rebuilt to the Ripon IIC standard during the early 1930s. It was the final production standard of the Ripon to be procured by a domestic air service. Instead, the Ripon served as the basis for the Baffin, which was effectively more advanced version of the type. Starting in January 1934, the Baffin begun to replace its predecessor in FAA service. Many of the Ripons were returned to Blackburn and remanufactured into Baffins. In addition to the British armed forces, Blackburn had extensive efforts to promote the Ripon to potential overseas customers. These efforts involved explorations of its reengining with BMW and Hispano-Suiza powerplants, largely due to the later models of the Napier Lion engine being still on the official secrets list at that time. The Spanish Navy was one of the company's acknowledged targets. During August 1928, an order for a single pattern aircraft was issued by Finland; this aircraft, designated T.5D, was outfitted with a Bristol Jupiter radial engine and an interchangeable undercarriage and delivered to the Finnish Air Force on 29 September 1929. Finland also purchased a license to produce the Ripon from Blackburn. Operational history During 1929, the Ripon entered service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), six being operated by No 462 (Fleet Torpedo Bomber) Flight aboard in January of that year. During early 1931, five aircraft were conveyed by the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle to Argentina for use as demonstration aircraft for the British Empire Exhibition in Buenos Aires held in March of that year. Numerous close formation flights were performed by the service's Ripons while off the coast of South America. In FAA service, it was normally operated in a landplane configuration from the navy's aircraft carriers; although it was capable of being converted to a seaplane, it was rarely fitted with floats in practice. The Ripon continued in service with Torpedo Bomber flights until 1933, when the Fleet Air Arm was reorganised into three larger squadrons, No. 810, No. 811 and No. 812. During January 1935, the last of the FAA's Ripons were withdrawn from service when 811 Naval Air Squadron re-equipped with the more capable Baffin. The Ripon was also operated by the Finnish Air Force; a single example was produced by Blackburn, while 25 further aircraft were produced under licence at the Finnish Aircraft Factory. These were powered with a number of different radial engines; the pattern aircraft had a 530