Blackburn Shark

infobox Aircraft
name =Blackburn Shark
type =torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft
manufacturer =Blackburn Aircraft



caption =RCAF Blackburn Shark Mk II
designer =
first flight =24 August 1933
introduced =1934
retired =1945
status =
primary user =Fleet Air Arm
more users =RCAF
produced =1937-1939
number built = 269
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =The Blackburn Shark was a British carrier-borne torpedo bomber built by the Blackburn Aircraft company in England. It first flew on 24 August 1933 and went into service with the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force, Portuguese Navy, and the British Air Observers' School, but was already obsolescent in 1937 and in the following year, replacement by the Fairey Swordfish began.

Design and development

The Blackburn Shark was designed and built, initially as a private venture, to Air Ministry Specification S.15/33 for a torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm. It had a crew of three, with observer/wireless operator and gunner sharing the second cockpit (open on Mks I and II, enclosed on Mk III). Armament comprised one fixed forward-firing 0.303 in (7.7-mm) Vickers machine gun plus a ring-mounted Vickers K machine gun in the rear cockpit, plus provision for a convert|1500|lb|abbr=on torpedo or equivalent bomb-load externally. The Blackburn "B-6" prototype with a convert|700|hp|abbr=on Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IV was flown at Brough on 24 August 1933. [ Taylor 1969, p. 322. ] The aircraft subsequently began Naval aviation tests at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), RAF Martlesham Heath on 26 November 1933.

The following year, deck landing trails on the HMS "Courageous" proved successful with Blackburn winning an order from the Fleet Air Arm in August 1934, to contract No 334315/34 and the new Specification 13/35. I, and further contract No 510994/35 to Specification 19/36 issued in January 1937. The prototype was subsequently fitted with twin floats and was test flown at Brough in April 1935 with successful sea trials taking place at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment Felixstowe. More contracts followed, and during the three years of production 238 Sharks were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm, comprising 16 Mk I (Tiger IV), 126 Mk II (760 hp Tiger VI) and 95 Mk III (760 hp Tiger VI). Thetford 1978, p.55.]

Operational history

The Shark entered service with 820 Naval Air Squadron in May 1935, replacing Fairey Seals, equipping a further two squadrons (810 and 821) in 1936. Front line service was short lived, the type being replaced by the Fairey Swordfish in 1937. Mason 1994, p.243.]

At least 22 Mk Us and IIIs (all brought up to Mk III standard) were converted 1937/38 as target tugs and operated in this role and for training and communications until 1942. Blackburn Sharks based in RAF Seletar as target tugs operated against Japanese invaders over Malaya in January 1942.

Canadian Sharks

The RCAF purchased seven Blackburn Shark II (760 hp Tiger VI) in 1936 for service with No 6 (TB) Squadron, later operating as No 6 (BR) Sqn on shipping patrols off the Canadian west coast. Two Blackburn Shark IIIs (800 hp Pegasus III) were supplied to RCAF by Blackburn in 1939 as forerunners of 17 similar aircraft built by Boeing Aircraft of Canada at Vancouver, with convert|840|hp|abbr=on Pegasus IX and used by Nos 6 and 4 (BR) Squadrons. RCAF Blackburn Sharks, some of which operated as floatplanes, were withdrawn from service in August 1944 and five were then transferred to the RN Air Observers' School in Trinidad.

Variants

* B-3 : Torpedo-bomber prototype.
* B-6 : Shark prototype.
* Shark Mk I : Two or three-seat torpedo-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy. Powered by a 700-hp (522-kW) Armstrong-Siddeley Tiger IV radial piston engine.
* Shark Mk II : Two or three-seat torpedo-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy and RCAF. Powered by a 760 hp (567-kW) Armstrong-Siddeley Tiger VI radial piston engine.
* Shark Mk IIA : Two or three-seat torpedo-bomber, reconnaissance floatplanes for the Portuguese Navy. Powered by a 760-hp (567-kW) Armstrong-Siddeley Tiger VIC radial piston engine. Six built.
* Shark Mk III : Two or three-seat torpedo-bomber, reconnaissance aircraft for the Royal Navy. Fitted with a glazed canopy. Powered by a 800-hp (597-kW) Bristol Pegasus III radial piston engine.

Operators

;flag|Canada|1921
* Royal Canadian Air Force;POR
* Portuguese Navy - Six aircraft;UK
* Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
* Royal Air Force

pecifications (Shark Mark II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=The British Bomber since 1914 Mason 1994, p.242.
crew=3
capacity=
length main= 35 ft 3 in
length alt= 10.75 m
span main= 46 ft
span alt= 14.02 m
height main= 12 ft 1 in
height alt= 3.68 m
area main= 489 ft²
area alt= 45 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 4,039 lb
empty weight alt= 1,836 kg
loaded weight main= 8,111 lb
loaded weight alt= 3,687 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI
type of prop= 14 cylinder radial
number of props= 1
power main= 760 hp
power alt= 567 kW
power original=
max speed main= 130 kn
max speed alt= 150 mph, 242 km/h
cruise speed main= 103 kn
cruise speed alt= 118 mph, 190 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 543 Nmi
range alt= 625 mi, 1,006 km
ceiling main= 15,600 ft
ceiling alt= 4,760 m
climb rate main= 895 ft/min
climb rate alt= 4.55 m/s
loading main= 16.6 lb/ft²
loading alt= 81.9 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.0937 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 154 W/kg
more performance=*Climb to convert|6500|ft|m|abbr=on: 7 min 6 sec

*Endurance 4.9 hours
guns= One fixed forward firing 0.303 in Vickers gun and one flexible 0.303 in Vickers K gun.
bombs= One 1,800 lb convert|18|in|mm|sing=on torpedo "or" convert|1600|lb|abbr=on bombs.
avionics=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Mason, Francis K. "The British Bomber since 1914". London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
* Taylor, John W.R. "Blackburn Shark." "Combat Aircraft of the World from 1909 to the present". New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-425-03633-2.
* Thetford, Owen. "British Naval Aircraft Since 1912, ". London: Putnam, Fourth Edition, 1978. ISBN 0-370-30021-1.
* Vincent, Carl. "The Blackburn Shark (Canada's Wings Vol. 1)". Stittsville, Ontario: Canada's Wings, 1974.

ee also

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