Blackburn T.7
For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.
Contents
Type Description
- T.7B
- Three-seat biplane bomber/reconnaissance for Japanese Navy commissioned by Mitsubishi to enter a competition held by the Imperial Japanese Navy for a carrier-based reconnaissance and torpedo bomber to replace its B1M. Based on the Ripon, it was of steel tube construction and with high aspect ratio wings fitted with Handley Page slats. The three crew (for reconnaissance operations) sat in separate cockpits comprised of a pilot, a wireless operator / bomb-aimer and an observer / gunner. For torpedo operations, this was reduced to two crew, with the fuel load being limited to 100 gallons. In addition to the torpedo, armament also consisted of a fixed, forward-firing Vickers gun on the port side , with twin Lewis guns fired from the rear cockpit. An optional fourth gun could be carried, fired through an opening in the floor of the centre cockpit. With full fuel (and no torpedo), two 250 lb bombs could also be carried between the undercarriage legs. One 625 h.p. Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr powerplant.
Projected Variants
- T.7
- Large Ripon derivative with high aspect ratio, narrow gap mainplanes.
- T.7A
- T.7 variant for Spain.
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 1 aircraft ordered from The Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Co. Ltd, Brough, Yorkshire, by Mitsubishi of Japan. First flew on 28 December 1929 and shipped to Japan in January 1930. | |||||
| ??? | 1930/1 | 1 | |||
| Total Production | 1 | ||||
Foreign Derivatives
Mitsubishi Aircraft Company (Mitsubishi Kokuki Kabushiki Kaisa), Nagoya, Japan
- 3MR4
- Mitsubishi built prototypes, similar to the Blackburn T.7B. One 650 h.p. Mitsubishi Type Hi powerplant.
- B2M1
- Navy Type 89 Model 1; Imperial Japanese Navy designation of initial production version; as 3MR4 it featured a rounded fin and rudder shape and a retractable coolant radiator. Armed with one forward-firing Vickers gun, two rear Lewis guns in rear cockpit, optional gun below centre cockpit; 2 x 250 lb bombs.
- B2M2
- Navy Type 89 Model 2; improved production variant. It featured a triangular fin and rudder, a reduced wingspan and revised nose lines. It was armed with one fixed Vickers plus one Lewis gun and up to 1,764 lb bomb load.
| Mitsubishi B2M1 Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Range | Service Ceiling |
| 49 ft 11 in | 33 ft 8 in | 12 ft 2 in | 590 sq ft | 5886 lb | 7937 lb | 112 mph/ 97 kn | 132 mph/ 115 kn | 1100 mi | 14800 ft |
| 15.21 m | 10.26 m | 3.71 m | 54.81 m2 | 2670 kg | 3600 kg | 180 km/h | 212 km/h | 1770 km | 4511 m |
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 3 aircraft ordered from Mitsubishi Kokuki KK, Nagoya, for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (大日本帝國海軍航空隊 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Kōkū-tai). First flew 31 October 1930. | ||||||
| ??? | 3MR4 | 3 | ||||
| 202 aircraft ordered from Mitsubishi Kokuki KK, Nagoya, for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service (大日本帝國海軍航空隊 Dai-Nippon Teikoku Kaigun Kōkū-tai). Delivered between 1932 and 1935. | ||||||
| ??? | B2M1 / B2M2 | 202 | ||||
| Total Production | 205 | |||||
Production Summary
Blackburn Production - All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Built New | Conv | Canc'd | Total |
| T.7B | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | (0) | 0 |
Mitsubishi Production - All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Built New | Conv | Canc'd | Total |
| 3MR4 | 3 | 3 | ||
| B2M1 / B2M2 | 202 | 202 | ||
| 205 | (0) | 0 |
Notes
- 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.
Production References
- Blackburn Aircraft Since 1909, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1968 and 1989)
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Improved Type Description and added Specification details
- Added note 1.