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Subject: Blackburn Ripon
Date: 14 Oct 2017 07:30:24 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackburn_Ripon
The Blackburn T.5 Ripon was a British carrier-based torpedo bomber and
reconnaissance biplane which first flew in 1926. It was used by the Fleet Air
Arm as a torpedo bomber from 1930 until 1935. Ripons were also sold to Finland,
where they continued to be used in action in the Winter War and the Continuation
War until 1944.
The Blackburn Ripon was designed to replace the single-seat Dart torpedo bomber.
In accordance with Air Ministry Specification 21/23, it was also required to be
used for long-range reconnaissance, for which a two-man crew was demanded. The
first prototype flew on 17 April 1926 as a landplane, with the second prototype
following on 26 August first flying as a seaplane. Initial trials against its
competitors, the Handley Page Harrow and the Avro Buffalo, showed that none of
the competitors were adequate, so the Ripon was redesigned with an improved
engine installation, an enlarged rudder and increased sweepback on the wings.
Thus improved, the Ripon was declared the winner and ordered for service.
Four prototypes and 90 production aircraft were manufactured by Blackburn for
use by the Fleet Air Arm. The Baffin was a development of the Ripon, which
replaced it in service with the Fleet Air Arm, with 68 Ripons converted to
Baffins.
Role
Torpedo bomber
Manufacturer
Blackburn Aircraft
First flight
17 April 1926
Retired
1944, Finland
Primary users
Fleet Air Arm
Finnish Air Force
Number built
92
Variants
Blackburn Baffin
The Ripon entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1929, six joining No 462
(Fleet Torpedo Bomber) Flight aboard HMS Furious in January of that year. The
Ripon was normally used as a carrier-based landplane by the Fleet Air Arm, and
although capable of being converted to a seaplane, was rarely fitted with
floats. The Ripon continued in service with Torpedo Bomber flights until 1933,
when the Fleet Air Arm was reorganised into three larger squadrons, No. 810, No.
811 and No. 812. The last Ripons were retired from service in January 1935 when
811 Naval Air Squadron re-equipped with Blackburn Baffins.
The Blackburn Ripon was also ordered for use by the Finnish Air Force, with one
example for Finland being built by Blackburn, before 25 were produced under
licence at the Finnish Aircraft Factory. These were powered with a number of
different radial engines; the pattern aircraft had a 530 hp (400 kW) Bristol
Jupiter VII, the next seven had 480 hp (360 kW) Gnome Rhone Jupiter VI, followed
by eight with 535 hp (399 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther engines and the final
ten with 580 hp (430 kW) Bristol Pegasus engines. The Finnish Air Force used
Ripons as reconnaissance aircraft against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and
the Continuation War. After losing an aircraft to Soviet fighters in 1939, the
Ripon was limited to night missions. The last missions were flown in 1944.
Ripon I : Prototype. Two built.
Ripon II : Initial production - 20 built (Many converted to Mk IICs).
Ripon IIA : Metal-ribbed wings, with forward-firing machine gun added. - 40
produced.
Ripon IIC : All-metal wings - 30 produced.
Ripon III : Prototype with lengthened nose and new tail. One built.
Ripon IIF : Two-seat reconnaissance, torpedo-bomber aircraft for the Finnish Air
Force.
Specifications (Ripon IIC)
General characteristics
Crew: two
Length: 36 ft 9 in (11.20 m)
Wingspan: 44 ft 10 in (13.67 m)
Height: 12 ft 10 in (3.91 m)
Wing area: 683 ft2 (63,45 m2)
Empty weight: 4,132 lb (1,878 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,282 lb (3,310 kg)
570 hp (425 kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 96 kn (111 mph, 179 km/h)
Range: 356 nmi (410 mi, 660 km)
Service ceiling: 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
climb to 6,500 ft: 15 min 30 sec
Armament
lb (104 kg) bombs
*
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