The Blackburn B.26 Botha was a four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber.
It was produced by the British aviation company Blackburn Aircraft at its factories at Brough and Dumbarton.
The Botha was developed during the mid 1930s in response to Air Ministry Specification M.15/35 and was ordered straight off the drawing board alongside the competing Bristol Beaufort.
On 28 December 1938, the first production aircraft made the type’s maiden flight; almost exactly one year later, it enters service with the RAF.
During official evaluation testing of the Botha, stability issues were revealed, as well as the fact that it was underpowered.
It was only briefly used in frontline operations before being withdrawn to secondary roles during 1941.
It continued to be flown in secondary roles, largely being used for training and as a target tug, before the Botha was fully withdrawn during September 1944.
435.75 imp gal (523 US gal; 1,981 l) normal fuel in 3 wing tanks and a distributor/collector tank, with 565.75 imp gal (679 US gal; 2,572 l) available for special operations.
Powerplant
2 × Bristol Perseus XA 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 930 hp (690 kW) each
Propellers
3-bladed de Havilland Hydromatic Type 5/11 constant-speed propellers
Performance
Maximum speed
209 mph (336 km/h, 182 kn) at sea level
220 mph (191 kn; 354 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m)
Cruise speed
212 mph (341 km/h, 184 kn)
Stall speed
75 mph (121 km/h, 65 kn) with flaps and undercarriage down
