×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Small Arms Warships & Submarines Military Ranks Military Pay Scale (2024) Special Forces

Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo


Reconnaissance / Torpedo Bomber / Passenger Transport Aircraft


United Kingdom | 1918



"The Blackburn Kangaroo biplane aircraft was a land-based variant of the Blackburn G.P. anti-submarine floatplane prototype design."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo Reconnaissance / Torpedo Bomber / Passenger Transport Aircraft.
2 x Rolls-Royce Falcon III liquid-cooled V-12 engine developing 270 horsepower each.
Propulsion
98 mph
158 kph | 85 kts
Max Speed
12,992 ft
3,960 m | 2 miles
Service Ceiling
487 miles
784 km | 423 nm
Operational Range
480 ft/min
146 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo Reconnaissance / Torpedo Bomber / Passenger Transport Aircraft.
3
(MANNED)
Crew
44.2 ft
13.46 m
O/A Length
74.9 ft
(22.82 m)
O/A Width
16.8 ft
(5.13 m)
O/A Height
5,284 lb
(2,397 kg)
Empty Weight
6,288 lb
(2,852 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo Reconnaissance / Torpedo Bomber / Passenger Transport Aircraft .
STANDARD:
1 x 7.7mm Lewis machine gun in forward cockpit
1 x 7.7mm Lewis machine gun in rear cockpit

OPTIONAL:
Up to 920 lb of conventional drop ordnance.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo family line.
R.T.1 Kangaroo - Base Series Designation; land-based version of the Blackburn G.P. (General Purpose) anti-submarine floatplane prototype design.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/03/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Kangaroo was the product of the Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company, Limited. The design began as a venture in 1916 to which two complete prototypes were produced. These prototype aircraft, known collectively as the Blackburn GP ("GP" for "General Purpose"), featured floatplanes and were designed for use as anti-submarine aircraft. From this design, a land-based version was further developed when interest in a navalized form waned. The land-based model became the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo (with the full "R.T.1" designation of the aircraft being "Reconnaissance Torpedo Type 1", effectively the roles the aircraft was called on to fulfill). Despite the sub-par performance output of the Rolls-Royce Falcon II series engines (250 horsepower), the Royal Air Force accepted the 20 already on order and the Kangaroo legacy was sealed. Deliveries began sometime in January of 1918 with units made combat-ready the same year. After the sixth production aircraft was complete, an attempt to boost performance was made with the introduction of the Rolls-Royce Falcon III engines developing a more promising 270 horsepower each.

Externally, the Kangaroo featured a long box-type straight fuselage. A crew of three was positioned about the forward portion and consisted of the pilot in the center cockpit, a gunner in the forward cockpit and a rear gunner in the far aft cockpit. All three positions were separated from one another with the rear gunner at the greatest disadvantage in terms of communicating with the pilot. The fuselage was straddled by two engines which sported either a two- or four-blade propeller system. The undercarriage was fixed and featured individual two-wheel bogie front landing gear systems and a traditional tail skid. The main landing gears were positioned just under the engines to handle these greater weight areas. Wings were of a biplane arrangement and featured three bays with parallel struts and associated cabling. The wings were of an uneven span with the top assembly extending outwards over the lower assembly. To save on storage space, the wings - outboard of the engines - could be swiveled back via hinges and folded against the tail section. The long empennage was affixed with twin vertical tail fins and a long-running horizontal plane.

Performance from the twin Rolls-Royce Falcon III liquid-cooled, V-12 270 horsepower engines netted a maximum speed of 98 miles per hour with a range out to 487 miles. A rate-of-climb of 480 feet per minute was possible as was a service ceiling of 12,992 feet. As a bomber the Kangaroo could call upon up to 920lbs of ordnance. Self-defense was handled by two 7.7mm Lewis-type machine guns, one mounted in the forward cockpit and the other in the rear cockpit.

The end of World War 1 resulted in only six months of operational wartime use for the Kangaroo and its war record held nothing much of note save for the sinking of one enemy U-Boat vessel. After the war, Kangaroos were used in limited numbers as dual-control trainers up to 1929, to which the aircraft was officially retired from service. Several also made their way into the civilian passenger market for a time, ferrying up to 8 people in the burgeoning commercial air services springing up around the globe.

The Blackburn Kangaroo was operated exclusively with No. 246 Squadron of the British RAF as well as the Peruvian Army Flying Service. Only 20 of the type were ultimately produced.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 20 Units

Contractor(s): Blackburn Aeroplane and Motor Company, Ltd - UK
National flag of Peru National flag of the United Kingdom

[ Peru; United Kingdom ]
1 / 1
Image of the Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Going Further...
The Blackburn R.T.1 Kangaroo Reconnaissance / Torpedo Bomber / Passenger Transport Aircraft appears in the following collections:
HOME
AVIATION INDEX
AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY
AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE AIRCRAFT
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT
AIRCRAFT BY TYPE
AIRCRAFT BY DECADE
WWI AIRCRAFT
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.


©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)