Blackburn Velos

History of the Blackburn Velos

The Blackburn "Dart" was a British torpedo bomber biplane developed in 1922 after World War I. It was later adopted by the Greek Navy as the Blackburn T. 3 "Bikes." Blackburn Aircraft played a key role in establishing Greece's National Aircraft Factory (SAF), which began its origins during World War I but was formally established in 1925. The Dart's successor, the Blackburn Velos, served as a two-seat seaplane primarily tasked with defending Greece's coast and waterways. Only 22 Velos prototypes were built, with the last one retired in 1936.

The Velos featured a traditional biplane wing arrangement, an engine in the nose, and a circular vertical tail in the back. It could be configured as a seaplane or a land-based aircraft and had dimensions of 33.5 feet in length, a 48.5-foot wingspan, and a height of 12.2 feet. Powered by a Napier Lion engine producing 450 hp, it could reach a top speed of 110 mph, cruise at nearly 70 mph, and reach a service ceiling of 13,400 feet. The Velos had a mission duration of approximately 4.5 hours and a climb rate of 620 feet per minute.

Its armament included one torpedo or up to four 230 lb bombs, depending on the mission, as well as a rear-mounted machine gun for self-defense, a feature absent in the original Dart design. The first Velos aircraft were constructed in England before Greece took over production in 1926. These aircraft served in the Greek Navy until 1934, while the Blackburn Darts were retired globally by 1933. Blackburn attempted to improve the design with the "T. 3A" in 1927, but it found limited interest in foreign markets, with only two demonstration units built for seaplane training purposes.

Specification

Basics

Years of Service: 1926

Origins: Greece

Crew: 2

Production: 22

Manufacturer: Blackburn Aircraft - UK / State Aircraft Factory (SAF) - Greece

Operator: Greece

Roles

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

Special Mission: Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)

Can search, track and attack enemy underwater elements using special equipment and weapons on board.

Special Mission: Anti-ship

Equipped to find, track and engage enemy surface elements through visual acquisition, radar support, and shipborne weapons.

Nautical/navy

Water mobility capability for a variety of land-based or ship-based maritime missions, supported by Allied Naval Surface Forces.

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), reconnaissance

Monitor ground targets/target areas to assess surrounding threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Education (General)

Develop the ability to become a dedicated student pilot instructor (usually under the supervision of an instructor).

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 35.5 feet (10.82m)

Width/span: 48.5 feet (14.78m)

Height: 12. 3 feet (3.75m)

Cured weight: 3,781 lbs (1,715 kg)

MTOW: 6,393 lbs (2,900 kg)

Wgt Difference: +2,612 lbs (+1,185kg)

Performance

Installed: 1 x 450hp Napier Lion IIB inline piston engine driving a two-bladed propeller in the nose.

Maximum speed: 109 km/h (175 km/h | 94 knots)

Maximum: 14,108 feet (4,300 m | 3 km)

Area: 523 km (520 km | 963 nautical miles)

Rate of climb: 620 ft/min (189 m/min)

Weapon

Standard: 1 x .303" (7.7mm) Lewis machine gun mounted on a trainable mount in the rear cockpit.

Optional: 1 x 18" (457 mm) under-fuselage aerial torpedo or 4 x 230 lb conventionally dropped bombs under the wing.