Blackburn T.4 Cubaroo

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Contents

Type Description

• T.4 Cubaroo
• Four-seat biplane long distance coastal defence aircraft to meet the requirements of DofR Type 9 Specification (later Air Ministry Specification 8/21, superceded by 16/22). The aircraft had a mainly fabric covered steel tube structure, with a deep fuselage to accommodate the Cub engine and was fitted with folding, two-bay wings. To carry the torpedo, the Cubaroo was fitted with a main undercarriage comprising two sets of two wheels, with the torpedo being carried on a crutch between them. The forward section of the fuselage was of trapezoidal section, while over the rear portion a triangular cross-section was employed. The pilot and navigator sat in a side-by-side open cockpit, immediately ahead of the upper wing leading edge and directly above the rear of the large engine. There was an enclosed cabin under the centre-section with a chart table, wireless equipment and a bomb aiming window. It also contained accommodation for a gunner / bomb-aimer and one further gunner. Rearward-firing gun positions were provided at the lower wing roots together with an elevated position equipped with a gun ring that allowed a wide field of fire to the rear. The tail was a biplane with balanced elevators and triple rudders and fins. One 1000 h.p. Napier Cub powerplant driving a 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller.

Projected Variants

• T.4A Cubaroo II
• Cubaroo fitted with Two 650 h.p. Rolls-Royce Condor IV powerplants at mid gap between the wings.

• T.4B Cubaroo III
• As Cubaroo II fitted with Two 650 h.p. Rolls-Royce Condor III powerplants.

• T.4C Cubaroo IV
• As Cubaroo II with powerplants moved to lower wing.

Production Details

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. All aircraft were built at the Olympia Works, Leeds, but erected and flown from Brough Aerodrome, East Yorkshire.

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)