The Botha was designed to meet the same specification as the Bristol Beaufort. However, the Beaufort was built with Bristol Taurus engines, producing approximately 1,000 hp, while the Blackburn Botha was forced to make do with smaller and less powerful 800-hp Bristol Perseus engines. As a result the Botha proved to be under-powered and unsatisfactory. After only a few months of front-line service during 1940 all the Bothas were withdrawn and replaced by the Avro Anson, the same aircraft they had been meant to replace, and all the Bothas were relegated to training squadrons.
VinceReeves, 05.03.2013 22:33
The Botha was taken off operations because it offered the crew poor visibility in the general reconnaissance role. This was due to the close proximity of the engine nacelles to the fuselage, and the high wing from which they were suspended.
This was the fault of the manufacturer, not the specification. The aircraft was also underpowered, but this would no doubt have been resolved if the design had offered any utility in the role for which it was intended. It didn't.
It's a shame that a more useful role than training wasn't found for the Botha, as it was otherwise well-engineered. Despite its poor reputation, when the training schools bothered to maintain its engines properly, it proved to be perfectly reliable.
peter, e-mail, 03.02.2012 20:22
Is this the aircraft where an inspector reported " gaining access to the cockpit is difficult. It should be made impossible " ? Must swat up my Bill Gunston
leo rudnicki, e-mail, 15.04.2009 08:19
Flying an ugly awkward unsteady underpowered aircraft in training makes you appreciate flying operational types all the more. This a/c was specified by the Air Ministry like most useless aircraft of this era. Fortunately, Bristols persisted with Beaufort/Taurus.
