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The Blackburn Velos was a two-seater floatplane torpedo bomber based on the Blackburn Dart and that was built for the Greek navy in the late 1920s. The Greek government placed an order for a coastal defence aircraft with the ability to drop torpedoes, normal bombs and perform reconnaissance, and with the ability to have the floats replaced with a wheeled undercarriage if needed.
The T.3 Velos was very similar structurally to the Dart, but with space for a second crewman and machine gun mounted on a Scarff ring. Four were built by Blackburn at their Olympia works during 1925, before production switched to the Greek National Aircraft Factory at Old Phaleron, which for five years from 1925 was run by Blackburn. Twelve Velosses were built in Greece. These aircraft remained in service into the mid 1930s.
One more Velos was built by Blackburn and was taken on a tour of South America in an attempt to win further orders, while another six were built for Blackburn’s North Sea Aerial and General Transport Co Ltd, remaining in use until 1933-35.
Seaplane Statistics
Engine: Napier Lion IIB or V
Power: 450hp
Wing span: 48ft 6in
Length: 35ft 6in
Height: 12ft 3in
Tare weight: 3,890lb
All-up weight: 6,200lb
Maximum speed: 107mph
Service ceiling: 14,100ft
Armament: 0.303in gun mounted in rear cockpit