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Blackburn Roc

Fighter · UK · WWII (1939–1945)

Blackburn Roc — Fighter
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The Blackburn Roc was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm turret-fighter variant of the Blackburn Skua. Boulton Paul built 136 Rocs between 1939 and August 1940 (Blackburn subcontracted production to Boulton Paul because of capacity constraints). The Roc kept the Skua's airframe but replaced the four wing-mounted .303-cal forward-firing guns with a four-gun powered dorsal turret — a navalised version of the same Boulton Paul turret used on the RAF Defiant. The aircraft proved essentially useless in service: too slow as a fighter (223 mph), too lightly-armed for ground attack, and the turret-only armament had the same critical blind spot below the aircraft that doomed the RAF Defiant.

The Roc used a Bristol Perseus XII radial engine (890 hp) — the same powerplant as the parent Skua. Maximum speed 223 mph; range 810 miles; service ceiling 18,000 ft. Crew: pilot + turret gunner. Armament: four .303-cal Browning machine guns in the Boulton Paul Type A Mk II powered turret + 240 lb of underwing bombs. The aircraft entered Royal Navy service in early 1940 with 800, 801, and 806 NAS aboard HMS Ark Royal and other carriers.

The Roc was withdrawn from carrier service before the end of 1940 — the type's slow speed and turret-only armament were unworkable in a carrier-fighter role against Luftwaffe Bf 109s and Italian fighters. Surviving Rocs were re-roled to land-based target-towing duty for the rest of WWII. The Roc did not score a single confirmed aerial kill in Royal Navy service. The type is one of the most-clearly-failed WWII Royal Navy aircraft designs.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The Blackburn Roc was a British Navy fighter plane from World War Two. It was built between 1939 and 1940. A company called Boulton Paul made 136 of them.

The Roc was based on another plane called the Blackburn Skua. It kept the same body as the Skua. But instead of guns on the wings, it had a spinning gun turret on top. The turret held four machine guns and could turn around.

The Roc had a crew of two people. One person flew the plane. The other person operated the gun turret. The plane flew at up to 223 miles per hour. That is slower than many other fighter planes of its time.

Sadly, the Roc was not a good fighter. It was too slow to catch enemy planes. The turret also had a blind spot below the aircraft. Enemies could attack from there safely. The Roc never brought down a single enemy plane.

The Navy stopped using the Roc as a fighter before the end of 1940. After that, it was used to tow targets for other pilots to practice shooting. The Roc spent the rest of the war doing that job. It was smaller than many other warplanes of its era.

Fun Facts

  • The Roc had a spinning gun turret on top instead of wing guns like most fighters.
  • Boulton Paul built all 136 Rocs because Blackburn did not have enough room in its factory.
  • The Roc's gun turret was almost the same one used on the British Royal Air Force's Defiant plane.
  • The Roc flew with the British Navy on famous carriers, including HMS Ark Royal.
  • The Roc was slower than many enemy fighters, reaching only 223 miles per hour.
  • The Roc never brought down a single enemy aircraft during the whole war.
  • After being removed from fighting duty, Rocs spent their days towing targets for shooting practice.
  • The Roc used the same engine as the Skua — a Bristol Perseus radial engine making 890 horsepower.

Kids’ Questions

Why did the Roc have a turret instead of regular wing guns?

Designers thought a spinning turret could shoot in many directions. That seemed better than guns that only pointed forward. But in real fights, the idea did not work well.

Why was the Roc taken out of Navy service so quickly?

The Roc was too slow to fight enemy planes. It also had a blind spot below it where enemies could attack safely. So the Navy stopped using it as a fighter before the end of 1940.

What did the Roc do after it stopped being a fighter?

The Roc became a target-tow plane. It pulled a target through the sky so other pilots could practice their aim. It did this job for the rest of the war.

Variants

Roc Mk I
Standard production variant. 136 built. Bristol Perseus XII engine, four-gun powered dorsal turret. Withdrawn from carrier service late 1940.

Notable Operators

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm
Sole operator. 800, 801, and 806 NAS 1940. Withdrawn from carrier service late 1940; survivors operated as target-tugs through 1944.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the Roc unsuccessful?

Slow speed (223 mph) and turret-only armament — the same blind-spot-below problem that doomed the RAF Defiant. Royal Navy pilots could not engage Luftwaffe Bf 109s or Italian fighters that attacked the Roc from below. The aircraft was withdrawn from carrier service before the end of 1940 without scoring a single confirmed aerial kill.

How is the Roc different from the Skua?

Same airframe — same Bristol Perseus engine, same wings, same fuselage. The Roc replaced the Skua's four wing-mounted forward-firing .303-cal Brownings with a four-gun powered dorsal turret + no forward armament. The Skua was a successful (if marginal) dive-bomber / fighter; the Roc was a failure as a fighter.

How many Rocs were built?

136 airframes between 1939 and August 1940. Production was subcontracted from Blackburn to Boulton Paul because of capacity constraints. The line ended in 1940 once the Royal Navy withdrew the type from carrier service.

Are any Rocs preserved?

No — no surviving Roc airframe exists. The type was retired and scrapped en masse 1944-1946 with no preservation effort. The Roc is one of the few WWII Royal Navy aircraft types with zero surviving airframes.

Sources

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