Blackburn T.5 Ripon and T.8 Baffin
For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.
Type Description and Production Data
| T.5 Ripon | T.8 Baffin |
T.5 Ripon Variants
T.5 Ripon I
Two seat carrier-based torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft to meet the requirements of Specification 21/23. A single-bay biplane with swept, staggered, equal-span wings, the inboard portion of the lower wing featured marked anhedral angle from the fuselage side down towards the main undercarriage mounting to provide clearance for an 18-inch torpedo while retaining a short undercarriage. It initially featured a coolant header tank sat on the extreme nose, on top of the engine, but on the second aircraft, this header tank was faired into the upper wing centre section in a much cleaner installation. Other changes introduced on the aircraft included a much neater set of engine cowlings and a raising of the top line of the rear fuselage to align with the tailplane. One 470 h.p. Napier Lion V powerplant.
T.5A Ripon II
Initial production version to meet the requirements of Specification 3/28, with a much cleaner engine cowling, made possible by revising the engine cooling system. This now featured two retractable radiators on the fuselage sides, just aft of the engine bay. A taller rudder of increased area and a modified undercarriage were also fitted. The standard fuel capacity was 145 gallons, carried in the centre fuselage, whilst for longer endurance missions an additional 120-gallon tank could be slung between the undercarriage legs and using the torpedo crutches. This then allowed for a maximum endurance of 14 hours. The rear gun mount for the observers .303 in Lewis machine gun (initially an exposed Scarff ring) was also lowered, allowing for the gun to be stowed in a slot in the upper rear fuselage when not required.One 570 h.p. Napier Lion XI powerplant.
T.5B Ripon IIA
As Ripon II with metal ribbed wings and smaller rudder to meet the requirements of Specification 2/29. It carried a forward-firing .303 in Vickers gun, as well as the defensive Lewis gun. It could also carry the Mk VIII or Mk X torpedo, or a 1,100 lb smoke canister. Another option was 6 x 250 lb or 3 x 550 lb bombs under wings and fuselage. One 570 h.p. Napier Lion XIA powerplant.
| T.5B Ripon IIA (Landplane) Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Range | Service Ceiling |
| 44 ft 10 in | 36 ft 9 in | 12 ft 10 in | 683 sq ft | 4255 lb | 7405 lb | 126 mph/ 109 kn | 1060 mi | 10000 ft | |
| 13.67 m | 11.2 m | 3.91 m | 63.45 m2 | 1930 kg | 3359 kg | 203 km/h | 1706 km | 3048 m | |
T.5B Ripon IIC
As Ripon IIA with all-metal wing with steel spars and duralumin ribs, to meet the requirements of Specification 13/31.
T.5D Ripon IIF
Two-seat reconnaissance for the Finnish Air Force. As Ripon IIA but with the Ripon II rudder. A variety of radial powerplants were fitted: the pattern aircraft had a 530 h.p. Bristol Jupiter VII, the next seven had 480 h.p. Gnome Rhone Jupiter VI, followed by eight with 535 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Panther engines and the final ten with 580 h.p. Bristol Pegasus engines.
T.5E Ripon III
All metal construction throughout with a completely redesigned fuselage, square wingtips and a new, rectangular topped rudder. 570 h.p. Napier Lion XIA powerplant.
T.5J Ripon V
As Ripon IIC; two development aircraft, one fitted with a 650 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger I, the second with a 545 h.p. Bristol Pegasus I.MS powerplant. These prototypes led to the Baffin.
Production Details - UK Built
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 2 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 528238/25. First flew April 1926. | ||||||
| N203 - N204 | Mk.I | 2 | ||||
| 1 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 801792/27. First flew 17 May 1927. | ||||||
| N231 | Mk.II | 1 | Conv. to Mk.IIC in May 1929 to Works Order 2339/1. | |||
| 8 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 833137/28. Delivered February 1929. | ||||||
| S1265 - S1271 | Mk.II | 7 | S1268, S1270 conv. to Mk.IIC in 1932. | |||
| S1272 | 1420/2 | Mk.III | 1 | |||
| 1 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, for the Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat). Delivered in September 1929. | ||||||
| RI-121 | Mk.IIF | 1 | ||||
| 13 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 897808/29. Delivered between November 1929 and February 1930. | ||||||
| S1357 - S1369 | 1850/1-1850/13 | Mk.II | 13 | S1366 (Works Order 4804/4), S1368, S1369 conv. to Mk.IIC in 1933. | ||
| 9 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 897808/29. Delivered between July and September 1930. | ||||||
| S1424 - S1432 | 2690/1-2690/9 | Mk.IIA | 9 | S1428, S1431 conv. to Mk.IIC in 1932/33 | ||
| 31 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to Contract 38676/30. Delivered between November 1930 and July 1931. | ||||||
| S1465 - S1467 | 3130/1-3130/3 | Mk.IIA | 3 | |||
| S1468 | 3130/4 | Mk.IIC | 1 | Initially produced as floatplane, conv. to landplane. | ||
| S1469 - S1473 | 3130/5-3130/9 | Mk.IIA | 5 | S1469, S1470 conv. to Mk.IIC (1932?) | ||
| S1553 - S1574 | 3320/1-3320/9 3330/1-3330/6 3340/1-3340/7 |
22 | S1553, S1557 (Works Order 3971/1), S1559, S1562, S1567 conv. to Mk.IIC in 1932/33. | |||
| 26 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 106668/31. Delivered between October 1931 and April 1932. | ||||||
| S1649 - S1674 | 3810/1-3810/21, 4060/1, 3810/22, 4060/2-4060/4 |
Mk.IIC | 26 | |||
| 2 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, as a Private Venture. First flew September 1932. | ||||||
| B-4, B-5 | Mk.V | 2 | ||||
| 4 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 170234/32. Delivered between January and February 1933. | ||||||
| K2884 - K2887 | 4570/1-4570/4 | Mk.IIC | 4 | All converted to Baffin under Contract 217288/32 Requisition 32/32 before issue to service. | ||
| Total Production | 97 | |||||
Production Details - Non UK Built
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 15 aircraft ordered from the Finnish National Aircraft Factory (Valtion Lentokonetehdas) for the Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat). Delivered between February 1931 and February 1932. | ||||||
| RI-129 - RI-135 | I/1-I/7 | Mk.IIF | 7 | |||
| RI-136 - RI-143 | II/8-II/15 | 8 | ||||
| 10 aircraft ordered from the Finnish National Aircraft Factory (Valtion Lentokonetehdas) for the Finnish Air Force (Ilmavoimat). Delivered between June and October 1934. | ||||||
| RI-150 - RI-159 | II/16-II/25 | Mk.IIF | 10 | |||
| Total Production | 25 | |||||
T.8 Baffin Variants
T.8 Baffin
Based on the Ripon V to meet the requirements of Specification 4/33. One 565 h.p. Bristol Pegasus I.M3 powerplant.
T.8A Baffin
Modified T.8 Baffin to meet the requirements of Specification 17/34. One 580 h.p. Bristol Pegasus II.M3 powerplant.
| T.8 Baffin Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Endurance | Service Ceiling |
| 44 ft 10 in | 38 ft 4 in | 12 ft 10 in | 683 sq ft | 3184 lb | 7610 lb | 136 mph/ 118 kn | 4-1/2 hr | 15000 ft | |
| 13.67 m | 11.68 m | 3.91 m | 63.45 m2 | 1444 kg | 3452 kg | 219 km/h | 4572 m | ||
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 14 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 217288/32, Requisition 32/32. Delivered between November 1933 and January 1934. | ||||||
| K3546 - K3559 | 5120/1-5120/14 | T.8 | 14 | Originally laid down as Ripon Mk.IIC | ||
| 2 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 240982/33 (later 285466/33). Delivered April 1933. | ||||||
| K3589 - K3590 | 5568/1-5568/2 | T.8 | 2 | |||
| 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 277109/33, Requisition 73/33. Delivered between June and July 1934. | ||||||
| K4071 - K4080 | 5500/1-5500/10 | T.8 | 10 | |||
| 3 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, to Contract 324868/34, Requisition 4/34. Delivered between May and June 1935. | ||||||
| K4776 - K4778 | 5830/1-5830/3 | T.8A | 3 | |||
| Total Production | 29 | |||||
T.8 Baffin Converted From Ripon Mk.II / IIA / IIC
| Serial Range |
| Aircraft converted by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, in 1933/34 |
| S1266, S1268, S1269, S1358, S1359, S1364, S1366, S1368, S1425, S1426, S1430 - S1432, S1468, S1470, S1473, S1553 - S1559, |
| S1561 - S1564, S1566 - S1574, S1649 - S1666, S1668 - S1672, S1674 |
| K2884 - K2887 |
| Total Conversions (64) |
Projected Variants
- T.5C
- Ripon project for Spain with Napier Lion or Bristol Jupiter powerplant.
- T.5F
- Ripon with Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar Major powerplant.
- T.5G
- Ripon IV long range bomber.
- T.5H
- Ripon V torpedo bomber.
Production Summary
Ripon - All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Blackburn | FNA | Total | |
| Built New | Conv | Built New | ||
| T.5 Ripon I | 2 | 2 | ||
| T.5A Ripon II | 21 | 21 | ||
| T.5B Ripon IIA | 39 | 39 | ||
| T.5B Ripon IIC | 31 | (15) | 46 | |
| T.5D Ripon IIF | 1 | 25 | 26 | |
| T.5E Ripon III | 1 | 1 | ||
| T.5J Ripon V | 2 | 2 | ||
| 97 | (15) | 25 | ||
Baffin - All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Built New | Conv | Canc'd | Total |
| T.8 Baffin | 26 | (64) | 90 | |
| T.8A Baffin | 3 | 3 | ||
| 29 | (64) | 0 |
Notes
- Initially, Blackburn aircraft were built at the Olympia Works, Leeds, but erected and flown from Brough Aerodrome, East Yorkshire, but between 1928 and 1932 all manufacture was transferred to Brough.
Production References
- Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909,, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1989)
- Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships, 1920 to 1939 Ray Sturtivant with Dick Cronin (Air Britain Publications, 1998)
- Aeromilitaria, 2010/3 (Air-Britain Publications)
- RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC78-8-1)
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Improved Type Description and added Specification details
- Added Requisition Numbers to Baffins.