Blackburn Shark The Blackburn Shark was a British carrier - borne torpedo bomber built by the Blackburn Aircraft company in England . It first flew on 24 August 1933 and went into service with the Fleet Air Arm , Royal Canadian Air Force , Portuguese Navy , and the British Air Observers ' School , but was already obsolescent in 1937 and in the following year , replacement by the Fairey Swordfish began . Design and development . The Blackburn T . 9 Shark was designed and built , initially as a private venture , to Air Ministry Specification S . 15 / 33 for a torpedo - spotter - reconnaissance aircraft to be operated by the Fleet Air Arm . It had a crew of three , with observer / wireless operator and gunner sharing the second cockpit ( open on Mks I and II , enclosed on Mk III ) . Armament cosisted of one fixed , forward - firing . 303 in ( 7 . 7 mm ) Vickers machine gun , plus a . 303 in ( 7 . 7 mm ) Vickers K machine gun or Lewis Gun mounted on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit , with provision for a torpedo or equivalent bombload carried externally . The Blackburn " B - 6 " prototype with a Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IV was flown at Brough on 24 August 1933 . The aircraft subsequently began Naval aviation tests at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment ( A & AEE ) , RAF Martlesham Heath on 26 November 1933 . The following year , deck landing trials on the proved successful with Blackburn winning an order from the Fleet Air Arm in August 1934 , to contract No 334315 / 34 and the new Specification 13 / 35 . I , and further contract No 510994 / 35 to Specification 19 / 36 issued in January 1937 . The prototype was subsequently fitted with twin float s and was test flown at Brough in April 1935 with successful sea trials taking place at the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment Felixstowe . More contracts followed , and during the three years of production , 238 Sharks were delivered to the Fleet Air Arm , comprising 16 Mk I ( Tiger IV ) , 126 Mk II ( 760 hp / 567 kW Tiger VI ) and 95 Mk III ( 760 hp / 570 kW Tiger VI ) . Operational history . The Shark entered service with 820 Naval Air Squadron in May 1935 , replacing Fairey Seal s , equipping a further two squadrons ( 810 and 821 ) in 1936 . Front line service was short lived , the type being replaced by the Fairey Swordfish in 1937 . At least 22 Mk IIs and IIIs ( all brought up to Mk III standard ) were converted 1937 / 38 as target tugs and operated in this role and for training and communications until 1942 . Sharks based in RAF Seletar as target tugs were used for patrol missions and bombing raids against Japanese invaders over Malaya in January 1942 . Canadian Sharks . The RCAF purchased seven Blackburn Shark II ( 760 hp / 570 kW Tiger VI ) in 1936 for service with No 6 ( TB ) Squadron , later operating as No 6 ( BR ) Sqn on shipping patrols off the Canadian west coast . Two Blackburn Shark IIIs ( 800 hp / 600 kW Pegasus III ) were supplied to RCAF by Blackburn in 1939 as forerunners of 17 similar aircraft built by Boeing Aircraft of Canada at Vancouver , with Pegasus IX and used by Nos 6 and 4 ( BR ) Squadrons . RCAF Blackburn Sharks , some of which operated as floatplanes , were withdrawn from service in August 1944 and five were then transferred to the RN Air Observers ' School in Trinidad .