Blackburn Roc

Infobox Aircraft
name=B-25 Roc
type=Carrier-based fighter
manufacturer=Boulton Paul


caption=Roc Mk.I L3154, 805 sqn., RNAS Donibristle, 1940
designer=Blackburn Aircraft
first flight=23 December 1938
introduced=April 1939
retired=1943
status=
primary user=Fleet Air Arm
more users=
produced=
number built=136
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=Blackburn SkuaThe Blackburn B-25 Roc was a British Second World War-era Fleet Air Arm fighter aircraft designed by Blackburn Aircraft Ltd. It took its name from the mythical bird of the tales of the Arabian Nights, the Roc.

Design and development

The Roc was originally to have been fitted with floats, and four float plane prototypes were built. The first crashed but modifications made the remaining three flyable, although the concept was not pursued. First flying on 23 December 1938, the Roc's service life was brief, as the aircraft's design was quickly rendered obsolete.

The Roc was a "fighter" development of the Blackburn Skua dive bomber using the same turret fighter concept as the Boulton Paul Defiant in that its sole armament was four 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns in a powered dorsal turret. The reduced firepower (compared to land based fighters such as the Hawker Hurricane) was offset by the ability to direct it in any direction. In practice the weight of the turret made the Roc even slower than the already slow – for fighter purposes – Skua, and the Roc eventually found its niche as a dive bomber.

While Blackburn designed the Roc, detail work and all 136 production aircraft were built by Boulton Paul in Wolverhampton alongside the Defiant, although the two aircraft were different and required separate production lines they did use the same Boulton Paul turret.

Operational history

Although intended for carrier use, Rocs only served alongside Skuas in two land-based squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm between February 1940 and August 1941. During the Allied campaign in Norway a small contingent of Rocs travelled with 800 and 803 squadrons on board the HMS "Ark Royal".

Finally the Roc was relegated to training and target-towing roles until 1943 when the type was withdrawn from service. However, until late 1944, four non-airworthy Rocs were stationed at HMS Daedalus in Gosport, their turrets being used for anti-aircraft defence. Fact|date=July 2008

Operators

;UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 2 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit, RAF
** No. 24 Squadron RAF
** 241 Squadron RAF
* Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
** 725 Naval Air Squadron
** 758 Naval Air Squadron
** 759 Naval Air Squadron
** 760 Naval Air Squadron
** 765 Naval Air Squadron
** 769 Naval Air Squadron
** 770 Naval Air Squadron
** 771 Naval Air Squadron
** 772 Naval Air Squadron
** 773 Naval Air Squadron
** 774 Naval Air Squadron
** 775 Naval Air Squadron
** 776 Naval Air Squadron
** 777 Naval Air Squadron
** 778 Naval Air Squadron
** 782 Naval Air Squadron
** 787 Naval Air Squadron
** 789 Naval Air Squadron
** 791 Naval Air Squadron
** 792 Naval Air Squadron
** 793 Naval Air Squadron
** 794 Naval Air Squadron
** 800 Naval Air Squadron
** 801 Naval Air Squadron
** 803 Naval Air Squadron
** 805 Naval Air Squadron
** 806 Naval Air Squadron

pecifications

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=British Aircraft Directory "Blackburn Roc". British Aircraft Directory, 20 July 2003. [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=302 Blackburn Roc] Access date: 19 August 2006.]
crew=2
length main=35 ft 7 in
length alt=10.85 m
span main=46 ft
span alt=14.02 m
height main=12 ft 1 in
height alt=3.68 m
area main=310 ft²
area alt=29 m²
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=8,800 lb
loaded weight alt=4,000 kg
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
engine (prop)=Bristol Perseus XII
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main=900 hp
power alt=670 kW
max speed main=170 knots
max speed alt=196 mph, 315 km/h
range main=530 nm
range alt=610 mi, 980 km
ceiling main=15,200 ft
ceiling alt=4,630 m
climb rate main=1,500 ft/min
climb rate alt=7.6 m/s
loading main=28 lb/ft²
loading alt=140 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.10 hp/lb
power/mass alt=170 W/kg
guns=4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in power operated dorsal turret
bombs=8 × 30 lb (14 kg) bombs

ee also

aircontent
related=
* Blackburn Skua
similar aircraft=
* Boulton Paul Defiant
* Hawker Hotspur
lists=
* List of aircraft of the RAF
* List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
* List of fighter aircraft

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Brew, Alec. "The Turret Fighters: Defiant and Roc". Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2002. ISBN 1-86126-497-6.
* Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; William Green and Gordon Swanborough. "Blackburn Skua and Roc." "Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two". London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, pp. 29–40. ISBN 0-7106-0002-X.
* Mondey, David. "The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II". London: Chancellor Press, 1994. ISBN 1-85152-668-4.
* Willis, Matthew. "Blackburn Skua and Roc". Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. ISBN 83-8945-044-5.

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=302 Blackburn Roc]
* [http://freespace.virgin.net/john.dell/blackburn_roc.htm Dinger's Aviation Pages: Blackburn Roc]
* [http://www.rcaf.com/aircraft/fighters/roc/index.php?name=Blackburn%20Roc RCAF.com: The Aircraft:Blackburn Roc]