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Blackburn Roc (B-25)

1939 WORLD WAR 2

Blackburn Rock (B-25) History

Derived from the 1938 Blackburn B-24 Skua (details elsewhere on this page), the Blackburn B-25 Roc was a direct derivative developed as a Navy "turret fighter". As its classification suggests, the aircraft is equipped with a fully powered (single seat) turret with a row of machine guns capable of engaging enemy fighters, similar in form and function to the classic and better remembered No.

Two Worlds' Bolton Paul "Revolt" Platform War (1939-1945). The Dapeng was introduced in 1939, and only 136 were produced, as the design proved to be as limited as the original.

In late December 1935, the Air Department published Specification O.30/35, covering a new single-engine, two-seat naval fighter with a turret in the dorsal position to equip the Royal Navy's fleet Air Force (FAA). Blackburn Aircraft is already working on their state-of-the-art design for the land-based B-24 ("Skua"), which would have a monoplane, traditional tail and towed landing gear, and would have a crew of two Tandem under the included canopy accessory. To speed up a possible contender for the O. 35/35 specification, Blackburn Aircraft provided the Skua as the basic form of the new turret fighter, and the Air Force recognized its potential and commissioned two prototypes.

This design would compete with Bolton Paul's own "P. 85", a navalized variant of his land-based Defiant.

The new Blackburn aircraft was named "B-25" and eventually named "Dapeng" after a mysterious bird, as traditional as the original design. The engine is placed in the nose, the two crew members pass through the middle and stern, there is a vertical plane. The main wing aircraft is low and slightly forward amidships. The landing gear shares the same rear tug arrangement and can be retracted into the design. Major changes to the Navy aircraft include strengthening various members and folding wings to better handle carrier-based operations and storage.

All-metal construction was used with an enclosed cockpit, retractable landing gear, and monoplane wingsall considered distinctive features of modern aircraft at the time.

A Bristol Perseus air-cooled radial piston engine was chosen to power this type of engine, and a three-bladed propeller unit was mounted on the nose in a "puller" arrangement.

The

turret is the heart and soul of this new fighter, the same powered model as the Boulton Paul Defiant series - a component built by Boulton Paul himself. This weapon system carries 4 x .303 caliber medium machine guns and provides a good "hit" against modern aircraft. As a traversable unit, the gunner can fire with all four guns on either side of the aircraft - an excellent feature for fighter jets to practice weapons against unsuspecting foes.

Additionally, the Roc retains the ability of the Skuas dive bombs, can be equipped with 2 x 250 lb conventional drop bombs, and relies on the dive brake to delay their descent during offensive operations.

Due to the need for modern aircraft, the Air Force moved forward with this potential Blackburn bid and placed an order for 136. However, Blackburn's continued commitment led to rival Bolton Paul being hired to make Dapeng. This led to the first flight of the prototype on December 23, 1938, which showed good control, but the airframe was underpowered, as the plane could only reach a top speed of nearly 220 mph.

This poor early performance quickly derailed the Dapeng plan, but the planes on order were allowed to complete so as not to disrupt the production line.

The 800th and 803rd Squadrons of the Fleet Aviation (FAA) were the first ROC squadrons in late 1939. Actually, the series wasn't very popular with the crew, who generally preferred the slightly better Skua. However, the Republic of China was available and needed all types of aircraft against the Axis powers, so the series went to war and took part in Norway's campaign against the Germans in April-June 1940. Despite its poor performance, Dapeng was deployed in an air defense role against more nimble enemy combat platforms, and naturally suffered heavy losses.

During the Dunkirk evacuation, the Rocks provided limited air support to the retreating Allied forces, who attempted to leave France to ensure the relative safety of Britain. They tended to perform better as dive bombers, and in that regard they were also used against German targets in and around France and Belgium as they were involved in the war.

Dapeng's usefulness in combat was all but exhausted, ending their days as target tugboats and search and rescue (SAR) platforms. The line continued until the end of 1944 before it was finally abandoned.

A total of 27 Fleet Aviation Squadrons with Blackburn Roc and three Royal Air Force squadrons followed.

When completed, the aircraft will have an overall length of 35.6 feet, a wingspan of 46 feet, and a height of 12 feet. The kerb weight is 6,120 pounds and the MTOW is 8,000 pounds.

Power comes from an 890-horsepower Bristol Perseus XII air-cooled radial-piston engine that propels the plane to 223 mph (cruising speed is typically closer to 135 mph). Service is capped at 18,000 feet with a climb rate of 1,500 feet per minute. The range is 810 miles.

One notable variant planned for the Roc series is a seaplane derivative with the base design removed from the landing gear and instead fitted with water walking buoys and associated equipment. A prototype of this form has been completed.

This design is also underpowered and didn't perform well in testing. A prototype crashed in December 1939, forcing modifications, but the whole idea was ultimately abandoned.