Blackburn Botha
| Blackburn B-26 Botha | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
|
|
| Type: | |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
December 28, 1938 |
| Commissioning: |
December 12, 1939 |
| Production time: |
1938-1942 |
| Number of pieces: |
580 |
The Blackburn B-26 Botha was a British military aircraft from the Second World War . It was developed on the same tender by the Air Ministry for a maritime scout and torpedo bomber as the Bristol Beaufort . Just like its competitor, the model had to contend with engine problems from the start ; In contrast to the Beaufort , however, these could not be resolved, which ultimately led to the aircraft being taken out of service.
development
Since the originally planned Bristol Taurus engines with 1146 hp were not available, the Perseus X engines from the same manufacturer with only 892 hp had to be installed in the first series machines . The first flight took place on December 28, 1938; after some changes it came into service on December 12, 1939.
The use of the model was a failure from the start - in addition to the problems with the engines, there were also inexplicable crashes. Even an increase in the performance of the Perseus engines to 944 hp could not make the model suitable for the front. Of the 580 copies delivered, 120 were lost in accidents; the aircraft has never seen a real combat mission.
The last Botha were handed over to the flight schools in 1942 at the latest , and the last aircraft were retired in 1944.
Production numbers
The Botha was built in Great Britain near Blackburn at the Brough and Dumbarton works.
| Brough | Dumbarton | total |
|---|---|---|
| 380 | 198 | 578 |
| year | number |
|---|---|
| 1939 | 18th |
| 1940 | 347 |
| 1941 | 162 |
| 1942 | 51 |
| total | 578 |
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 4th |
| length | 15.58 m |
| span | 17.98 m |
| height | 4.46 m |
| Wing area | 48.12 m² |
| Empty mass | 5366 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 8369 kg |
| drive | two radial engines Bristol Perseus XA each with 944 HP (694 kW) |
| Top speed | 401 km / h at an altitude of 1675 m |
| Service ceiling | 5335 m |
| Range | 2044 km |
| Armament | three 7.7 mm machine guns and a torpedo , bombs or depth charges up to 907 kg |
