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
