Blackburn Roc
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| B-25 Roc | |
|---|---|
 Roc Mk.I L3154, 805 sqn., RNAS Donibristle, 1940 |
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| Type | Carrier-based fighter |
| Manufacturer | Boulton Paul |
| Designed by | Blackburn Aircraft |
| Maiden flight | 23 December 1938 |
| Introduced | April 1939 |
| Retired | 1943 |
| Primary user | Fleet Air Arm |
| Number built | 136 |
| Variants | Blackburn Skua |
The Blackburn B-25 Roc was a British Second World War-era Fleet Air Arm fighter aircraft designed by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. It took its name from the mythical bird of the tales of the Arabian Nights, the Roc.
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[edit] Design and development
The Roc was originally to have been fitted with floats, and four float plane prototypes were built. The first crashed but modifications made the remaining three flyable, although the concept was not pursued. First flying on 23 December 1938, the Roc's service life was brief, as the aircraft's design was quickly rendered obsolete.
The Roc was a "fighter" development of the Blackburn Skua dive bomber using the same turret fighter concept as the Boulton Paul Defiant in that its sole armament was four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns in a powered dorsal turret. The reduced firepower (compared to land based fighters such as the Hawker Hurricane) was offset by the ability to direct it in any direction. In practice the weight of the turret made the Roc even slower than the already slow – for fighter purposes – Skua, and the Roc eventually found its niche as a dive bomber.
While Blackburn designed the Roc, detail work and all 136 production aircraft were built by Boulton Paul in Wolverhampton alongside the Defiant, although the two aircraft were different and required separate production lines they did use the same Boulton Paul turret.
[edit] Operational history
Although intended for carrier use, Rocs only served alongside Skuas in two land-based squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm between February 1940 and August 1941. During the Allied campaign in Norway a small contingent of Rocs travelled with 800 and 803 squadrons on board the HMS Ark Royal.
Finally the Roc was relegated to training and target-towing roles until 1943 when it was withdrawn from service.
[edit] Operators
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[edit] Specifications
Data from British Aircraft Directory[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 35 ft 7 in (10.85 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft (14.02 m)
- Height: 12 ft 1 in (3.68 m)
- Wing area: 310 ft² (29 m²)
- Loaded weight: 8,800 lb (4,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Bristol Perseus XII radial engine, 900 hp (670 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h)
- Range: 530 nm (610 mi, 980 km)
- Service ceiling 15,200 ft (4,630 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
- Wing loading: 28 lb/ft² (140 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in power operated dorsal turret
- Bombs: 8 × 30 lb (14 kg) bombs
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Brew, Alec. The Turret Fighters - Defiant and Roc. Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-86126-497-6.
- Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. "Blackburn Skua and Roc." Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, p. 29–40. ISBN 0-7106-0002-X.
- Mondey, David. The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Chancellor Press, 1994. ISBN 1-85152-668-4.
- Willis, Matthew. Blackburn Skua and Roc. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. ISBN 83-8945-044-5.
[edit] External links
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