| B.26 Botha | |
|---|---|
| Blackburn B.26 Botha | |
| Role | Torpedo bomber |
| Manufacturer | Blackburn Aircraft, Dumbarton |
| First flight | 28 December 1938 |
| Introduction | 12 December 1939 |
| Retired | September 1944 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 580 |
The Blackburn B.26 Botha was a British four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber. It was built by Blackburn Aircraft at their factory at Dumbarton, Scotland, as a competitor to the Bristol Beaufort, and entered service with the RAF in 1939. It was underpowered and was quickly withdrawn from operations.
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In September 1935, the British Air Ministry issued specification M.15/35, for a three-seat twin-engined reconnaissance/torpedo bomber. Two submissions to met this requirement were accepted, from Blackburn for the Botha and the Type 152 (later known as the Beaufort) from Bristol. Both were intended to use the 850 hp (634 kW) Bristol Perseus engine. The Air Ministry later revised the Specification to M.10/36, which required a crew of four. The weight increase meant that both designs required more power. The 1,130 hp (840 kW) Taurus was provided for the Beaufort, but the Botha received only the Perseus X of 880 hp (660 kW).[1]
The Air Ministry ordered 442 Bothas in 1936, while also placing orders for the Beaufort. The first flight took place on 28 December 1938.[2] The RAF received its first delivery in December 1939, entering squadron service with No. 608 Squadron RAF in June 1940, the only squadron that would use the Botha operationally, the Botha being used for coastal patrols carrying 100 lb (50 kg) Anti-submarine bombs or 250 lb (110 kg) GP bombs.
In service, the Botha proved to be severely underpowered and unstable and there were a number of fatal crashes in 1940. Both airframe and engine were subject to further development work, but it was decided to withdraw the type from front-line service. At this point, the Air Staff made the ill-advised decision to transfer the surviving aircraft to training units, which inevitably resulted in further casualties.
Some Bothas were converted to target tugs and re-designated TT Mk.I.
The type was finally retired in September 1944. In total, 580 aircraft were built.
Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II [3]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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