Blackburn B-6 Shark

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

Contents

Type Description

• B-6 / T.9
• Private venture three seat torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft to Specification S.15/33 to meet the requirements of OR.10. A large two-bay biplane of unequal span, it featured N-type interplane struts that were canted markedly outboard and were separated by a diagonal compression struts. This design eliminated most bracing wires, allowing the wings to be folded, with the full underwing bomb load still in place. The wing construction comprised of stainless steel tubular spars supplied by Boulton Paul, the upper set having tubular booms and plate webs, the lower a figure 8 section. Ribs were duralumin, and all mainplanes were fabric covered. Ailerons were provided on all four wings and could be collectively lowered to act as camber-changing flaps. The wings were fitted with Handley Page slats. The construction of the tailplane was the same as the mainplanes, except the fin was Alclad -plated, The all-metal fuselage incorporated two integral watertight compartments to aid floatation in the event of a forced landing at sea as featured in the earlier Blackburn M.1/30A. The pilot was located in the forward cockpit, with the observer/wireless operator and gunner sharing the second cockpit. Armament consisted of one fixed, forward-firing .303 in Vickers machine gun, plus a .303 in Vickers K machine gun or Lewis Gun mounted on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit, with provision for a 1,500 lb torpedo or equivalent bombload carried externally. One 700 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IV powerplant.

• B-6 / T.9 Shark Mk.I
• Production version to meet the requirements of Specification S.12/34, differing mainly in having a long-chord cowling.

• B-6 / T.9A Shark Mk.II
• T.9 with improved airframe to meet the requirements of Specification 13/35. One 760 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI powerplant.

• B-6/T.9A Shark Mk.IIA
• Mk.II for the Portuguese Navy with bomb racks to carry four x 112 lb bombs, two x 230 lb bombs or one x 550 lb bomb, held under each wing, and metric instruments. Three of these aircraft were alternatively equipped to carry a torpedo, whilst the other three had a large, under-fuselage fuel tank between the undercarriage legs. One 700 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VIC powerplant.

• B-6/T.9B Shark Mk.III
• As Mk.II with glazed cockpit, open at the rear for the gunner, to meet the requirements of Specification 19/36. One 800 h.p. Bristol Pegasus III (FAA) or 840 h.p. Pegasus IX (Canada) powerplant driving a a three-bladed propeller.

• B-7
• Three seat general purpose biplane derivative of the B-6 to meet the requirements of Specification G.4/31. Essentially a land-based Shark with no wing fold or arrestor hook; another significant difference was that wing area was increased to enhance the load carrying performance by increasing the chord. One 700 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IV powerplant.

Production Tables Index

B-6 Shark
B-7

Notes

1. Blackburn used a series of Works Order Numbers rather than Constructors Numbers to identify individual airframes, but referred to here as C/n's for consistency.
2. Late prduction Shark IIIs were built at Blackburn's factory at Dumbarton, Scotland.
3. K4364 retained by Blackburn until January 1936 for trials with the Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI powerplant used on the Mk.II, possibly against Contract 387355/35.

Production References

1. Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1968 and 1989)
2. Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, Units and Ships, 1920 to 1939 Ray Sturtivant with Dick Cronin (Air Britain Publications, 1998)
3. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-85)
4. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC78-8-3)