Blackburn Velos
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| Velos | |
|---|---|
| Type | Coastal defence seaplane |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company Limited, Greek National Aircraft Factory (KEA) |
| Maiden flight | 1925 |
| Retired | 1936 |
| Primary users | Greek Navy North Sea Aerial and General Transport Company Limited |
| Number built | 22 |
| Developed from | Blackburn T.2 Dart |
The Blackburn T.3 Velos was a 1920s British two-seat coastal defence seaplane built by Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company Limited, Brough Aerodrome and the Greek National Aircraft Factory.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
The basic design of the Blackburn Dart was developed into a two-seater to meet a Greek Navy requirement for a coastal defence seaplane. The aircraft became the T.3 Velos, a twin-float seaplane. The Velos differed from the standard Dart T.2 in having a two-seat cockpit with a rear-mounted Lewis gun, an increased weapons load with four 230 lb bombs mounted under the wings and provisions to fly as either a seaplane with floats or with a conventional undercarriage.
In 1925, a small batch of four aircraft were built at Brough Aerodrome for the Greek Navy. Later in the same year, the aircraft was chosen as the first licence-built aircraft in Greece in a factory built by Blackburn and operated under a five-year contract. The Aircraft Factory, later renamed the State Aircraft Factory or Greek National Aircraft Factory, operated in Palaion Faliro to produce 12 Greek-built T.3 Velos aircraft. The first of the production order flew in March 1926.
Blackburn produced two additional T.3 models as the T.3A Velos, initially for trials of the company's new metal floats and later, one example embarked on a demonstration and sales tour of South America in 1927. Despite the sales tour, the T.3A garnered no orders. Both T.3As were converted to seaplane trainers and joined four other production aircraft built for the Blackburn Reserve School (North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co. Ltd) to replace the company's Darts seaplane trainers in providing advanced training. After 1929, all of the T.3As were converted back into landplanes and continued in service until replacement by Ripons and Baffins in 1933.
[edit] Operational service
The Blackburn T.3 Velos not only fulfilled an operational role as a coastal defence/torpedo bomber in the Naval Air Component Squadrons in Greece, the Velos also helped establish an indigenous aviation industry. The aircraft began operations in 1926 with the Greek Navy deployed at Tatoi Aerodrome and Phaleron Bay, Athens. During operations, the T.3s delivered steady if not spectacular service. The Velos remained in squadron use until 1934 with all examples retired by 1936.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil operators
United Kingdom
- North Sea Aerial and General Transport Company Limited
[edit] Military operators
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 35 ft 6 in (10.82m)
- Wingspan: 48 ft 6 in (14.78 m)
- Height: 12 ft 3 in (3.73 m)
- Wing area: 654 ft² (60,76 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,890 lb (1764 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 6,200 lb (2812 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Napier Lion IIB inline piston, 450 hp (336 kw)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 107 mph (172 km/h)
- Service ceiling 14,100 ft (4300 m)
Armament one 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun, one 18 in (45.7 cm) torpedo or four 230 lb (104 kg) bombs.
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing.
- Jackson, A.J. British Civil Aircraft Since 1919, Volume 1. London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
- Taylor, Michael, J.H. (ed.) Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. ISBN 0-7106-0710-5.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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