Blackburn Shark

The Blackburn Shark was a British carrier‑borne biplane developed by Blackburn Aircraft in the early 1930s. First flying in 1932, it entered service with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a torpedo‑bombing and reconnaissance aircraft. The Shark’s design combined a sturdy, all‑metal fuselage with a wooden, fabric‑covered wing structure, a configuration that offered both durability and ease of repair aboard ships. Powered by a single Rolls‑Royce Kestrel V‑12 engine delivering around 640 hp, it could reach a top speed of 150 mph (240 km/h) and carry a 1,000‑lb torpedo or up to 500 lb of bombs. Its two‑seat layout placed the pilot and observer in open cockpits with excellent forward visibility, essential for low‑level attack runs. Although only a few hundred were built, the Shark proved valuable during the inter‑war period, serving in Caribbean and Mediterranean stations and participating in the early phases of World War II before being superseded by more modern monoplanes. The aircraft’s blend of robust construction and versatile payload made it a key step in the evolution of naval aviation, bridging the gap between biplane torpedo bombers and the faster, all‑metal monoplanes that dominated later conflicts.

Blackburn Aircraft

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