Blackburn Roc

B-25 Roc
Roc Mk.I L3154, 805 sqn., RNAS Donibristle, 1940
Role	Carrier-based fighter
Manufacturer	Boulton Paul
Designed by	Blackburn Aircraft
First flight	23 December 1938
Introduced	April 1939
Retired	1943
Primary user	Fleet Air Arm
Number built	136
Variants	Blackburn Skua

The 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.

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Operators 4 Specifications

Design and development

The Roc was originally to have been fitted with floats, and four floatplane prototypes were built. The first crashed, but modifications made the remaining three flyable, although the concept was not pursued. The first flight by a Roc was on 23 December 1938,^[1] however the type quickly became obsolete and enjoyed only a brief service life.
The Roc was a "fighter" development of the Skua dive bomber using the same turret fighter concept as the Boulton Paul Defiant in that its sole armament was four .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning 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 it was suggested by the Air Council, even before production started, that it might be better used as an advanced trainer. The Roc eventually found its niche as a dive bomber.^[2]
While Blackburn designed the Roc, detail work and all 136 production aircraft were built by Boulton Paul in Wolverhampton alongside the Defiant, and although the two aircraft were different and required separate production lines, they did use the same Boulton Paul turret.

Operational history

A Roc in flight.

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 onboard HMS Ark Royal. Skuas and Rocs flew both fighter sweeps and bombing sorties over the English Channel during Operation Dynamo, and Operation Ariel, the evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk and other French ports.^[3]
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.^[2]
What was probably the Roc's sole confirmed victory occurred on 28 May 1940 when an 806 Naval Air Squadron Roc flown by pilot Mid A. G. Day, together with two Blackburn Skuas, intercepted five Junkers Ju 88s which were attacking a convoy off Ostende in Belgium. Flying underneath the Junkers while the Skuas attacked from above, Mid Day's Roc destroyed one Ju 88 before returning safely to Detling.^[4]

Operators

 United Kingdom

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

Specifications

Data from British Naval Aircraft since 1912 ^[5]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 35 ft 7 in (10.85 m)
• Wingspan: 46 ft (14.02 m)
• Height: 12 ft 1 in (3.68 m)
• Wing area: 310 ft² (28.8 m²)
• Empty weight: 6,121 lb (2,782 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,950 lb (3,614 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Bristol Perseus XII radial engine, 890 hp (664 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 194 kn (223 mph, 359 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
• Range: 704 nmi (810 mi, 1,304 km)
• Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
• Wing loading: 25.6 lb/ft² (125 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.18 kW/kg)

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in power operated dorsal turret
• Bombs: 8 × 30 lb (14 kg) bombs^[6]

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