Blackburn Dart The Blackburn Dart was a British carrier - based torpedo bomber biplane , manufactured by Blackburn Aircraft , which first flew in 1921 . The Dart was the standard single - seat torpedo bomber used by the Fleet Air Arm from 1923 until 1933 . A modified variant was also sold to Greece , where they served with the Greek Navy . Design and development . In 1919 , Blackburn commenced the design of a private venture , carrier - based torpedo - bomber to replace the Sopwith Cuckoo s which were the existing torpedo bombers flying from the Royal Navy ' s carriers . The Blackburn aircraft , the product of their chief designer , Major Frank Arnold Bumpus , was named T . 1 Swift . Although mainly conventional , the large biplane featured two - bay , equal - span wings that were staggered and could fold for storage aboard ship . The wing centre section structure was steel with wooden outer section , all fabric covered . Ailerons were mounted on all four wings . The fuselage was mounted on the lower wing , and also consisted of a metal structure with fabric covering . The tail unit had a braced tailplane and fin with balanced rudder . The divided landing gear had main wheels on oleo legs that allowed the fitting of a standard torpedo below the fuselage . The prototype Swift first flew in September 1920 , almost crashing owing to a miscalculated centre of gravity . This was resolved by sweeping back the wings , while a revised rudder was fitted to improve directional control . Following this , the Swift proved satisfactory , and an order was placed against Specification 3 / 20 for a further three aircraft for service trials . These were renamed the Blackburn Dart . The Dart was powered by either a Napier Lion IIB or V engine that was mounted with a thrustline angled upward ; the fuselage also dropped sharply downwards from the cockpit . The prototype Dart was first flown in October 1921 , and despite its size handled well , exhibiting a remarkable 43 mph ( 69 km / h ) stalling speed . An export model of the Dart retained the name Swift and used the 450 hp ( 340 kW ) Napier Lion engine . Seven were built as the Swift Mk II , two for the Japanese Navy , three for the Spanish Navy , and two for the United States Navy . The U . S . Navy aircraft were designated Swift F by Blackburn and Blackburn BST - 1 by the U . S . Navy but following competitive trials in 1921 , the U . S . Navy decided not to proceed with an order and purchased the Douglas DT - 2 instead . Operational history . The Dart T . 2 entered service with the Fleet Air Arm in 1923 with No 460 Flight aboard stationed in the Mediterranean and with 461 and 462 Flights on based in home waters . Shore training was conducted by " D3 " Flight at Gosport . In 1928 , the Blackburn Dart flew with Nos . 463 and 464 Flights embarked on in the Mediterranean fleet . The following year , a single Dart was delivered to No . 36 Squadron RAF ( Coastal Defence Torpedo Flight ) , initially for smoke - screen trials and later to form part of the complement of torpedo bombers in the first fully operational Royal Air Force torpedo bomber squadron . Three Darts were converted into two - seat seaplane s to provide advanced training from 1925 to 1929 , at Blackburn ' s RAF Reserve School on the River Humber . The conversions led to a new variant , the T . 3 Velos , which was ordered as a torpedo bomber by the Greek Navy in 1925 . The Dart continued in service with the Blackburn Reserve School , alongside a number of T . 3s converted to landplanes until their eventual replacement by Ripons and Baffins in 1933 . One notable event marked the career of the Dart ; Air Commodore G . H . Boyce became the first pilot to carry out a night deck landing , when he landed his Dart aboard " Furious " on 6 May 1926 . The flight deck was illuminated by flood lights for the attempt but the docile Dart easily handled the task .