
- Initial rate of climb : 480 ft/min (2.44 m/s).
- Service ceiling : 15,000 ft (4,572 m).
- Endurance : 4 hours 30 minutes.
[edit] Weights
- Gross weight : 7,610 Ib (3,455 kg}.
[edit] Dimensions
- Span : 45 ft 6'/2 in (13.87 m).
- Length : 38 ft 3'/4 in (11.67 m).
- Height : 12 ft 10 in
- Wing area : 649 sq ft (60.29 m2).
Comparable aircraft:
Fairey III Fairey Gordon Blackburn Shark Vickers Vildebeest
Designation sequence:
