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The Blackburn T.5 Ripon was a aircraft carrier torpedo bomber and reconnaissance biplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Blackburn Aircraft. It was the basis for both the license-produced Mitsubishi B2M and the improved Blackburn Baffin.
The Ripon was designed as a successor to the Blackburn Dart torpedo bomber as well as a long-range reconnaissance aircraft to fulfil Air Ministry Specification 21/23. The first prototype made its maiden flight on 17 April 1926, it was subsequently redesigned with a more effective engine installation, an enlarged rudder and increased wing sweepback. It was originally ordered into production for the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which primarily operated the type as a torpedo bomber.
The Ripon was operated by the FAA between 1930 and 1935, after which point it was withdrawn in favour of the Blackburn Baffin, which was an improved derivative of the Ripon. It was also produced overseas in Finland; many of the Ripons in service with the Finnish Air Force saw extensive use in both the Winter War and the Continuation War, typically flying nighttime reconnaissance missions.
Blackburn begin work on its response to the specification during 1925, directed by F. A. Bumpus. The resulting aircraft, which was designed around the Napier Lion engine, drew heavily on the preceding Blackburn Velos coastal defence seaplane, having a broadly similar structure with the exception of its use of single-bay wings and the anhedral on the bottom central section. The lower mainplane was of a slightly larger span than the lower, while an atypical feature in the form of a lower wing root fairing. A single Lewis gun fitted on a rotating mounting around the rear cockpit formed the defensive armament. Offensive armaments consisted of six 230lb bombs, or three 520lb bombs, or a single 18-inch torpedo.
A pair of prototypes were built. On 17 April 1926, the first prototype made its maiden flight in a landplane configuration, flown by P. W. S. Bulman. On 26 August of that year, the second prototype made its first flight as a seaplane, piloted by J. D. Rennie. During December 1926, the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment at Felixstowe commenced a formal evaluation of the aircraft. Initial trials against its competitors, the Handley Page Harrow and the Avro Buffalo, showed that none of the competitors were adequate, so the Ripon was redesigned with an improved engine installation, an enlarged rudder and increased sweepback on the wings. The revised aircraft was evaluated and declared to be the winner, after which Blackburn was awarded a production contract for the type.Jackson 1968, p. 216.
On 15 May 1928, the first production aircraft made its public debut, performing a flying demonstration that included a practice torpedo deployment over the Humber along with some aerobatic manoeuvres in front of the assembled press.Jackson 1968, p. 218. During 1928 and 1929, Blackburn received contracts for a combined 20 Ripon IIs. In early 1930, more substantial orders for 40 of the improved Ripon IIA were placed; this variant made greater use of duralumin in its wings and provided a mildly raised all-up weight.Jackson 1968, pp. 218-220. The production rate reached two aircraft per week around this time, which was facilitated by the subcontractor of some component manufacturing to the competing British aviation manufacturer Boulton Paul Aircraft.Jackson 1968, p. 220.
Between 1931 and 1932, 31 Ripon IICs were constructed, which had greater sweepback and eliminated all use of wood present in the structure of the mainplane.Jackson 1968, p. 221. Many of the earlier production aircraft were rebuilt to the Ripon IIC standard during the early 1930s. It was the final production standard of the Ripon to be procured by a domestic air service.Jackson 1968, p. 222. Instead, the Ripon served as the basis for the Blackburn Baffin, which was effectively more advanced version of the type. Starting in January 1934, the Baffin begun to replace its predecessor in FAA service. Many of the Ripons were returned to Blackburn and remanufactured into Baffins.Jackson 1968, p. 223.
In addition to the British armed forces, Blackburn had extensive efforts to promote the Ripon to potential overseas customers. These efforts involved explorations of its reengining with BMW and Hispano-Suiza powerplants, largely due to the later models of the Napier Lion engine being still on the official secrets list at that time. The Spanish Navy was one of the company's acknowledged targets. During August 1928, an order for a single Design pattern was issued by Finland; this aircraft, designated T.5D, was outfitted with a Bristol Jupiter radial engine and an interchangeable undercarriage and delivered to the Finnish Air Force on 29 September 1929. Finland also purchased a license to produce the Ripon from Blackburn.Jackson 1968, pp. 223-224.
In FAA service, it was normally operated in a landplane configuration from the navy's aircraft carriers; although it was capable of being converted to a seaplane, it was rarely fitted with floats in practice.Jackson 1968, p. 219. The Ripon continued in service with Torpedo Bomber flights until 1933, when the Fleet Air Arm was reorganised into three larger squadrons, No. 810, No. 811 and No. 812. During January 1935, the last of the FAA's Ripons were withdrawn from service when 811 Naval Air Squadron re-equipped with the more capable Blackburn Baffin.
The Ripon was also operated by the Finnish Air Force; a single example was produced by Blackburn, while 25 further aircraft were produced under licence at the Finnish Aircraft Factory. These were powered with a number of different radial engines; the pattern aircraft had a 530 hp (400 kW) Bristol Jupiter VII, the next seven had 480 hp (360 kW) Gnome Rhone Jupiter VI, followed by eight series II aircraft with 535 hp (399 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther engines and of the ten III series aircraft, first nine had a 580 hp (430 kW) Bristol Pegasus engine, and the last one was equipped with a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr. Finnish Ripons were typically stationed at Turkinsaari, Sortavala, and the island of Santahamina.Jackson 1968, p. 224.
The Finnish Air Force deployed its Ripons on active combat missions against the forces of the Soviet Union during both the Winter War and the Continuation War. After the loss of one aircraft to Soviet fighters during late 1939, the Ripon was restricted to normally flying night missions only. It performed a diverse range of missions, including routine reconnaissance flights, U-boat patrols, casualty evacuation, leaflet dropping, and aerial supply operations. On 15 December 1944, the final aircraft was struck off, the Finnish stock having shrunk to a single operational Ripon due to many others having been cannibalised for parts.Jackson 1968, p. 225.
A single Ripon, RI-140, was stored and then reassembled and put on display in the Päijänne Tavastia Aviation Museum. It is the only preserved example.
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