Blackburn Baffin 1937 to 1941

BLACKBURN BAFFIN

Design:
Robert Blackburn

Company:
Blackburn Aeroplane & Motor Company

Developed from:
Blackburn Rippon

Wing Span:
45 ft 6 in 13.8 m

Length:
38 ft 4 in 11.7 m

Height:
13 ft 5 in 4.1 m

Ceiling:
15,000 ft 4,570 M

Speed at Sea Level:
136 MPH

Range:
450 Miles 780 km

T/O Weight:
7,600 lbs

Crew:
1 pilot
1 gunner/observer

Role:
General Recon

Total Manufactured:
Converted Rippons 60
Baffins 15

First Flight:
1933

Armament:
1 Synchronized Vickers,
1 Lewis on a Scarf Ring in Rear Cockpit,
Up to 2,000Lb Bombs,

Years Served:
1937 to 1941

Qty Served:
29

Tail Nos:
NZ 150 to NZ 178

ENGINE

Type:
Bristol Pegasus 1M3, 9 Cylinder, Radial, Air Cooled, supercharged

Horse Power:
660 HP 490 Kw

Bore:
5.75 in 146 mm

Stroke:
7.5 in 190 mm

Volume:
1,753 cu in 28.7 L

Compression Ratio:
6.25: 1

Max RPM:
2,475 RPM

Fuel:
73 Octane

Oil:
OMD 370

Length:
61 in 1,549 mm

Diameter:
55.3 in 1,405 mm

Weight:
1,111 lb 504 Kg

Power / Weight:
0.86 BHP / Lb

GR = General Recon Squadron
Sqn = Squadron
TAF = Territorial Air Force [Reserves]

NZ 150

Mark Ripon 11
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1266
To: 811 Sqn
Code number 614
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
Crashed into sea on approach to
Whangarei 25 Jun 1940
Crew uninjured and removable equipment
removed before high tide
Salvaged, written off
To: Rongotai Inst 29 1940

NZ 151

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 2690/3
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1426
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939 – 40
R T P Rongotai 1941

NZ 152

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 2690/7
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1430
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Code number 83
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Napier Star
B O C Hobsonville Mid Nov 1937
Took off from Wigram, stalled in a turn at
700 ft spun into sea 500 M off Waimairi
Beach at 1210 on 5 Feb 1940
F/L Authur Poulton, AC1 s Douglas Haig,
William Strachan Killed
Wreckage recovered, written off 1941

NZ 153

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3220/6
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1558
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
Eng failure at 500 ft, crashed into sea off
Island Bay 15 Dec 1939
Converted to Inst 22 at TTS Rongotai 1940

NZ 154

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3340/3
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1570
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939/40
Code Letter N
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Mar 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 155

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3340/6
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1573
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Code number 524
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Napier Star
B O C Hobsonville Mid Nov 1937
First Baffin to fly in NZ 1 Feb 1938
To: Wigram for final testing
To: Rongotai Mar 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 156

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 3810/6
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1654
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Hertford
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939- 1940
Converted to: Inst 19 TTS Addington 4 Feb 1940

NZ 157

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 3810/7
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1655
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 158

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 3810/9
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1657
Ex Fleet Air Arm 811 Sqn
Code number 8
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wigram 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai
To Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 159

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 4060/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1672
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Code number 2
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Napier Star
B O C Hobsonville Nov 1937
Converted to Inst 4 TTS Rongotai 1940

NZ 160

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 4060/4
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1674
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Code number 5
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 161

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3320/9
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1561
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Hertford
B O C Hobsonville 15 Mar 1938
To: 3 GR Sqn Wigram Sept 1938
Eng failure at 100 Ft on landing approach to
Harewood, crashed into Waimakariri River
P /O J Ward uninjured
A/C had flown 1036:15 hrs since arrival in NZ
Written off

NZ 162

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3330/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1563
Ex Fleet Air Arm
On Board HMS Furious
Code number 17
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 163

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 4060/1
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1670/1
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board S S Hartford
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wigram 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 164

Mark: Ripon 11
Constructors No.: 1850/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1358
Ex Fleet Air Arm
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 165

Mark: Ripon 11
Constructors No.: 1850/8
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1364
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Napier Star
B O C Hobsonville Nov 1937
To: Wigram 1939
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 166

Mark: Ripon 11
Constructors No.: 1850/12
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1368
Ex Fleet Air Arm
B O C Hobsonville
Converted to Inst 5 TTS Hillside 1939

NZ 167

Mark: Ripon 11A
Construcrors No.: 2690/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1425
Ex Fleet Air Arm 801 Sqn
Code number 534
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Fordsdale
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: 1 Aircraft Depot Hobsonville
Code letter F
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939- 1940
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Mar 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 168

Mark: Ripon 11A
Construction No.: 2690/8
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1431
Ex Fleet Air Arm
B O C Hobsonville
Converted to Inst 6 TTS Otahuhu 1939
To TTS Rongotai Sep 1940

NZ 169

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3320/1
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1553
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Fordsdale
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939 - 1940
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Mar 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 170

Mark: Ripon11A
Constructors No.: 3320/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1554
Ex Fleet Air Arm 810 Sqn
Code number 6
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wigram Jun – Sep 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Apr 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 171

Mark: Ripon 11A
Constructors No.: 3340/4
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1571
Ex Fleet Air Arm
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
Code letter S
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 172

Mark: Ripon 11C
Constructors No.: 3810/1
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1649
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Waiwera
B O C Hobsonville 1938
Overturned in strong winds at
New Plymouth 9 Aug 1938
Repaired, returned to service
Converted to Inst 7 TTS Rongotai 1940

NZ 173

Mark: Ripon 11C
Construction No.: 3810/2
Fleet Ait Arm No.: S1650
Ex Fleet Air Arm
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Fordsdale
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Apr 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 174
Mark: Ripon 11C
Construction No.: 3810/5
Fleet Air Arm No.: S1653
Ex Fleet Air Arm
B O C Hobsonville
To Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
Code letter Z
To NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Jul 1940
To Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 175

Mark: Ripon 11
Constructors No.: 5120/13
Fleet Air Arm No.: K3558
To: 812 Sqn Hal Far
Code number 72 30 Jan 1934
To: 810 Sqn
To: No 1 Aircraft Support Unit
Shipped to Auckland on board SS Fordsdale
B O C Hobsonville 1938
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
Converted to Inst 16 Wigram 8 Dec 1939

NZ 176

Mark: Baffin
Constructors No.: 5500/1
Fleet Air Arm No.: K4071
To: 810 Sqn 25 Jun 1934
To: Royal Aircraft Establishment 21 Jul 1934
To: 810 Sqn 9 Aug 1934
To: Packing Unit 24 Sep 1934
To: Middle East Depot
Code number 01 31 Mar 1936
To: Gosport Pool 13 Nov 1936
To: No 1 ASU
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 177

Mark: Baffin
Constructors No.: 5500/8
Fleet Air Arm No.: K4078
To: 810 Sqn
Code number 08 later 532 12 Jul 1934
To: Gosport Pool 17 Nov 1936
To: No 1 ASU
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wigram Sep 1938
To: NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Apr 1940
To: Rongotai
RTP 1941

NZ 178

Mark: Baffin
Constructors No.: 5830/2
Fleet Air Arm No.: K4777
To: Packing Depot 11 Jun 1935
To: 812 Sqn Hal Far 9 Jul 1935
To: Middle East 14 Nov 1935
To: 810 Sqn
Code number 07 later 527 31 Mar 1936
To: Gosport Pool 17 Nov 1936
To: 810 Sqn
To: No 2 ASU
B O C Hobsonville
To: Wellington GR Sqn Woodbourne 1939
To NZGR Sqn Whenuapai Mar 1940
To Rongotai
RTP 1941

Purchased at 200 – 00 – 00 pound each [$400]

Originally to equip TAF Squadrons

Wellington Sqn -12- 1938 to Mar 1940

Christchurch Sqn - 6- 1939 to Mar 1940

Auckland Sqn 1939 to Mar 1940

NZ General Recon Sqn Hobsonville 20 Mar 1940 to 1940

Storage at Harewood 1940 to Mar 1941

No 3GR Sqn at Harewood Apr 1941 to May 1941

Taieri

Also used by :
1 Sqn,
2 Sqn,
3 Sqn, Christchurch
4 Sqn
5 Sqn, Fiji
6 Sqn, Fiji
7 Sqn,
8 Sqn,
30 Sqn Gisborne
31Sqn, Gisborne
42Sqn. Rongotai

First Flight in N Z at Hobsonville 1 Feb 1938

Torpedo equipment not purchased

Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland Territorial Squadrons were merged into
NZ General Reconnaissance Squadron Mar 1940
NZGR Sqn was renamed 1 GR Sqn 1941
And 3 GR Sqn 1941

At the outbreak of war there were 24 operational
Wellington 16
Christchurch 8

First operational flight 16 Nov 1939

Initially used as trainers returned to the ‘Active’ list with the threat posed by surface raiders.

Replaced by Lockheed Hudsons before the outbreak of the war with Japan

Remaining A/C scrapped at Rongatai -18- 1941

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner