BLACKBURN ROC MK.I "FAA TURRET FIGHTER"

The Blackburn Roc is a British fighter plane with a mixed structure powered by a Bristol Perseus XII radial engine with a capacity of 902KM. Originally, the plane was supposed to use floats, but the landing gear was quickly changed to classic, wheeled. The Blackburn Roc plane implemented the concept of a "multi-role fighter plane", which was established at the RAF in the mid-1930s. It assumed the creation of an aircraft armed with machine guns, which was to be located in a rotating turret, and the role of the pilot would be limited to guiding the aircraft into the field firing. The main tasks of Blackburn Roc would therefore be twofold: escorting its own bombers, but also fighting enemy planes - especially enemy bombers. The same concept was also implemented by Boulton Paul Defiant. The flight of the Blackburn Roc aircraft took place in December 1938, and serial production continued in 1939-1940. In total, only 136 copies were made. From the summer of 1940, the planes were successively transferred to training units. They were in service until 1943. Technical data: Maximum speed: 359 km / h, rate of climb: 7.6 m / s, maximum ceiling 5500 m, maximum range: 1304 km, armament: fixed - 4 7.7mm machine guns in a rotating turret, suspended - up to 112 kg of bombs.