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Blackburn Swift, Dart and Velos

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Produced Variants
T.1 Swift Mk.I Single seat carrier based torpedo bomber. One 450 h.p. Napier Lion IB powerplant.
T.1A Swift Mk.II As Mk.I with modified cowling and tail.
Swift F Mk.II as delivered to U.S. Navy for evaluation - would have been designated the BST-1 if ordered.
T.2 Dart
 		 Swift derivative to meet the requirements of Specification 3/20. One 450 h.p. Napier Lion IIB or (later aircraft) 465 h.p. Napier Lion V powerplant.
T.3 Velos
 		 Two seat Dart seaplane/landplane derivative to meet a Greek requirement for a coastal defence aircraft. One 465 h.p. Napier Lion V powerplant.
T.3A Velos Greek built variant featuring raised gunners position.
Projected Variants
T.2 DartFleet bombing landplane conversion of the T.2 to Specification 31/23.
T.1B Swift Mk.III Swift Amphibian with 400 h.p. Bristol Jupiter or 550 h.p. Packard powerplant.
Swift Mk.IV 3-seat fleet spotter. One 450 h.p. Napier Lion IB powerplant.
(none) Ten seat commercial aircraft. One 450 h.p. Napier Lion IB powerplant.
Swift M.1Night Mailplane. One 450 h.p. Napier Lion IB powerplant.

Production List Page Top

T.1 Swift
T.2 Dart
T.3 Velos

Serial Range C/n Type Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 1 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, as a Private Venture. First flew ? 1920 and purchased by the Air Ministry in January 1921.
 N139  6368  Mk.I  1      Civil regn G-EAVN ntu.
 2 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, for U.S. Navy trials. Delivered between June and August 1922.
 A-6056 - A-6057    F  2      
 2 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (大日本帝國海軍航空隊 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Kōkū-tai).
 Delivered in 1922.
 1 - 2    Mk.II  2      
 3 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, for the Spanish Navy (Aviación Naval Española). Delivered in August 1923.
 M-NTBA, 'TBB, 'TBC    Mk.II  3      
  Total Production 8      



T.2 Swift

Production List Top Page Top 

Aircraft Delivered As Military
Serial Range C/n Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 3 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 313746/20. Delivered between October 1921 and February 1922.
 N140 - N142    3      
 6 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 194764/21. Delivered between March and October 1922.
 N9536 - N9541    6      
 20 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 352621/22. Delivered between august 1922 and March 1923.
 N9542 - N9561    20      
 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 452228/23. Delivered in 1924.
 N9620 - N9629    10      
 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 466343/23. Delivered in 1924.
 N9687 - N9696    10      
 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 495127/24. Delivered in 1924.
 N9714 - N9723    10      
 32 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 508763/24. Delivered between 1924 and 1926.
 N9792 - N9823    32      
 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 558352/24. Delivered in 1926.
 N9990 - N9999    10      
 6 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 679206/26. Delivered in 1927.
 S1115 - S1120    6      
 10 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to contract 707151/26. Delivered in 1927.
 S1129 - S1138    10      
  Total Production 117      

Aircraft Delivered As Civil
C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 3 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds. Built between January and October 1925. (See note 2)
 8312/1  G-EBKF  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Converted to landplane 1929.
 8312/2  G-EBKG  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough.
 8312/4  G-EBKH  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Converted to landplane 1929.
Total Production   3



T.3 Velos

Production List Top Page Top 

Aircraft Delivered As Military
Serial Range C/n Type Batch Qty Conv. Canc'd Notes
 4 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire, to meet a Greek requirement. First flew in October 1925. 3 delivered, the fourth retained by Blackburn.
 (see civil registered aircraft).
 ??    T.3  3      
 12 aircraft ordered from Phaliron Aircraft Factory (Ergostasio Aeroplanwn Falhrou) for the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia).   First flew March 1926.
 T11 - T22    T.3A  12      T11 named 'Ελπίς' (Hope).
  Total Production 15      

Aircraft Delivered As Civil
C/n Initial
Registration		 Notes
 One aircraft taken from the Greek order in 1926 and retained by Blackburn for use in metal float development.
 9762/1  G-AAUM  Converted to a civil trainer in 1930 for use by the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd, when it acquired its civil registration.
 One aircraft built in 1926 for a South American sales tour.  
 9593/1  G-EBWB  Retained by Blackburn. Converted to a civil trainer in 1928, when it acquired its civil registration.
 4 aircraft built by The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Leeds, Yorkshire and completed as dual control seaplane trainers. Delivered in 1929.
 1440/1  G-AAAW  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Modified to landplane late in 1929.
 1440/2  G-AAAX  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Modified to landplane late in 1929.
 1440/3  G-AAAY  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Modified to landplane late in 1929.
 1440/4  G-AAAZ  To the North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough. Modified to landplane late in 1929.
Total Production   6



Production Summary

Page Top 
All Aircraft By Type and Mark All Aircraft By Type
Type Built New Conv. Canc'd Total Type Built New
 T.1 Swift Mk.I 1     1  Swift 8
 Swift F 2     2  Dart 120
 T.1A Swift Mk.II 5     5  Velos 21
 T.2 Dart 120     120   149
 T.3 Velos (British Prdn) 9     9
 T.3A Velos (Greek Prdn) 12     12
  149 0 0  

Notes
  1. The aircraft were built at the Olympia Works, Leeds, but erected and flown from Brough Aerodrome, East Yorkshire.
     
  2. Three aircraft converted on the production line as two seat training seaplanes for operation at the RAF Reserve School, Brough.

Production References
  1. Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1989)
  2. Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships, 1920 to 1939, Ray Sturtivant with Dick Cronin (Air Britain Publications, 1998)

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V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020