1st Flight 1938
The Blackburn B.26 Botha was a British four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber.
It was built by Blackburn Aircraft at its factories at Brough and Dumbarton, as a competitor to the Bristol Beaufort, entering service with the RAF in 1939.
The design was underpowered and it was quickly withdrawn from operations.
Variants
Botha Mk I : Four-seat reconnaissance, torpedo bomber aircraft.
Botha TT Mk I : Target tug aircraft.
Specifications
Crew: 4
Length: 51 ft 0.5 in (15.558 m)
Wingspan: 59 ft 0 in (17.98 m)
Height: 14 ft 7.5 in (4.458 m)
Wing area: 518 sq ft (48.1 m2)
Empty weight: 12,036 lb (5,459 kg)
Gross weight: 18,450 lb (8,369 kg)
Fuel capacity: 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
Range: 1,270 mi (2,040 km, 1,100 nmi)
Service ceiling: 18,400 ft (5,600 m)
Absolute ceiling: 19,700 ft (6,005 m)
Rate of climb: 985 ft/min (5.00 m/s) initial
355 ft/min (1.80 m/s) at 15,000 ft (4,572 m)
Armament
Guns: 3 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns (one fixed forward-firing, two in dorsal turret)
Bombs: internal torpedo, depth charges or bombs up to 2,000 lb (907 kg).
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