Blackburn Ripon

infobox Aircraft
name =Ripon
type =Torpedo bomber
manufacturer =Blackburn Aircraft



caption =
designer =
first flight =17 April 1926
introduced =
retired =1944, Finland
status =
primary user =Fleet Air Arm
more users =Finnish Air Force
produced =
number built =92
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =Blackburn Baffin

The Blackburn 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.

Development

The Blackburn Ripon was designed to replace the single seat Blackburn Dart torpedo bomber. In accordance with Air Ministry Specification 21/23, it was also required to be able 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 types were manufactured by Blackburn for use by the Fleet Air Arm. The Blackburn Baffin was a development of the Ripon, which replaced it in service with the Fleet Air Arm, with 68 Ripons converted to Baffins.

ervice

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 re-organised 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, engines, with the pattern aircraft having a 530 hp Bristol Jupiter VII, the next seven having 480 hp Gnome Rhone Jupiter VI, followed by eight with 535 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther engines and the final ten with 580 hp Bristol Pegasus engines cite book |last= Green|first=William |title=Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume 7, Bombers and Reconnaissance Aircraft |year=1967 |publisher=Macdonald |location=London |isbn= ] . 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.

One Ripon coded RI-140 was stored and has been reassembled and put on display in the Päijänne Tavastia Aviation Museum recently.cite web
url= http://www.virtualpilots.fi/feature/photoreports/ripon/
title= Ripon esille Vesivehmaalla
accessdate= 2008-03-22
last= Kauppinen
first= Jukka O.
coauthors= Riihelä, Hannu
date= 2006-05-25
publisher= Virtuaalilentäjät – Virtual Pilots ry
language= fi] It is the only preserved example.

Variants

* 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.

Operators

; flag|United Kingdom
* Royal Navy
* Fleet Air Arm.; flag|Finland
* Finnish Air Force.

pecifications (Ripon IIC)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The British BomberCite book
author=Mason, Francis K
authorlink =
|title=The British Bomber since 1914
publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books
year=1994
id= ISBN 0 85177 861 5.
crew=2
capacity=
length main= 36 ft 9 in
length alt= 11.20 m
span main= 44 ft 10 in
span alt= 13.67 m
more span=17 ft 10 in folded
height main= 12 ft 10 in
height alt= 3.91m
area main= 683 ft²
area alt= 63 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4,132lb
empty weight alt= 1,878 kg
loaded weight main= 7,282 lb
loaded weight alt= 3,310 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)= Napier Lion X, XI or XIA
type of prop= 12 cylinder broad arrow piston engine
number of props=1
power main= 570 hp
power alt= 425 kW
power original=
max speed main= 96 knots
max speed alt= 111 mph, 179 km/h
more max speed= at sea level
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 356 nm
range alt= 410 mi, 660 km
ceiling main= 10,000 ft
ceiling alt= 3,050 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=*climb to 6,500 ft: 15 min 30 sec

armament=
* 1 fixed, forward firing Vickers gun (not Mk II) and one Lewis gun in rear cockpit."Either"

* One 18 in torpedo"or"

* up to three 530 lb or six 230 lb bombs.

avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*Blackburn Baffin

similar aircraft=

sequence=
F.2 Lincock - B-3 - T.8/B-5 Baffin - T.9/B-6 Shark - B-7 - B-24 Skua

lists=

see also=

References