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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 2619.PDF
DECEMBER 17TH, 1942 b IEIR CHARACTERISTICS f~ BLACKBURN BOTHA (No performance figures released) ANGULAR TAIL-PLANE DIMENSIONS Span Length Height Wing area OF BOTHA .. 59ft. Oin. .. Sift. I$in. .. 14ft. 7iin. .. 515 sq.ft. TAPER BROAD, RECTANGULAR CENTRE SECTION V DESIGNED to the same specification as the Bristol Beaufort, the Blackburn Botha was introduced early in 1941 as a torpedo-bomber and reconnaissance air craft, its prototype having first flown shortly before the outbreak of the present war. It had an extremely short operational career, however, and although a few squadrons of Coastal Command were equipped with this aircraft, it was only a matter of weeks before it was withdrawn as unsuitable for operational duties and was transferred by the Air Ministry to Training Com mand, with whom it is still in service. Target-towing is among its present duties. In 1939 the Botha was demonstrated to Members of Par liament at Northolt, together with certain other then secret types, and was afterwards ordered by the Government in quantity. Powered by two Bristol Perseus Xa air-cooled, radial sleeve-valve engines each of 930 h.p. (level maximum power), the Botha has an unusual feature in the tubular structure employed in the wings which makes possible a method of external riveting developed by Blackburn, a special type of riveting dollv being used. Its high-wing layout makes it particularly suitable for reconnaissance duties, but other and more important considerations ruled it out for active service operational work, and thosj squad rons which received the first production Bothas were soon re-equipped with Beauforts or Hudsons. The wings, which have a wide, fiat centre-section, rec tangular in plan and of constant thickness, taper somewhat abruptly on their outer panels to rounded tips, most of the taper being on the trailing-edge. There is also a fairly pronounced dihedral angle from the engine nacelles. The fuselage is all-metal monocoque, and the whole, except for fabric-covered control surfaces, is covered by a flush-riveted stressed skin. Hydraulically operated, split trailing-edge flaps are fitted, and the ailerons, rudder and elevators are aerodynamically balanced. Full details of the armament are not released, nor any concerning the machine's performance, but it is known that the dorsal turret amidships houses twin machine guns and that there is provision in the belly of the fuselage for torpedo stowage or the equivalent weight in bombs. A number of these aircraft are doing useful work in the training of air crews for Coastal Command.
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