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INTRODUCTION

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RAF Inter-War Bombers (1919-1939)

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n the two decades between the end of the First World War and the start of the Second World War, military aviation underwent a complete transformation. The typical bomber of 1918 was a fabriccovered externally braced biplane with fixed landing gear and open cockpits. Few aero engines developed as much as 250hp and top speeds of 120mph were exceptional. By contrast, in 1939 the first-line RAF bombers were metal-construction monoplanes with retractable landing gear. Powered by engines that developed 1,000hp, some bombers flew faster than 250mph. Crews were seated in enclosed cockpits and were provided with oxygen for breathing at high altitudes. Most of the changes occurred after 1930 when the looming threat of conflict drove technology forward and forced the RAF to re-equip its ageing force of obsolescent bombers with revolutionary ‘new’ designs such as the Blenheim, Whitley and Wellington. This then is the chronological story of the evolution of the RAF bomber in the inter-war years, a fascinating era that saw the bomber develop from the strut and wire majesty of the Vimy to the purposeful might of the Wellington bomber…

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS Much of the work featured within these pages is drawn from The Aeroplane archives. During the inter-war period, The Aeroplane had a very talented staff of photographers including Charles Sims, Alf Long and Maurice Rowe to name a few. In those days, working as an air-to-air aviation photographer was very different to today’s digital age. Photographers often operated in extremely cramped conditions and exposed to the elements. Cameras needed to be reloaded with glass plates, not an easy task when one was wearing heavy clothing and maybe an oxygen mask. Many of the evocative images featured in this publication provide a tribute to their efforts in capturing this fascinating era of aviation. ARTWORK The cutaway drawings used within these pages are from highly detailed archival work by Mike Badrocke, James Clark of The Aeroplane and Max Millar of Flight. The fine colour side profiles are the work of Andy Hay of www.flyingart.co.uk.

Aviation Archive Series

RAF Inter-War Bombers (1919-1939)

Credits/Bibliography: F Mason (British bomber since 1914); The Aeroplane; & Flight magazine • Editor: Martyn Chorlton • Design: Paul Sander • Publisher and Managing Director: Adrian Cox • Executive Chairman Richard Cox • Commercial Director Ann Saundry • Distribution Seymour Distribution Ltd +44 (0)20 7429 4000 • Printing Warners (Midlands) PLC, The Maltings, Manor Lane, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH. All rights reserved. The entire content of Company Profile is © Key Publishing 2015. Reproduction in whole or in part and in any form whatsoever is strictly prohibited without the prior permission of the Publisher. We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication. Published by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs PE19 1XQ. Tel: +44 (0) 1780 755131. Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757261. Website: www.keypublishing.com ISBN: 978 1909786 165

RAF Inter-War Bombers (1919-1939) 6

The story of the RAF bomber between the wars

14 Vickers Vimy 16 Vickers Virginia 21 Boulton Paul Sidestrand 26 Handley Page Hinaidi and Hyderabad 30 Hawker Horsley 32 Hawker Hart and Hind 41 Vickers Vildebeest

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Along with the Whitley and the Wellington, the agile Hampden bore the brunt of early Bomber Command operations over Europe. Aeroplane

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 74

46 52 56 61 66 74 81 86 92 96

Handley Page Heyford Vickers Vincent Boulton Paul Overstrand Vickers Wellesley Bristol Blenheim Fairey Battle Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Vickers Wellington Handley Page Hampden Handley Page Harrow

the three to complete its tour of duty with Imperial Airways which came to an end in 1938 when the aircraft was scrapped at Hythe.

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The Type 130 prototype, K3583, was named ‘Josephine’ and, after being withdrawn from flying duties in 1939, was used as a static airframe for development work. Editor’s collection

The British Bomber – the inter war years By Francis K Mason

Trenchard’s peacetime bombers The ending of the First World War occurred with little more than a few weeks’ indication of its imminence. At the date of the Armistice British heavy bombers were literally standing by to take off for a raid deep inside Germany - a raid of propaganda value, but a symbolic one for which, a year earlier, the British people had clamoured. Sir Hugh Trenchard, the architect of the Independent Force, was now Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), a position of theoretically equal influence to those of the First Sea Lord and Chief of the General Staff.

By November 1918 the RAF was, by a considerable margin, the most powerful air force in the world, and huge contracts were in hand for the production of all manner of aircraft by an industry already overtrading by conventional commercial criteria. To assist several manufacturers to invest in additional factory space, the Treasury had waived taxation on wartime profits, a dispensation that few captains of industry made allowance to repay sometime in the future. Unfortunately for them nation at large was no longer tolerant of those it saw as wartime profiteers and, in an economic environment

embracing unemployment and privations, the Treasury quickly imposed swingeing - and retrospective - taxes on what were formally declared as Excess Profits, wilfully ignoring the fact that those ‘profits’ had invariably been reinvested in manufacturing facilities and workforce training to accelerate the supply of weapons. Coming at a time when the Air Ministry, now deprived of almost all appropriations for new equipment, summarily cancelled more than 92% of all outstanding contracts, the effect on the industry was calamitous. Some companies ceased trading and disappeared forever and others went into

THE BRITISH BOMBER – THE INTER WAR YEARS

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Top: Avro 533 Manchester Mk I, F3493 was actually the second of just two examples to fly and was powered by a pair of 320hp A.B.C. Dragonfly I engines. Editor’s collection Above: The longest serving Aldershot of all was the first prototype J6852 which is pictured in its final Mk IV form as a test-bed for the 850hp Beardmore Typhoon I engine. The aircraft was redesignated fully as the 549C Mk IV and first flew with the Typhoon on January 10, 1927. Editor’s collection liquidation so as to continue trading in changed circumstances. It can be seen that the hardcore of ‘professional’ manufacturers, the very bedrock of the industry, were made to pay a disproportionate tax penalty when compared with those manufacturers who, as former members of other non-related industries, had exchanged faltering wartime commerce for the rich pickings from munitions contracts — without having to support costly design teams and research staffs of their own. After all, the profit on a fixed cost aeroplane was uniform no matter who built it, yet few, if any of the ‘shadow’ contractors received tax demands against excess profits and, when the War was over, simply melted back to their former commercial industries. In November 1918 the Air Ministry prepared a statement listing those aircraft, already in service, which were now selected to continue in peacetime service, together with designs, already tendered, selected to compete as prototypes of ultimate replacements. In the field of bomber aircraft, the Airco D.H.9A was only just coming into service, and

was expected to remain for several years, even though un-started production contracts suffered cancellation; no replacement was therefore planned for the foreseeable future. The standard medium bomber, also only just reaching its first squadrons, was the Airco D.H.10 Amiens which, on account of a much smaller planned production, was scheduled for replacement during 1920-21, and contracts had been issued for prototypes of the likely contenders; these were the Boulton & Paul Bourges, Sopwith Cobham, Avro Type 533 Manchester, Airco D.H.11 Oxford and the Airco D.H.14 Okapi. Unfortunately, all but the last-named of these prototypes were being designed around the ABC Dragonfly radial engine, which had attracted numerous aircraft designers’ attention on account of its promised low power/weight ratio, but which was already showing signs of serious problems during development. As with many fighters, similarly conceived with this engine, none of the above bombers succeeded in reaching production owing to the Dragonfly engine being all but abandoned.

Neither of the two British heavy bombers, the 0/400 already established in service and the V/1500 on the point of becoming fully operational, were strictly relevant in a Europe supposedly at peace. Existing stocks of the 0/400 would be adequate to equip the handful of squadrons not immediately disbanded. And the V/1500, impressive in its wartime concept and well ahead in its field, was even more superfluous as the former Central Powers were disarmed. The coming of peace therefore brought swift cancellation of both these excellent bombers, save only those whose manufacture had already begun. The other aircraft, euphemistically classed as a heavy bomber, was the Vickers Vimy. This admirable, but fairly pedestrian aeroplane in terms of warload and performance, would remain in service for much of the decade following the Great War, proving to be a useful aircraft in a number of roles, and pointing the way to a new, utilitarian classification of Service aircraft, the bomber- transport.

8 Middle Eastern saviour It was the successful and inexpensive use of aeroplanes in the Middle East that led the way to survival of the RAF, and very few aircrew members of the young Service did not serve at least one tour in that theatre during the years between the World Wars. Before long the RAF’s larger aircraft, led by the Vimy and followed by purposedesigned troop transports, were being called on to move soldiers from one part of the Mandated territories to another, often at very short notice. By degrees the RAF was able to establish a network of bases from which to operate a growing number of squadrons newly established in the Middle East. At home, the ‘Ten Year Rule’ was formulated by British politicians, as much as anything else on the pretext of avoiding the necessity for powerful armed Services. The idea was that the likelihood of a future conflict between nations would become discernible ten years in advance and allow diplomatic steps to be taken to avoid the outbreak of war. It was, in effect, a tentative step towards international disarmament which, had other nations followed suit, might well have had far-reaching results. Events were to demonstrate that diplomacy would only succeed if backed by strength of arms, and the Rule was soon shown

39 Squadron D.H.9A over Lahore during their long tour duty in India as part of the British presence along the North West Frontier. Editor’s collection

THE BRITISH BOMBER – THE INTER WAR YEARS

The third prototype D.H.10 was the Rolls-Royce Eagle-powered C8659 which first flew on April 20, 1918. Editor’s collection

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to be quite superfluous as soon as a powerful and ruthlessly ambitious dictator emerged. In some important respects the Rule played into the hands of the Air Ministry and, in particular, Trenchard. Though the Chief of Staff would most probably have vigorously denied being any man’s disciple, least of all the Italian Emilio Douhet, Trenchard certainly believed that the heavy bomber was the RAF’s raison d’etre. All other operational duties should be subordinate to the role of the bomber as an offensive weapon, capable of attacking the social and economic structures of an enemy and destroying his will to wage war. He also believed that it was only necessary to equip a small number of bomber squadrons in the field, but at the same time keep the bomber at the forefront of technology by means of a constant stream of prototypes. Moreover, the research necessary to ensure this advance would become the responsibility of the privately-owned industry. Thus the bomber made slow technological progress within the funds available although, by implication, the interceptor fighter – the logical instrument with which to gain major advances, but one that Trenchard regarded as almost entirely unnecessary in his understanding of the Principles of War – was permitted to stagnate.

The prototype Aldershot J6852; only 17 examples were built and the type served with 99 Squadron as a long-range day and night bomber. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

10 Thus the 1920s were the heyday of British bomber prototypes, as the number of aeroplane types produced well illustrates. Yet the most successful of all these aircraft, if measured by longevity and volume of production, was the Vickers Virginia heavy bomber, which remained in front-line service until the mid-1930s, and the Hawker Hart light bomber, whose widely distributed and considerable production contracts certainly enabled the aircraft industry to weather the Depression of the early 1930s. Yet neither of these bombers was significantly different in concept from the 0/400 and D.H.9A of the Kaiser’s War. Trenchard certainly saved the RAF from extinction. He also patronised a number of greatly gifted senior officers, and ensured that they were set on the path to high rank and influence. In these respects he may justifiably be regarded as ‘the father of the RAF’. In other respects, however, his blinkered infatuation with the big bomber blinded him to the correct balance of responsibilities in the real world. Trenchard stepped down as CAS on the last day of December 1929, his place being taken by Air Marshal Sir John Salmond, a brilliant staff officer who had followed Trenchard in command of the RAF in the field during 1918-19, and

The Airco D.H.14 Opaki was designed as a replacement for the D.H.4 and the D.H.9, but in the end the latter soldiered on instead. Editor’s collection

most recently had been AOC-in-C, Air Defence of Great Britain; as such, he had become all too aware of the parlous state of Britain’s fighter defences. Moreover, at the same time, the Ten Year Rule was being shown as inappropriate as signs of Fascism began appearing in Germany, Italy and Japan, nations that were being forced into international isolation. These danger signs were there for those who cared to look, and it was Salmond who set in train the revival of the RAF as a balanced Service. The problem was how to achieve this within the slender finances allowed by the Treasury. It was the big bomber that now took its turn to stand still.

Bombers in the doldrums The succession of Air Chief Marshal Sir John Salmond as CAS on January 1, 1930 marked the end of an era for the RAF, the nature of which was never to be repeated. Trenchard had built for the Service a firm foundation of autonomy and self-sufficiency in specialist personnel. The bomber had been the favoured weapon, with a relatively large number of prototypes ordered and built, while the fighter defences of Britain had progressed little, as had the performance of their aeroplanes.

Trenchard, the archetypal ‘bomber disciple’, had had his way, and such money made available for research and development had, by and large, been spent — some would say squandered — on these bomber prototypes, with precious little to show for it. The seeds of the Depression had already been sown when Trenchard left the Air Ministry, and if Salmond had any ideas of introducing radical demands for new fighters, and purchasing expensive prototypes, other aircraft development would have to be held in abeyance for the time being. After all, one could point to the satisfactory outcome of the recent light bomber competition, with the acceptance of the Hart light bomber, the first production batch of which was almost ready to join a line squadron. The ‘medium’ day bomber was a somewhat nebulous category, which no one could honestly reconcile as being a vital element in the RAF’s peacetime armoury (especially with Service appropriations at an all-time low in real terms). Nevertheless, only one squadron was equipped with the Sidestrand, and production was held at a level no more than necessary to offset attrition. And if one questioned the ability of the Vickers Virginia, Handley Page Hyderabad and Hinaidi to

THE BRITISH BOMBER – THE INTER WAR YEARS reach any conceivable target in continental Europe, drop a bomb bigger than 500lb and survive ground or air defences while flying at 84 mph at 10,000ft, it could be pointed out that two ‘cornerstone’ Requirements for new heavy bombers had been issued over two years previously, for which half a dozen prototypes had been ordered. The Air Ministry had tried all it knew to persuade the aircraft industry to tender designs of all-metal aircraft — both bombers and fighters — for half a decade, yet it was the industry itself that had been unwilling or unable to comply fully with this dictate, companies producing composite wood-and-metal prototypes accompanied by undertakings to change to all-metal construction if the tender was accepted for production. It was now no longer a matter of the industry calling the Air Ministry’s bluff; the RAF was already disestablishing the woodworking trades. Vickers, for one, was hard at work rebuilding in metal almost every Virginia extant. And it is worth mentioning here that one very large all-metal aeroplane, ordered by the Air Ministry as long ago as 1923, had flown in 1928 but, contrary to public reports issued at the time, it was not a bomber (and therefore not

conventionally eligible for this work). This was the Beardmore Inflexible, a massive aeroplane powered by three 600hp engines. It handled remarkably well in the air but, to be realistic, only confirmed that a large all-metal aeroplane – and a monoplane at that – could be built and that it could fly, but it made no provision for a bomb load. Had there been the slightest suggestion that a bomber version was envisaged, every bomber airfield in Britain would have had to undergo considerable enlargement, not to mention revised hangarage. However, the Inflexible had already made its last flight before Sir John Salmond came to the helm. The first of the two bomber Requirements referred to previously, B.19/27, attracted design tenders from Vickers, Fairey, Handley Page, Hawker, Avro and Bristol, prototypes being ordered from the first three of these manufacturers. The second Specification, B.22/27, brought forth design tenders from Boulton and Paul and de Havilland for even larger bombers, and prototypes of these had been ordered. Until these heavy bomber prototypes could be evaluated by the Service establishments and squadrons there appeared to be no immediate need to issue further bomber requirements and, owing to the adaptability of the Hart, other categories, such as army co-operation and general purpose aircraft (the latter satisfactorily filled by the Wapiti) could be ignored. Ironically, neither B.19/27 nor B.22/27 succeeded in producing a significant advance in bomber design. B.22/27 was abandoned when neither of the two three-engine prototypes impressed the Air Ministry or the A&AEE. B.19/27, however, produced two ‘winners’, the Handley Page Heyford and the Fairey Hendon. The former was a twin-engine biplane of singular appearance but possessed a mediocre performance; it was also found to display a number of aggravating design blemishes whose rectification delayed entry into service. The latter, a large twin-engine monoplane with a very thick wing, paltry bomb load and pedestrian performance, was ready for service so late that it had long been overtaken by more imaginative aeroplanes, and joined only one squadron — in November 1936! By 1932, with neither heavy bomber Specification on the table about to produce any significant advance (heavy bomber performance having increased by about 10% in eight years), the Air Ministry decided to issue a new Specification for what, at the time, were referred to as night heavy bombers but which, by the time they reached the Service, were realistically no more than medium bombers. This Specification, B.9/32, proved to be the longawaited catalyst of bomber advance, producing in due course the Handley Page Hampden

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and the Vickers Wellington. Neither of these monoplanes flew until 1936, well into the period of RAF expansion. The performance demanded by B.9/32 demonstrated the Air Ministry’s determination to introduce monoplanes into the RAF, even though the process was likely to occupy at least five or six years. The Hendon monoplane to Specification B. 19/27 had first flown in November 1930, but had crashed soon after, and although it was to gain the distinction of becoming the RAF’s first monoplane bomber, it was evident that the path being followed by the Fairey Aviation Company into the monoplane era was a cul-de-sac. Much more promising was the design philosophy adopted by Vickers (Aviation) Ltd, a company fortunate in having reacquired, in 1930, the services of Barnes Neville Wallis, a gifted engineer who was appointed head of the structures department at Weybridge. When in 1931 the Air Ministry issued a Specification (G.4/31) for an eventual Wapiti replacement in the general purpose category, Vickers tendered two designs, one a biplane and the other a monoplane. In these the airframe employed the fruits of Wallis’ original lines of thought, namely the elimination of what he saw as the redundant secondary structure, by designing a lattice structure of primary members only – the geodetic principle. From the monoplane, tendered to G.4/31, it was but a short step to the Wellesley bomber, an aeroplane of exceptional range and certainly one of the outstanding British aircraft produced during the period. If the Wellesley itself did not give widespread service in the RAF, it enabled Vickers to cut its teeth on the geodetic airframe that was to become the trademark of the Wellington, Warwick and Windsor bombers. The early 1930s were therefore a period of marking time in the RAF. Even so, the number of bomber squadrons increased from 23 at the beginning of 1930 to 32 on January 1, 1935, made possible by the one significant technological advance — the widespread adoption of the excellent Rolls-Royce Kestrel, an engine of undreamed-of reliability. In terms of armament, the bomber still relied largely on the venerable drum-fed Lewis gun as well as the First World War-vintage 112lb and 230lb bombs, although the thick-cased 250lb weapons, of much improved shape, were being introduced throughout the squadrons.

Monoplanes during the years of expansion By the summer of 1934 reliable intelligence had reached Britain that Germany, having stamped out of the Geneva Disarmament Conference the previous year, was well advanced with plans to

12 create a military air force. Although the details of those plans were the subject of somewhat wild speculation by various ministers of the Crown, it soon required no more than common sense to realise that Hitler and the Nazi Party were embarked on a course to gain military domination of Europe, no matter what the pacifists might prefer to believe. Once the reality of the German plans became evident to the British Air Staff, and the true strength of the RAF was being questioned in Parliament, figures relating to the number of ‘operational aircraft’ available were being quoted — without any qualification — in the House of Commons, and were therefore accepted as relating to aircraft of a quality at least adequate to meet on equal terms any that Germany might be producing, bearing in mind that it was generally believed that German aircraft manufacturers had had no experience in producing military aeroplanes for more than a dozen years and, being without an air force, no military airmen had been trained for a similar period. The lesson, of course, that stood to be learned from the mistakes of the mid-1930s, was that a totalitarian state can achieve a rate and efficiency of military resurgence and expansion far in excess of that achievable by democratically accountable states. Germany was assisted on its course by the dereliction of the League of Nations in its failure to discover and monitor the covert activities of numerous dedicated military figures who had successfully sought to keep in being the structure of a military machine throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. Much more significant, perhaps, is the fact that no British bomber in service on this date could reach the nearest point in Germany, drop a bomb larger than a 500-pounder, and return to its base in the United Kingdom.

With Flt Lt Chris S Staniland at the controls, the prototype Fairey Hendon, K1695, takes off from Harmondsworth aerodrome, which is today better known as Heathrow. Editor’s collection

This was the concealed legacy of the Trenchard era, a period in which all semblance of balanced forces within the RAF disappeared. The bomber had been allowed to swallow almost all the available finance available for aircraft development and production, and the fighter had been largely ignored. To be more precise, the Virginia heavy bomber was little more than a white elephant, not significantly different in capabilities from the Handley Page 0/400 of the Kaiser’s War, and this aeroplane was expected to remain as the RAF’s principal heavy bomber at least until 1936, sharing the responsibility with the almost equally ponderous Heyford. In the realm of fighters, the brightly polished, nimble Hawker Fury was armed with exactly the same two, unreliable Vickers machine guns that gave the Camel its hump in 1917. Japanese defection from the Geneva Disarmament Conference in March 1933, followed by that of Germany seven months later, prompted all the restraints to be lifted by the Air Ministry, and the planned orders for prototypes of the new generation of monoplane bombers were confirmed. By the middle of the 1930s the parameters had been set for the RAF’s Expansion Programme. In July 1934 the National Government had proposed increasing the RAF’s strength by 41 squadrons, despite dogmatic opposition by the Labour and Liberal parties. Be that as it may, just as the aircraft manufacturers (Hawker and Supermarine) were being actively and effectively encouraged to produce modern monoplane fighter prototypes, the Hurricane and Spitfire, during 1934 and 1935, so Vickers, Handley Page, Armstrong Whitworth and Bristol were hard at work on the first generation of twin-engine monoplane

bombers. To this list were soon added, with less success, the names of Fairey and Hawker, for their attempts to produce single-engine light bomber monoplanes (to become the Battle and Henley respectively). However, before the famous early wartime trio of medium and heavy bombers (classified as such by the standards of the time) were to appear — the Whitley, Wellington and Hampden — an assortment of monoplanes appeared, most of which were destined to enter limited production and service. If they served no better purpose, they certainly subsidized the growth and training of both the RAF and the aircraft industry. To these should be added the Fairey Hendon monoplane, whose origins lay in a 1927 Specification but which was eventually rewarded by a token consolation order in the mid-1930s. Apart from the Avro Anson, which originally carried bombs in the coastal reconnaissance role before becoming a long-lived aircrew trainer the world over, the RAF was fortunate to be handed on a plate what would become a cornerstone of its armoury in the first three years of the Second World War, for the Bristol Blenheim was second only to the Hawker Hurricane in the number of war theatres in which it flew and fought. In the process of settling upon heavy bombers for the new Bomber Command, created

THE BRITISH BOMBER – THE INTER WAR YEARS on 14 July 1936 at Uxbridge under the command of Air Chief Marshal Sir John Steel, there had been for some years a requirement expressed in successive Specifications for all heavy bombers to be able to carry soldiers as an alternative to a load of bombs. This had originated in a belief that, if the British forces charged with policing the Mandate in the Middle East needed reinforcement at short notice, heavy bombers would be flown out from Britain, each with a complement of soldiers on board. Although this circumstance never arose, the provision ‘As an alternative to the bomb load, a complement of troops is required to be carried if necessary’ continued in vogue. At the same time, purpose-designed troop-carrying aeroplanes were required, in a secondary role, to be able to carry

a bomb load in place of troops. Thus came into being the category of Bomber Transport, of which the Bristol Bombay and Handley Page Harrow were perhaps the best known. However, the secondary troop-carrying requirement also originally persisted in the Specification B.3/34, which in turn was related to the earlier Specification C.26/31 for a troop carrier. B.3/34 brought forth the Whitley heavy bomber, whose design always made allowance for the possibility of being called on to carry troops — a possibility that became reality in the Second World War. And the original draft Specifications which were to give rise to the famous Halifax, Manchester and Stirling heavy bombers were all designed with a secondary troop-carrying role in mind.

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Perhaps not surprisingly, those first three classic twin-engine bombers, the Whitley, Wellington and Hampden, were long in gestation, all being first flown within a period of less than three weeks in June 1936, each in its own concept breaking new ground in technology. All served with great distinction during the Second World War, though only the Wellington continued in production (and in first-line service) until 1945. These were the aircraft the Air Ministry had planned as the equipment with which Bomber Command would undergo expansion. Only as the three prototypes flew and demonstrated the practicality of their innovative designs did the Air Ministry issue the Specifications that would bring to reality the first true heavy bombers referred to above.

Only 15 Fairey Hendons were built, serving with 38 and 115 Squadrons between November 1936 and January 1939. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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Vickers Vimy, Vimy Mk II & Commercial The RAF’s successful record-breaking, post-First World War bomber The excellent Vimy had its roots in the E.F.B.7 and 8 twin-engined fighters of late 1915; their general layout and the experience gained at the time, proved to be very useful to Rex Pierson when the Air Board made a request to Vickers for a new twin-engined bomber in 1917. Having drawn up the general design of the iconic Vimy (known as the F.B.27 until 1918) on a piece of foolscap paper in the Air Board’s HQ, the Hotel Cecil in July 1917, Rex Pierson set to work and on August 16, 1917 a contract for three prototypes was placed. The main criteria of the aircraft were that it should be capable of carrying out long-range operations at night against targets in Germany. Owing to a shortage of suitable engines the first three aircraft, B9952 to B9954, were powered by the 200hp Hispano-Suiza, 260hp Salmson, 260hp Sunbeam Maori, and 300hp Fiat A-12. A fourth prototype, F9569, was powered by the reliable Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII which would later be used in the production machine. The latter was unofficially designated

as the F.B.27 Mk IV, but once the aircraft entered production it was known as the Vimy Mk II. Two of the prototypes were lost through engine failures, while the Eagle-powered machine, which was delivered to Martlesham Heath on October 11, 1918, proved the soundness of the design. With an average speed of 100mph and an endurance of eleven hours, the Vimy was armed with two .303in Lewis machines guns, one in the nose and one aft of the wings and could carry a bomb load of 2,476lb; a load that was not dramatically surpassed at the beginning of the Second World War. A civilian version of the aircraft, called the Vimy Commercial, was built with a large diameter fuselage, the first aircraft flying from Joyce Green on April 13, 1919 in the hands of Stan Cockerell. The Vimy Commercial would later serve the RAF as the Vernon and five were converted as ambulances. Civil versions of the standard Vimy included the most famous of all, which was flown across the Atlantic by Alcock and Brown in June 1919.

The prototype Vimy was first flown from Joyce Green by Gordon Bell on November 30, 1917 and entered service with the RAF’s Independent Air Force in October 1918. Only three were in service when they could be fully deployed operationally before the Armistice was signed. The Vimy was not fully operational with the RAF until July 1919, but remained in the front line until 1925 when the Virginia began to take over. 502 Squadron was the last significant unit to fly the type until 1929, although a few were retained for training duties as late as 1938. Originally 1,130 Vimys were ordered under 18 different contracts from March 1918, but the majority of these were cancelled at the end of the First World War. It is believed that 232 were actually built, including the four prototypes. Six civil Vimys were built and 44 Vimy Commercials, the bulk of these being ordered for China. Five Vimy ambulances were also built at a cost of £6,500 each, all of them being employed in the Middle East.

VICKERS VIMY, VIMY MK II & COMMERCIAL VIMY, VIMY MK II & COMMERCIAL ENGINE: Two 200hp Hispano Suiza; (II & C) Two 360hp RollsRoyce Eagle VIII WING SPAN: 67ft 2in; (II & C) 68ft LENGTH: 43ft 6½in; (C) 42ft 8in HEIGHT: 15ft 3in; (II & C) 15ft 7½ in WING AREA: 1,326 sq ft; (II & C) 1,330 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 5,420lb; (II) 7,101lb; (C) 7,790lb GROSS WEIGHT: 9,120lb; (II & C) 12,500lb MAX SPEED: 87 mph at 5,000ft; (II) 103 mph at ground level; (C) 98 mph at ground level SERVICE CEILING: 6,500ft; (II) 7,000ft; (C absolute) 10,500ft ENDURANCE: 3½ hours; (II) 11 hours RANGE: (C) 450 miles

VICKERS VIMY VARIANTS F.B.27: three prototypes (B9952-B9954) with Hispano-Suiza, Sunbeam Maori and Fiat A-12bis engines; first flight 30 November 1917 Vimy Mk 1:12 (F701-F712) built by Vickers, Crayford, 1918-9 with Fiat. BHP or Liberty engines specified; at least seven completed with Fiat A-12bis. Vimy Mk I: six (F2915-F2910) built by RAE, Farnborough; probably all with Fiat engines; F2915 with central fin and rudder for RAE trials. Vimy Mk 1:40 (F3146-F3185) built by Morgans, Leighton Buzzard with Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII; some reconditioned and re-engined in mid-1925 as trainers. Vimy Mk I: 50 (F8596-F8645) built by Vickers, Weybridge, all probably with Eagle VII Is; F8625 became G-EAOL and flown to Spain; F8630 became G-EAOU for EnglandAustralia flight by Smith brothers. Vimy Mk I: 50 (F9146-F9195) built by Vickers,

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Weybridge, all with Eagle VII Is; 26 later re-conditioned, 17 converted to dual-control trainers and four re-engined with Jupiter radials. F.B.27a Vimy Mk II: one prototype (F9569) with Rolls-Royce Eagle VIIIs. Vimy Mk II: 10 (H651-H660) built by RAE, Farnborough; Fiat engines specified but Eagles fitted; H651 used in automatic landing trials by RAE; redesignated Vimy Mk II. Vimy Mk IV: 25 (H5065-H5089) built by Westland, Yeovil with Eagle engines: redesignated Vimy Mk II. Vimy Special: one prototype (H9963); believed used for torpedo trials in 1920; probably Vickers-built. Vimy Mk II: 10 (J7238-J7247) built by Vickers, Weybridge; these were first Vimys ordered post-war (in 1923), and at some time referred to as Vimy Mk IV. Vimy Mk II: 15 (J7440-J7454) built by Vickers, 1923-4, with Eagle VIll engines; some re-engined with Jupiter and Jaguar radials in 1926; J7451 with smoke-laying gear. Vimy Mk III: five (J7701-J7705) built by Vickers. 1924-5; most reconditioned and re-engined in 1927. Vimy Transatlantic: one aircraft, Vickers-built; no registration; flown by Alcock and Brown, April-June 1919. Eagle VIIIs, increased fuel Vimy (Civil): one company-owned trials aircraft (G-EAAR allocated). Vimy (Cape Flight): Silver Queen, one aircraft (G-UABA) flown by Van Ryneveld and Brand but crashed at Korosko, Upper Egypt, 11 February 1920; Silver Queen was standard RAF aircraft Type 66 Vimy Commercial: one prototype (K-107, later G-EAAV); used in flight attempt to Cape by Broome and Cockerell but crashed 27 February 1920. Vimy Commercial: Chinese aircraft; 40 built by Vickers between April 1920 and February 1921 and shipped out to fly Peking-Tsinan air post; not all flown. Vimy Commercial: two aircraft, namely G-EASI City of London flown by Instone and Imperial Airways, and F-ADER flown by Grands Express Aériens. Vimy Commercial: one aircraft with Lion engines and high-lift wings; employed as Vernon prototype; sold to USSR in 1922. Vimy Ambulance: five aircraft (J6855, J6904, J6905, J7143 and J7144) with Lion engines; later converted to Vernons. Vernon Mk I: 20 aircraft (J6864-J6883) with Eagle VIII engines. Vernon Mk II: 25 aircraft (J6884-J6893, J6976-J6980 and J7133-J7142) with Lion engines. Vernon Mk III: 10 aircraft (J7539-J7548) with Lion III engines and extra wing tanks.

The fourth and final F.B.27 prototype (Mk IV), F9569 fitted with a pair of RollsRoyce Eagle VIII engines. It was these engines which proved by far to be the most reliable tested to date and would secure the future of the aircraft. Editor’s collection

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Vickers Virginia Mk I to Mk X Mainstay of the RAF night-bomber squadrons The Vickers Virginia bridged a gap in the RAF inventory from 1924 through to 1937 when it was replaced by a new era of bomber aircraft, like the Wellington, Hampden and Whitley. It was developed through a host of variants from the Mk I through to the Mk X, the latter only displaying a passing resemblance to the original aircraft. The Virginia was designed to replace another Vickers stalwart, the Vimy, design work beginning in 1920. A pair of prototypes was ordered in January 1921 at a cost of £13,250 each, the first of them, J6856, flying from Brooklands on November 24, 1922. The prototype was powered by a pair of Napier Lion engines inside rectangular nacelles, mounted on the lower wing. All Virginias in RAF service had the engine positioned modified to above the lower wing, housed inside a small, neat nacelle. The Mk III to the Mk V had the same wing layout as the prototype with the lower wing having a dihedral and a straight leading edge. From the Mk VII onwards the forward fuselage was re-designed and strengthened and the wings were slightly swept back from the centre section. The Mk IX and Mk X had a rear gunner’s position in the tail, while the Mk IX was mainly constructed from wood like its predecessors and the Mk X was all-metal with a fabric covering and the vertical tail surfaces were modified. The Mk X also introduced Handley Page

slats and the very last production aircraft were fitted with a tail wheel rather than a skid. The Virginia first joined the RAF on June 6, 1924 when Mk III, J6992, fitted with dual controls arrived on 7 Squadron at Bircham Newton. 58 Squadron at Worthy Down was the first unit to receive the Mk V in December 1924 while 7 Squadron received the first Mk VI in June 1925. 58 Squadron was also the first unit to take delivery of the Mk VII in January 1927 while 9 Squadron was the first to receive the Mk IX. The final variant, the Virginia Mk X was delivered to 58 Squadron in January 1928. The Virginia served with ten RAF squadrons, the last, 51 Squadron at Boscombe Down phased the Mk X out in favour of the Whitley in February 1938. As well as those units already mentioned the Virginia also served with 10, 75, 214, 215, 500 and 502 Squadrons. 124 Virginias were built in eight different versions beginning with a pair of Mk Is (Type 57 & 76), J6856 and J6857 in 1922. Six Mk IIIs (Type 79) were built, J6992 and J6993 and J7129 to J7132; two Mk IVs (Type 99), J7274 and J7275; 22 Mk Vs (Type 100), J7418 to J7439; 25 Mk VIs (Type 108), J7558 to J7567 and J7706 to J7720; eleven Mk VIIs (Type 112), J8236 to J8241 and J8326 to J8330; eight Mk IX (Type 128), J8907 to J8914 and 50 Mk Xs (Type 139), serialled K2321 to K2339 and K2650 to K2680.

VIRGINIA MK I, MK VII & MK X ENGINE: (I) Two 450hp Napier Lion; (VII) Two 500hp Napier Lion V; (X) Two 580hp Napier Lion VB WING SPAN: (I & VII) 86ft 6in; (X) 87ft 8in LENGTH: (I & VII) 50ft 7in; (X) 62ft 3in HEIGHT: (I) 17ft 3in; (VII) 16ft 11in; (X) 18ft 2in WING AREA: (I & VII) 2,166 sq ft; (X) 2,178 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: (I & VII) 9,243lb; (X) 9,650lb GROSS WEIGHT: (I) 16,750lb; (VII) 16,500lb; (X) 17,600lb MAX SPEED: (I) 97 mph at sea level; (VII) 104 mph at sea level; (X) 108 mph at 5,000ft SERVICE CEILING: (I) 8,700ft; (VII) 7,420ft; (X) 15,530ft RANGE: (I) 1,000 miles at 75 mph; (VII) 980 miles at 100 mph and 5,000ft; (X) 985 miles at 100 mph and 5,000ft

VICKERS VIRGINIA MK I TO MK X

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Above: Built as a Mk VII in early 1927 for service with 7 Squadron, by 1930 J8330 was rebuilt as a Mk X. The aircraft is depicted serving with 58 Squadron as ‘S’ until its retirement in January 1934. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk Below: 50 of the new-build Virginias were the all-metal Mk X which was capable of carrying a 3,000lb bomb load which was generally made up of nine 112lb bombs internally and a combination of 550lb, 250lb, 112lb or 20lb bombs carried externally. Defensive armament was a single Lewis machine gun in the nose and a pair of Lewis machine guns in the tail. Editor’s collection

The primitive but effective method of loading bombs onto the underwing racks of a Virginia Mk X. The larger weapon is a 550lb bomb and the smaller, are 112lb bombs. Flight via Aeroplane

The primitive but effective method of loading bombs onto the underwing racks of a Virginia Mk X. The larger weapon is a 550lb bomb and the smaller, are 112lb bombs. Flight via Aeroplane

Boulton Paul P.29A Sidestrand Mk III, J9769 ordered to Contract 921961/29 and delivered to 101 Squadron in late 1930. After a spell with the RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) at Farnborough in March 1931, the bomber returned to 101 Squadron, but was wrecked at Andover on November 7, 1932 when it was struck by a taxying Tomtit. Flight via editor

Boulton Paul P.29A Sidestrand Mk III, J9769 ordered to Contract 921961/29 and delivered to 101 Squadron in late 1930. After a spell with the RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) at Farnborough in March 1931, the bomber returned to 101 Squadron, but was wrecked at Andover on November 7, 1932 when it was struck by a taxying Tomtit. Flight via editor

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Taken on charge by 500 (County of Kent) Squadron in October 1930, Mk X J8240 is pictured being christened the ‘Isle of Thanet’ by the Mayors of Margate and Ramsgate. Via Aeroplane

BOULTON PAUL P.29 SIDESTRAND

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Boulton Paul P.29 Sidestrand The aerobatic bomber Following its experience with the Bourges and Bugle twin-engine biplane bomber prototypes, Boulton Paul designed a new aircraft to meet Specification 9/24 for a three/four-seat medium day bomber. The first of two Boulton Paul P.29 Sidestrand Mk I prototypes flew in 1926, and the company received an order for 18 production aircraft. Deliveries to the newly re-formed 101 Squadron at Bircham Newton began in 1928, the first batch of six aircraft being of the Sidestrand Mk II version with ungeared Bristol Jupiter VI engines. These were followed by nine of the Sidestrand Mk III version with geared Jupiter

VIIIFs, and the final three production aircraft were replacement Mk IIs. The Sidestrand inherited the good manoeuvrability of the Bourges, but despite proving to be an excellent aircraft for bombing and gunnery, only 101 Squadron was equipped. Three Sidestrand Mk Ills were converted to Sidestrand Mk V configuration but were then renamed Overstrand; these began to replace their predecessors in December 1934. 20 aircraft produced in total, the 18 production machines which served the RAF were serialled J9161 to J9181 (Mk II), J9185 to J9189, J9767 to J9770 and K1992 to K1994 (Mk III).

P.29 Sidestrand Mk II, J9186, which was first taken on RAF charge on September 6, 1929 and after a few trials with 101 Squadron was extensively used by the A&AEE and RAE for various experimental work. The bomber was not retired by the RAE until October 1936. Editor’s collection

BOULTON PAUL SIDESTRAND MK III

ENGINE: Two 460hp Bristol Jupiter VIIIF radial piston engines WING SPAN: 71ft 11in LENGTH: 46ft HEIGHT: 14ft 10in WING AREA: 980 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 6,010lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 10,200lb MAX SPEED: 140 mph at 10,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 24,000ft RANGE: 500 miles ARMAMENT: Three .303in Lewis machine guns (one in nose and one each in dorsal and ventral positions) and up to 1,050lb in bombs

24 One of the longest serving Sidestrands of all was the second production Mk I, J7939, which joined the A&AEE at Martlesham Heath in June 1926 and was retired in July 1937. During these years, the aircraft trialled the 425hp Jupiter VI, the 575hp Jupiter XFB and the 555hp Pegasus IM3 engines. Editor’s collection

BOULTON PAUL P.29 SIDESTRAND

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Sidestrand Mk III, J9769 ‘G’ of 101 Squadron which was the only unit to operate the type from April 1928 to July 1936, from Bircham Newton, Andover and Bicester. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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Handley Page H.P.24 Hyderabad, H.P.33/36 Hinaidi & H.P.35 Clive The archetypal 1920s heavy bomber To meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 31/22, Handley Page developed from the W.8 airliners a twin-engine heavy night bomber which entered service with the RAF as the Hyderabad. The prototype, then identified as the W.8d (later H.P.24), was flown for the first time during October 1923, its powerplant comprising two 450hp (336kW) Napier Lion IIB engines. Service trials proved it to be superior in performance to the competing Vickers Virginia Mk III, and production for the RAF eventually totalled 45 aircraft. The type entered service first with 99 Squadron in December 1925, remaining in firstline service until 1930, and then continued in use with the Auxiliary Air Force until the end of 1933. An improved version was developed from the Hyderabad to meet the requirement of Air Ministry Specification 13/29. Known as the Hinaidi Mk I, this H.P.33 differed primarily by having as its powerplant two 440hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engines. The initial prototype was a Hyderabad conversion, but it was followed by two additional prototypes built as new by Handley Page, the second of these incorporating a W.10 fuselage for evaluation as a troop transport. Six production Hinaidi Mk Is followed, the last three

Originally built as a H.P.24 Hyderabad, J7745 was converted into the prototype Hinaidi with Gnome-Rhone Jupiter engines in late 1926 early 1927 and, in this configuration, made its maiden flight on March 26, 1927. Editor’s collection

completed with an all-metal basic fuselage structure, and leading to the construction of one prototype H.P.36 and 33 production Hinaidi Mk II aircraft with the same all-metal basic structure. In addition to the new-manufacture aircraft, seven RAF Hyderabads were converted to Hinaidi Mk I configuration. Like the Hyderabad before it, the Hinaidi entered service first with 9 Squadron, remaining in first-line use until replaced by the Handley Page Heyford from November 1933. The second Hinaidi Mk I prototype, which was of all-wood construction and incorporated the W.10 fuselage, was later redesignated Clive Mk I. This H.P.35 provided accommodation for 23 troops and was followed into service by two production Clive Mk II transports, which had all-metal basic structure but were otherwise similar. The Clive Mk IIs were based at Lahore in India, serving for a number of years with the RAF Heavy Transport Flight. The Clive Mk I was converted subsequently to W.10 standard to meet an Air Council requirement, becoming redesignated Clive Mk III, but when this failed to materialize it was sold to Sir Alan Cobham who used it in his National Aviation Day Displays and for inflight-refuelling experiments.

HANDLEY PAGE HINAIDI MK II ENGINE: Two 440hp Bristol Jupiter VIII nine-cylinder radial piston engines WING SPAN: 75ft LENGTH: 59ft 2in HEIGHT: 17ft WING AREA: 1,471 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 8,040lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 14,500lb MAX SPEED: 122 mph at sea level SERVICE CEILING: 14,500ft RANGE: 850 miles ARMAMENT: Three .303in Lewis machine guns in nose, dorsal and ventral positions and up to 1,448lb in bombs

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.24 HYDERABAD, H.P.33/36 HINAIDI & H.P.35 CLIVE 44 Hyderabads served with the RAF between 1925 and 1934; the main difference between this bomber and the Hinaidi was the former’s inline Napier Lion engines. Editor’s collection

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28 The prototype Handley Page Hyderabad which was ordered to Contract 369332/22 dated January 13, 1923 to Specification 31/22. First flown in October 1923 the aircraft was involved in a large amount of trial work until mid-1926. Editor’s collection

One of 33 all-metal Hinaidi Mk IIs which were built for the RAF between May 1930 and July 1931. K1064 only served for a few months with 99 Squadron before it was allocated to the A&AEE for wing deflection tests, stability and handling trials and lowpressure tyre testing. Editor’s collection

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.24 HYDERABAD, H.P.33/36 HINAIDI & H.P.35 CLIVE

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J9031 was originally laid down as a Hyderabad and was delivered to 99 Squadron. The aircraft was wrecked in a forced landing in Harrow playing fields in February 1929 and was rebuilt as a Hinaidi Mk I and re-delivered to 99 Squadron again in 1930. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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Hawker Horsley The RAF’s torpedo-bomber and day bomber In response to Air Ministry Specification 26/23 for a two-seat medium day bomber, Hawker Engineering designed and built the prototype of a large two-bay biplane to fulfil this role. With unequal-span slightly-swept wings, a conventional braced tail unit, tailskid landing gear and power provided by a Rolls-Royce

HAWKER HORSLEY ENGINE: One 665hp Rolls Royce Condor IIIA WING SPAN: 56ft 6in LENGTH: 38ft 10in HEIGHT: 13ft 7¾in WING AREA: 693 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 4,958lb LOADED WEIGHT: 9,271lb MAX SPEED: 118 mph SERVICE CEILING: 15,000ft RANGE: 900 miles ARMAMENT: One fixed-forward firing synchronised .303in Vickers machine gun and one .303in Lewis machine gun in the rear cockpit and up to 500lb of bombs on underwing racks

Condor III, the prototype Hawker Horsley was flown for the first time during 1925. Service testing resulted in a contract for 20 aircraft, these being the last aircraft of all-wood construction to be built by the company. The subsequent Horsley Mk II was mixed wood and metal construction and the final Horsley Mk III (a Hawker, not official

designation), which began to enter service in 1929, was of all-metal basic structure. The Horsley served initially with 11 (Bomber) Squadron and by early 1928 four squadrons had been equipped; it was during this year that the type became operational also as a torpedo-bomber. During 1931 and 1932 a

HAWKER HORSLEY

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The torpedo bomber prototype of the Horsley was Mk II, J8006, pictured with the Development Flight at RAF Gosport on June 6, 1930. Editor’s collection

small number of Horsley torpedo-bombers of all-metal construction were converted for use as target tugs. Total production for the RAF was to exceed 120 aircraft of all versions and the type remained in home service until 1934 and into the following year with 36 Squadron based in Singapore. In addition to production for the RAF,

six composite-construction Horsley Mk IIs were built for the Greek naval air service, and two with 800hp Armstrong Siddeley Leopard II radial engines were supplied to Denmark under the name Dantorp, these being three-seat torpedobombers. Licence-production in Denmark was planned but did not materialize.

In addition to their military use, a number of Horsleys provided valuable service from 1926 to 1937 in an engine test-bed role, their endurance and flight characteristics making them ideal for such purpose.

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Hawker Hart (SEDB) Sydney Camm’s most adaptable standard RAF light bomber The Hawker Hart day bomber, which first entered service with 33 Squadron of the RAF at Eastchurch in January 1930, was originated to meet Air Ministry Specification 12/26. This called for design and development of a day bomber which was required to have an unprecedented maximum speed of 160 mph, a performance requirement that was comfortably exceeded thanks to a combination of excellent airframe design and the adoption of the Rolls-Royce F.XIB V-12 engine for the prototype, which was first flown in June 1928. The Hart’s introduction into service created unexpected problems for the Air Ministry, for not only was it very considerably faster than contemporary bombers, in some cases by as much as 80 mph, but it could also show a ‘clean pair of heels’ to any fighters then in service. Among the many uses for which Harts were adopted, one must mention their temporary deployment as fighters with 23 (Fighter) Squadron. In the annual air exercises of 1931, Hart bombers were able to make their attacks on selected targets with virtually complete immunity from interception by the defending fighters. Only when 23 Squadron was brought

into action was it possible to prevent them from gaining their target. Such a state of affairs was, of course, to the ultimate benefit of the country and the RAF, for strenuous efforts were made to develop new fighter aircraft of much improved performance. The Hart was also included in this exercise, for following 23 (F) Squadron’s experience with the Hart Two-Seat Fighter, attempts were made to improve and develop a specialized fighter version. This materialized as the Hawker Demon, which differed from the Hart primarily by having a different version of the Kestrel engine, a revised rear cockpit to improve the field of fire for the rear gun, installation of a radio transmitter and receiver and, in some late production aircraft, replacement of the tailskid by a tailwheel. In addition to 234 Demons built for the RAF, Hawker built 54 for the RAAF. Ten dual-control trainers, with provisions for target towing, were also built for the RAAF which designated them Demon Mk II. In late 1934 a Demon was flown with the prototype of a Frazer-Nash power-operated gun turret in the rear position, this incorporating a ‘lobster-back’ shield to provide the gunner with

HAWKER HART (SEDB) SINGLE ENGINE DAY BOMBER) ENGINE: One 525hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel IB or 510hp Kestrel XDR 12-cylinder Vee engine WING SPAN: 37ft 3in LENGTH: 29ft 4in HEIGHT: 10ft 5in WING AREA: 348 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 2,530lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 4,554lb MAX SPEED: 184 mph at 15,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 21,350ft RANGE: 470 miles ARMAMENT: One .303in forwardfiring Vickers machine gun and one .303in Lewis machine gun on a ring mounting in the aft cockpit and up to 520lb in bombs

HAWKER HART (SEDB) & HAWKER HIND some protection from the slipstream. A number was built with this as standard equipment, and many in-service aircraft were modified retrospectively, the type becoming known as the Turret Demon. The Hart, however, was a highly successful venture, for more Harts or aircraft of Hart origin were built in the UK during the inter-war period than any other basic design. In addition to the standard Hart day bomber they included: six Hart Two-Seat Fighters for 23 (F) Squadron; 507 dual-control Hart Trainer machines; a number of aircraft without bomb gear and armament as Hart Communications aircraft for 24 Squadron; and tropicalised versions known as Hart (India) and Hart (Special). When, in 1936, Harts began to be replaced by Hawker Hinds in operational

units, the Air Ministry allowed a considerable number of Harts to be made available to the South African Air Force, deliveries beginning towards the end of 1936. Other Harts to be operated abroad included eight for Estonia, with interchangeable wheel and float landing gear, which were delivered in late 1932. Sweden also found the Hart attractive and after four had been built and delivered in 1934, an additional 42 were built under licence by the State Aircraft Factory at Tröllhattan. Produced during 1935 and 1936, they were powered by licence-built versions of the Bristol Pegasus radial engine. This untypical engine installation reminds one that Harts saw extensive use as engine test-beds, and in addition to the standard Kestrel IB or XDR

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they were flown with the Rolls-Royce Kestrel IS, IIB, IIS IIIMS, V, VIS, XFP, XVI, P.V.2 and Merlin C and E; Armstrong Siddeley Panther; Bristol Jupiter, Pegasus, Perseus and Mercury; Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs, Lorraine Petrèl Hfrs; and Napier Dagger. Total production, including those built under licence in Sweden, exceeded 1,000, which was an impressive figure for an aircraft of the 1930s. Hart bombers had been withdrawn from front-line service in the UK in 1938, but at the outbreak of the Second World War continued to be operational in the Middle East until replaced gradually by more modern types, such as the Bristol Blenheim. In service with the South African Air Force, Harts were used in a communications role until 1943.

The prototype Hawker Hart, J9052 which was ordered on Contract 762629/27 to Specification 12/26 pictured at the A&AEE, Martlesham Heath in May 1929. Editor’s collection

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HAWKER HART (SEDB) & HAWKER HIND

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Taken on charge by 33 Squadron at Eastchurch in February 1930, Hart J9937 was returned to the manufacturers and converted into a trainer in 1931. As well as the installation of dual controls, the Hart trainer had the upper mainplane modified to have a reduced sweepback which moved the centre of gravity to compensate for the lack of operational equipment. Editor’s collection

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Hawker Hind Laying the foundation blocks for Bomber Command With the beginning of RAF expansion in 1934, the Air Ministry issued Specification G.7/34, which called for a light bomber that was required to serve as an interim replacement for the Hart bomber. This was considered a desirable course of action to bridge the gap until new-generation aircraft, such as the Bristol Blenheim and Fairey Battle, began to enter service. Hawker’s proposal to meet this requirement was a new derivative of the Hart, differing primarily by installation of the more powerful Kestrel V engine, but with changes which included modification of the aft cockpit to improve conditions, field of fire, and prone bombing position, and with a tailwheel replacing the Hart’s tail skid. Named Hawker Hind, the prototype of this new aircraft flew for the first time on 12 September 1934, and just under a year later, on 4 September 1935, the first production Hind was flown. The first squadron to receive Hinds was 21, then at Bircham Newton, Norfolk, which

The Hind went into service in November 1935 and eventually equipped 20 RAF bomber squadrons. Editor’s collection

was allocated sufficient to equip one flight, and at the same time one flight of 18 and 34 Squadrons were similarly equipped. Subsequent production aircraft were delivered to these squadrons until each was at full strength, after which 12 and 142 Squadrons were equipped. Such was the rate of production that by the spring of 1937 Bomber Command had received 338 Hinds, and a further 114 were in service with seven Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. Small numbers were also supplied to the air forces of India, New Zealand and South Africa. Like the Hart, the Hind attracted considerable export interest, and was built for Afghanistan, Latvia, Persia (Iran), Portugal, Switzerland and Yugoslavia. As a result Hinds were to be seen with a variety of powerplants, including the Bristol Mercury VIII or IX, Gnome-Rhone Mistral K-9, and Rolls-Royce Kestrel VDR and XVI, in addition to the standard Kestrel V. Peak utilization of Hinds by the RAF came in

1937, when Battles and Blenheims were entering service, and with a requirement for a bomber trainer for operation by the Volunteer Reserve FTS, it was decided to adapt the Hinds for this role. Changes included deletion of the rear cockpit gun mounting and modification of that cockpit to accommodate an instructor, with dual controls and full instrumentation; the forward-firing gun was also deleted from most of these Hart trainers. In 1938, all were equipped with blind-flying hoods for instrument training. At the outbreak of the Second World War, most Hinds were operating in the training role, but some were retained by squadrons for use as communications aircraft, and six were supplied to Eire during 1939 and 1940 for use as trainers by the Irish Air Corps. Many were modified subsequently to serve as glider tugs, remaining in use for this purpose until the type was phased out in 1942, remembered as the last biplane light bomber in RAF service.

HAWKER HART (SEDB) & HAWKER HIND

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HAWKER HIND ENGINE: One 640hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V 12-cylinder Vee engine WING SPAN: 37ft 3in LENGTH: 29ft 7in HEIGHT: 10ft 7in WING AREA: 348 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 3,251lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 5,298lb MAX SPEED: 186 mph at 16,400ft SERVICE CEILING: 26,400ft RANGE: 430 miles ARMAMENT: One .303in forwardfiring Vickers machine gun and one .303in Lewis machine gun in rear cockpit and up to 500lb in bombs

15 Squadron (RAF Abingdon) Hind, K5414, which joined the unit on February 27, 1937. Later served with 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron and was SOC on April 9, 1940 with 345.20 flying hours to its credit. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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It was not difficult to identify which unit an RAF aircraft belonged to during the peaceful 1930s; in this case 57 Squadron from Upper Heyford. Nearest to the camera is K2457 with K2458 visible below, both aircraft were delivered to 57 Squadron on April 22 and April 31, 1932 respectively. Aeroplane

VICKERS VILDEBEEST MK I TO IV

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Vickers Vildebeest Mk I to IV

Coastal Command’s only torpedo bomber at the outbreak of WW2 It was because of a delay to the delivery of the Bristol Beaufort to the RAF, that the Vickers Vildebeest, an aircraft dating back to 1928, was to become the only operational torpedo bomber available to Coastal Command in September 1939 and would remain so until April 1940. The Vildebeest (first named Vildebeeste until 1934) was originally designed to Specification 24/25, calling for a torpedo bomber to replace the Hawker Horsley, which was introduced in 1927. The Vildebeest was a large all-metal, fabriccovered single-engined tractor biplane with unstaggered wings. The aircraft followed a similar design pattern to the Vixen family, looking more like a scaled-up version of the Vendace. Vickers’ proposal was one of three finally accepted by the Air Ministry to a very specific criteria. The main requirements of 24/25 was a high ceiling and stability to bomb accurately, ability to perform coastal defence and of course being able to carry an 18in, 2,000lb torpedo. Planned power, at first, was a Bristol Jupiter VI but the aircraft was also earmarked for a supercharged Bristol Orion that never came to fruition. In the end the prototype was fitted with a 460hp

Jupiter VIII that was loaned from the Air Ministry in November 1927. The prototype Type 432, serialled N230, was first flown from Brooklands by Tiny Scholefield in April 1928. In September the aircraft departed for Martlesham Heath to compete for 24/25 against the Blackburn Beagle and the Handley Page Hare. The Jupiter VIII suffered badly from cooling problems but these disappeared when a second prototype was fitted with a Jupiter XFBM, followed by the production Vildebeest Mk I which were fitted with the 600hp Pegasus IM3. The Mk I first entered service with 100 Squadron in November 1932 and the following month the first Mk II was ordered with a 635hp Pegasus IIM3 engine. The Mk II was the first version to serve overseas when 100 Squadron were transferred to Singapore in December 1933. The Mk III was a three-seater, the rear cockpit being modified to accommodate the extra crewman. The Vildebeest Mk III was the most prolific version built, 150 of them being delivered to the RAF by the end of 1936. This mark was also the first to serve with another air force when nearly 30 were diverted to the

RNZAF, a dozen of these having folding wings and pylons for long-range fuel tanks. The final variant, the Mk IV was powered by 825hp Bristol Perseus driving a three-blade Rotol propeller. The last of the 18 ordered were delivered to the RAF by November 1939, although a dozen were sold to the RNZAF. When the Mk IV joined 42 Squadron in March 1937, it was the first aircraft to join the RAF with a sleeve-valve engine. Beaufort delays to units in the Far East also saw two Vildebeest squadrons facing the Japanese alone during the invasion of Singapore in 1941. Heavy losses were inevitable but the aircraft fought on until March 1942 when 36 Squadron still had two aircraft on strength. Vildebeest production included: one Type 132 (Jupiter VII); one Type 192 (Jupiter XF); one Type 194 (Jupiter XIF); one Type 204; one Type 209; one Type 214 (Jupiter XFBM); one Type 216 (Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr and floats), 22 Mk Is (Type 244); 30 Mk IIs (Type 258), 150 Mk IIIs (Type 267) (15 diverted to the RNZAF including one Mk II); 12 Mk III (Type 277) for RNZAF; 18 Mk IVs for RAF (12 for RNZAF); 26 (Type 245) licence-built Series IX with Hispano-Suiza 12L for the Spanish Navy and one Type 263 (Pegasus 1M3).

The first production Vildebeest Mk II, K2916 pictured at the MAEE, Felixstowe. The aircraft was fitted with a pair of floats by Supermarine in November 1933 and floatplane trials were conducted between January 1934 and early 1936. Editor’s collection

Originally built as Vildebeest Mk III, K4164 never entered RAF service but was used instead for a variety of trials until July 1936 when it became the Mk IV prototype, depicted here. Editor’s collection

Originally built as Vildebeest Mk III, K4164 never entered RAF service but was used instead for a variety of trials until July 1936 when it became the Mk IV prototype, depicted here. Editor’s collection

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VILDEBEEST MK I, MK III & MK IV

Originally built as a Vildebeest Mk III, K4164 was converted into Perseus-powered Mk IV prototype in 1936. The aircraft continued to carry out performance trials until September 1940. Editor’s collection

ENGINE: (I) One 600hp Bristol Pegasus IM3; (III) One 635hp Bristol Pegasus IIM3; (IV) One 825hp Bristol Pegasus VIII WING SPAN: 49ft LENGTH: (I & III) 36ft 8in; (IV) 37ft 8in HEIGHT: 14ft 8in WING AREA: 728 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: (I) 4,229lb; (III) 4,773lb; (IV) 4,724lb GROSS WEIGHT: (I) 8,100lb; (III & IV) 8,500lb MAX SPEED: (I) 140 mph at 10,000ft; (III) 143 mph; (IV) 156 mph at 5,000ft ABSOLUTE CEILING: 19,000ft RANGE: (I & III) 1,250 miles at 122 mph; (IV) 1,625 miles at 133 mph

VICKERS VILDEBEEST MK I TO IV

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Vildebeest Mk II, K4176, joined 36 Squadron in the Far East in February 1935 and gave good service until January 26, 1942 when it was damaged by flak and Japanese Ki27s off Endau. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.com

Two Vildebeest prototypes were serialled as N230; this is the second aircraft fitted with the Jupiter XFBM engine taxying at Hendon June 1932. Aeroplane

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Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford The last of the RAF biplane heavy bombers In retrospect, the Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford had the appearance of something that only a mother (or perhaps designer) could love, its heavy-looking biplane structure and spatted main landing gear units suggesting low speed or inefficiency. This impression was heightened by the fact that the fuselage was mounted to the upper wing, strut bracing filling a large gap between the fuselage and lower wing. This layout had a purpose, of course, the lower wing centre-section being of almost double the normal aerofoil thickness to allow bombs to be stowed internally, and brought close to the ground to speed the business of re-arming after a bombing sortie. Other features of the configuration included wings of basic metal structure with fabric covering, a fuselage which was half metaland half fabric-covered, accommodation for a crew of four, robust tailwheel landing gear, and a braced tailplane carrying twin fins and rudders. Power was provided by two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines, mounted in nacelles beneath the upper wing, outboard of the fuselage and

The prototype Handley Page H.P.38 ordered to Contract 790320/27 to Specification B.19.27 with the serial J9130. First flown on June 12, 1930 the bomber is pictured at the Hendon Air Display in June 1932. Aeroplane

directly above the main landing gear units. The armament had one more unusual feature to add to the appearance of the Heyford, one of its three defensive machine-guns being mounted in a ventral ‘dustbin’ turret that could be lowered beneath the fuselage, aft of the wing. The prototype H.P.38 was flown for the first time during June 1930, and successful service testing resulted in the type being ordered, initially as the Heyford Mk I. A total of 124 had been supplied to the RAF by the time that production ended in July 1936, these comprising 15 Heyford Mk I, 23 Heyford Mk IA, 16 Heyford Mk II and 70 Heyford Mk III aircraft; they differed primarily in installed powerplant. Entering service first with 99 Squadron at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, they eventually equipped also 7, 9, 10, 38, 78, 97, 102, 148, 149 and 166 Squadrons until the last of them were displaced by Vickers Wellingtons in 1939. However, they continued in use for some time, especially in training units, until finally declared obsolete in July 1941 as the last biplane bomber to serve with the RAF.

HANDLEY PAGE HEYFORD MK IA ENGINE: Two 575hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIIS or IIIS-5 12-cylinder Vee piston engines WING SPAN: 75ft LENGTH: 58ft HEIGHT: 17ft 6in WING AREA: 1,470 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 9,200lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 16,900lb MAX SPEED: 142 mph at 13,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 21,000ft RANGE: 920 miles with a 1,600lb bomb load ARMAMENT: Three .303in Lewis machine guns in nose, dorsal and ventral ‘dustbin’ positions and up to 3,500lb in bombs

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.50 HEYFORD

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Heyford Mk III, K5193 was first delivered to 10 Squadron on November 12, 1935 and then went on to serve with 78 and 102 Squadrons and 4 AOS (Air Observers School – later 4 BGS (Bombing & Gunnery School)). Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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The first production Heyford Mk I, K3489 which first flew on June 21, 1933 and is pictured during handling tests and gun trials with the A&AEE at Martlesham Heath. The aircraft went on to serve the RAE and was SOC on January 23, 1939. Aeroplane

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.50 HEYFORD

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Heyford Mk IIA, K4029, powered by a pair of 640hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines, which raised the bomber’s top speed to 154 mph. Aeroplane

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Heyfords of 99 Squadron from Upper Heyford put on a display during the 1934 Hendon Air Display. Aeroplane

HANDLEY PAGE H.P.50 HEYFORD

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The last of the first production batch of 14 Heyford Mk Is built was K3503, which was allotted to the DTD at Handley Page on March 29, 1934. The aircraft became the prototype Mk II as depicted with an enclosed cockpit and power from a pair of 640hp Kestrel IV engines. Editor’s collection

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Vickers Vincent A ground support light bomber for the RAF Prompted by Specification G.4/31 for a new general-purpose aircraft, Rex Pierson decided in 1931 to design a conversion of the Vildebeest. This would entail converting the coastal torpedo bomber into an aircraft capable of carrying out those duties being placed upon the RAF in the Middle East; i.e. ground support and light bombing. The one problem that the RAF crews had been suffering from in the Middle East was a lack of range, which did not go hand in hand with the vast and remote environment they were flying over, coupled with a distinct shortage of suitable landing grounds. Once the Vildebeest’s torpedo equipment was removed, there was room for a 100-gallon fuel

tank below the fuselage which would extend the new aircraft’s range to 1,250 miles. The big Vildebeest was also ideal to accommodate the large amount of service equipment demanded of G.4/31 as well as being capable of carrying a 1,056lb bomb load, desert survival equipment, a wireless and a message pick-up hook. Once Pierson presented his ideas, the Air Ministry accepted all of the proposals, in principle, and agreed that one Vildebeest Mk I, S1714, would be used as a prototype. The aircraft would be powered with the engine of the Vildebeest Mk III, the Bristol IIM.3. S1714 made its maiden flight on November 24, 1932 and within a month was being shipped off to Egypt for service trials which

The first production Vickers Vincent, K4105, which was allocated to the DTD (Director of Technical Development (Air Ministry)), at Vickers on March 7, 1934. Later involved in a variety of trials work, the Vincent became an instructional airframe on March 18, 1940. Editor’s collection

entailed a general assessment by all RAF general purpose squadrons located in the Middle East and North Africa. On return to England, a new specification, No. 21/33 was produced around Pierson’s design and in late 1933 a production order for 51 aircraft was placed. It was only in 1934 that the name Vincent was applied to the aircraft. With the exception of the first production aircraft, which was retained in the UK for various trials, all Vincents were shipped to the Middle East, the first of them joining 84 Squadron in December 1934. 8 Squadron followed in February 1935, a unit which was destined to operate the Vincent until March 1942. These two units alone took delivery of 46 aircraft.

VICKERS VINCENT

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Vincent, K4134 ‘D’ of 8 Squadron was delivered to the unit in January 1935 and remained until June 17, 1938 having accumulated 1,020 flying hours (quite high for a Vincent). Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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As production orders increased, 45 Squadron was re-equipped in November 1935 and both 47 and 207 Squadrons operating in the Sudan received Vincents in 1936. By the outbreak of the Second World War only 8 and 47 Squadrons were still fully equipped with the type, although a new unit, 244 Squadron was formed at Shaibah with Vincents in November 1940. The latter unit saw action against the Iraqi Army in May 1941 when the RAF station at Habbaniya was threatened. 244 Squadron was also destined to be the last Vincent unit when Blenheims had fully re-equipped the unit in January 1943. 197 Vincents were built: K4105 to K4155 (four of this batch supplied to New Zealand and one to Iraq); K4615 to K4619 (one to New Zealand); K4656 to K4750 (17 to New Zealand and three to Iraq); K4883 to K4885 and K6326 to K6368.

Vincent K4687 was one of a batch of 95 delivered to the RAF between September 1935 and February 1936. The aircraft is pictured in service with 47 Squadron with which it served until February 14, 1938 when the bomber flew into the ground between Khartoum and Es Sufeiya. Charles E Brown via editor

VICKERS VINCENT

VINCENT

ENGINE: One 635hp Bristol Pegasus IIM3 WING SPAN: 49ft LENGTH: 36ft 8in HEIGHT: 17ft 9in WING AREA: 728 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 4,229lb GROSS WEIGHT: 8,100lb MAX SPEED: 142 mph at 5,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 19,000ft RANGE: 1,250 miles at 133 mph

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Boulton Paul P.75 Overstrand Leader of a revolution in air tactics A development of the Sidestrand, the Boulton & Paul P.75 Overstrand prototype which flew in 1933 was a conversion of the eighth production Sidestrand. Several other conversions followed, designated originally as Sidestrand Mk V, but the name Overstrand was adopted in March 1934. By then the company name had changed to Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd and construction of a new factory had begun at Wolverhampton. An order was placed for 24 production Overstrands to replace the Sidestrands in service with 101 Squadron, but the first aircraft to reach this unit in January 1935 was a Sidestrand conversion, to be followed by another conversion the following month. The first true production

Overstrands were not delivered until early the following year. While the early conversions were powered by 555hp Bristol Pegasus I engines, the production models had the Pegasus II of 580hp. Apart from having more powerful engines, the Overstrand differed from its predecessor by having an enclosed power-operated nose turret, the first in an RAF aircraft: this development led a contemporary annual to predict that ‘it is likely to lead to a revolution in air tactics’. In addition to providing this luxury for the front gunner, the Overstrand had an enclosed cockpit with a movable windscreen for the pilot, and a controllable hot air supply for all crew positions was drawn from a new type of heater built

Originally built as a Sidestrand Mk III, J9770 was converted to an Overstrand by Boulton Paul after the aircraft was damaged at Catfoss. It then spent the rest of its career trialling air to air refuelling, various engines, automatic bomb sights, engine behaviour and handling tests until it was retired in 1938. Editor’s collection

into the engine exhaust system. Further evidence of the Overstrand’s advanced design was the provision of an auto-pilot. The Overstrand was operated by 101 Squadron, but four aircraft were loaned to 144 Squadron which had been re-formed at Bicester in January 1937; their Overstrands were eventually replaced by Avro Ansons. 101 Squadron phased out its Overstrands during 1937, and began to re-equip with Bristol Blenheim Mk Is in June 1938. A few Overstrands lingered on as gunnery trainers until about 1941. A proposed development, the Superstrand was to have had retractable landing gear and a generally cleaned-up airframe, but the advent of new monoplane bombers killed this project.

BOULTON PAUL P.75 OVERSTRAND

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Overstrand K4561 of 101 Squadron which served the unit from May 27, 1936 until August 1938. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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BOULTON PAUL OVERSTRAND

When 101 Squadron said goodbye to its trusty Sidestrands at Bicester in 1936, the pioneering RAF medium bomber unit was destined to be the only squadron to be re-equipped with its successor, the Overstrand. The first examples arrived in January 1935 and remained until August 1938, having been superseded by an advanced monoplane bomber, the Blenheim. Aeroplane

ENGINE: Two 580hp Bristol Pegasus IIM.3 radial piston engines WING SPAN: 72ft LENGTH: 46ft HEIGHT: 15ft 6in WING AREA: 980 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 7,936lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 10,200lb MAX SPEED: 153 mph at 6,500ft SERVICE CEILING: 22,500ft RANGE: 545 miles ARMAMENT: Three .303in Lewis machine guns (one in nose and one each in dorsal and ventral positions) and up to 1,600lb in bombs

VICKERS WELLESLEY MK I

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Vickers Wellesley Mk I The first geodetic in RAF service The first aircraft to join the RAF with geodetic construction was the Vickers Wellesley light bomber. While the aircraft was obsolete by the beginning of the Second World War in the European theatre, the aircraft was successfully employed in East Africa, Egypt and the Middle East. While Vickers was developing the G.4/31 biplane, a monoplane was being designed simultaneously as a private venture by Barnes Wallis. While the biplane was a good aircraft in its own right, the Type 246 monoplane totally outperformed it and the planned contract for 150 biplanes was cancelled and a total of 177 Type 287 Wellesleys were ordered instead. The Type 256 was first flown by Mutt Summers on June 19, 1935 but in defence of the biplane, the monoplane did not meet all of the general-purpose requirements of the original specification and was ordered as a pure bomber aircraft. To accommodate the monoplane, a new Specification 22/25 was written for the aircraft. The Wellesley first entered service with 76 Squadron at Finningley in April 1937 and as the RAF expanded, five further squadrons were equipped with type. By April 1939 the Wellesley was already being replaced by Battles,

All three Wellesleys of the RAF’s LongRange Development Flight are reunited in Australia after their record-breaking flight in November 1938. Editor’s collection

Hampdens and Whitleys, but rather than withdrawing the light bomber completely, 100 were transferred to units in the Middle East. The first of these was 45 Squadron in November 1937 followed by 223 Squadron in June 1938 and 47 Squadron in 1939; all had flown the Vickers Vincent. The Wellesley first went into action in East Africa against the Italians as part of 254 Wing (14, 47 and 223 Squadrons). On the first day of the East African campaign, Wellesleys of 14 Squadron bombed Massawa while 223 Squadron successfully attacked Addis Ababa on August 18, 1940. The Wellesley was later used in the region for shipping reconnaissance patrols, the last examples serving with 47 Squadron until August 1943. The one event that the Wellesley achieved notoriety for was when three aircraft, L2638, L2639 and L2680 of the RAF’s Long-Range Development Flight, captured the World’s Long-Distance Record in November 1938. Led by Sqn Ldr Richard Kellett, the trio took off from Ismailia in Egypt on November 5 and flew non-stop to Darwin, Australia, a distance of 7,162 miles in just over 48 hours. L2639 had to land at Kupang before

crossing the Timor Sea leaving the two remaining aircraft to capture the record. 177 Wellesleys (Type 287) were built (including the prototype) in the serial ranges: K7713 to K7791 (79), K8520 to K8536 (17) and L2637 to L2716 (80), all delivered between March 4, 1937 and May 30, 1938.

VICKERS G.4/31 & WELLESLEY MK I

ENGINE: (G.4/31) One 680hp Bristol Pegasus IIIM3; (Mk I) One 925hp Pegasus XX; (Distance Record) One Pegasus XXII WING SPAN: 74ft 7in LENGTH: 39ft 3in HEIGHT: 12ft 4in WING AREA: 630 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 6,812lb GROSS WEIGHT: 11,128lb MAX SPEED: 222 mph at 15,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 26,100ft RANGE: 1,100 miles

Wellesley Mk I, L2697 ‘U’ initially served with 14 Squadron at Amman and later Ismailia, but was later wrecked during operations with 47 Squadron at Summit on September 17, 1940. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

Wellesley Mk I, L2697 ‘U’ initially served with 14 Squadron at Amman and later Ismailia, but was later wrecked during operations with 47 Squadron at Summit on September 17, 1940. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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The Wellesley pre-production prototype, K7556, which was built to new specification 22/35, flies for the first time from Brooklands on June 15, 1935. The aircraft went on to spend most of its time with the RAE and the A&AEE until it was SOC in March 1940. Editor’s collection

VICKERS WELLESLEY MK I

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76 Squadron was reformed with the Wellesley from ‘B’ Flight of 7 Squadron Finningley on April 12, 1937. The unit operated the Wellesley until April 1937 when they were replaced by the Handley Page Hampden. Aeroplane

The fourth production Vickers Wellesley, K7717, pictured with a Pegasus XXII for longrange trials in October 1937. The aircraft is still wearing its 148 Squadron numbers. Aeroplane

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Bristol Blenheim I, IF, II & Bolingbroke Fastest bomber available, and in numbers

Blenheim Mk I L1295 pitches up for the camera prior to delivery to 107 Squadron. The aircraft went on to serve with many second-line units. The Blenheim’s career ended at Harlaxton with 12 PAFU in July 1943. Editor’s collection

BRISTOL BLENHEIM IV, IVF & BOLINGBROKE Originally proposed in July 1935, the Type 142M (M for Military), was the bomber version of the original ‘Britain First’ high-speed aircraft. The main difference in this design was the position of the wing, which was moved from its low position to the mid-fuselage releasing sufficient room for a bomb bay below. Behind the trailing edge of the wing, space was made for a dorsal turret and the nose compartment was redesigned to accommodate a bomb aimer. The new wing position also saw the tailplane raised by eight inches. All of these modifications, including a host of internal changes pertinent to a military aircraft, were installed under a new Air Ministry Specification B28/35 which was drawn up in August 1935. By September, 150 Blenheim Mk Is were ordered direct from the drawing board. The first production machine, which was effectively the prototype, K7033, made its maiden flight from Filton on June 25, 1936. After service trials

at Martlesham Heath, the design was officially given permission to proceed with the order and production began in December 1936. It was the third aircraft off the line, K7035, which became the first Blenheim to be delivered to the RAF on March 1, 1937. The customer was 114 Squadron at Wyton and this first aircraft was, appropriately, a dual-controlled trainer which would prove invaluable in training new pilots on the complex systems and higher performance range that the Blenheim introduced. First envisaged as a long-range day fighter, the Mk IF was also capable of ground attack and bomber escort. This role was introduced in late 1938 and, by July 1939, the arrival of fighters such as the Bf109 saw the Blenheim lose its original speed advantage. Therefore, the Mk IF found itself in the night fighting role which, combined with pioneering introduction of AI (Airborne Interception) radar, saw the mark achieve some success.

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The main difference between the Mk IF and the Mk I was the introduction of a gun tray below the fuselage which was fitted with four Browning machine guns. Approximately 200 Mk Is were converted to Mk IFs, the first of which entered service with 25 Squadron at Hawkinge in December 1938. 111 were in service with Fighter Command at the beginning of the Second World War and one unit, 219 Squadron, was still operating in daylight at the height of the Battle of Britain. Mk IFs also served with Coastal Command, flying shipping protection duties, but, with the arrival of the Beaufighter Mk IF, the Blenheim fighter was rapidly being replaced by late 1940. Blenheim Mk I production in Britain comprised 684 built at Filton; 250 by Avro at Chadderton; 250 by Rootes Securities at Speke and Blyth Bridge. Overseas, 18 Mk I, were built by Fairchild Aircraft, Canada; 45 by Valtion Lentokonetehdas, Finland and 16 by Ikarus AD in Yugoslavia.

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BLENHEIM I, IF, II & BOLINGBROKE I ENGINE: Two 840hp Bristol Mercury VIII WING SPAN: 56ft 4in LENGTH: (I) 39ft 9in; (Bolingbroke I) 42ft 9in HEIGHT: 12ft 10in WING AREA: 469 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: (I) 8,100lb; (Bolingbroke I) 9,800lb ALL-UP WEIGHT: (I) 12,250lb; (Bolingbroke I) 12,500-14,400lb MAX SPEED: (I) 285mph; (Bolingbroke I) 260-295mph CEILING: (I) 32,000ft; (Bolingbroke I) 31,500ft RANGE: (I) 1,125 miles; (Bolingbroke I) 1,950 miles

BRISTOL BLENHEIM IV, IVF & BOLINGBROKE

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One of the first Blenheim Mk Is handed over to 114 Squadron at RAF Wyton was K7040 which was delivered on March 22, 1937. The aircraft escaped operational service without incident. Its tour with 114 Squadron was short, as it was renumbered 1042M on April 8, 1938 and continued to serve as an instructional airframe with 1 SoTT. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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Bristol Blenheim IV, IVF & Bolingbroke Bearing the brunt of daylight operations Originally known as the Bolingbroke, a name which was later adopted by all Canadianbuilt machines, the long-nosed version of the Blenheim had its roots in Air Ministry Specification 11/36. The lengthened nose gave the navigator a new, roomier station by moving his position from behind the pilot to in front. The prototype, K7072, referred to as the Bolingbroke Mk I retained the same contour as the Blenheim Mk I but was extended forward. First flown on September 24, 1937, it was obvious from an early stage that the pilot’s windscreen was too far away

from his eyes and that the reflections caused by the multiple glazed panels caused a great deal of trouble. Over the coming months, attempts were made to rectify the problem until the familiar asymmetric glazed nose, with the navigator’s position scalloped down to give the pilot a good line of sight, was tested at Martlesham Heath and approved for production from July 1938. With production of the Blenheim Mk I already in full swing, a large number of the first Mk IVs were retrospectively converted before leaving the factory. It was not until January 1939 that the first

Mk IVs entered RAF service with 53 Squadron at Odiham for night reconnaissance duties. The first light bombers arrived on 90 Squadron at Bicester two months later and, by the beginning of the war, seven squadrons in 2 Group had been equipped with the Mk IV. The types bore the brunt of RAF Bomber Command’s early operations and were in action from the first day of war until at least late 1943 in the Far East. Like the Blenheim Mk IF before it, Mk VIF was converted in the same way, with the most obvious difference being the attachment of a

BRISTOL BLENHEIM IV, IVF & BOLINGBROKE

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BLENHEIM & BOLINGBROKE IV

four-gun under fuselage gun pack. Approximately 125 Blenheims were converted to Mk IVFs and, initially, the type’s main role was to serve with several Coastal Command fighter/reconnaissance squadrons on convoy patrol and protection duties. The big fighter entered service with 235, 236, 248 and 254 Squadrons from April 1940 and, only days later, the first success was achieved. On April 25, Plt Off Illingworth in R3628 of 254 Squadron at Hatston managed to shoot down an He 111 while escorting Royal Navy warships off Norway. Several Mk IVFs helped to cover the Dunkirk evacuation

but only had a small role to play during the Battle of Britain, with only the odd skirmish recorded. A handful of Mk IVFs were delivered to some Fighter Command night fighter squadrons in the summer of 1940, the first of which was 25 Squadron. The mark also saw some service in the Middle East and the Near East. 3,296 Blenheim Mk IVs were built, serving with 43 squadrons from UK airfields, they also operated in Aden, Burma, Ceylon, Egypt, Greece, India, Iraq, Java, Jordan, Malta, Palestine, Sudan, Sumatra, Crete and Libya.

ENGINE: Two 920hp Bristol Mercury XV WING SPAN: 56ft 4in LENGTH: 42ft 9in HEIGHT: 12ft 10in WING AREA: 469 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 9,800lb ALL-UP WEIGHT: 12,500-14,400lb MAX SPEED: 260-295mph CEILING: 31,500ft RANGE: 1,950 miles ARMAMENT: One .303in machine gun in the port wing and two .303in Browning machine guns in a dorsal turret. Some aircraft fitted with twin remotely controlled, rearward firing twin .303 Browning machine guns under the nose. Up to 1,320lb of bombs Brand new Blenheim Mk IV, N6212, showing the mark’s final configuration. N6212’s operational career was short as it was lost whilst serving with 110 Squadron on September 28, 1939. Editor’s collection

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BRISTOL BLENHEIM IV, IVF & BOLINGBROKE

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Fairey Battle A peacetime bomber unfit for war When the specification for a new light bomber was issued in 1932, the world was a comparatively peaceful place. But as the 1930s progressed, it became clear that aircraft development and tactics were both rapidly advancing and improving at a pace much quicker than the Fairey Battle. Adequate when it entered service in 1937, it was hopelessly outclassed by the beginning of the Second World War and was equally let down by being employed in the wrong theatre of action and with outdated tactics. The aircraft was created in response to Air Ministry Specification P.27/32, originally issued in

Battle Mk I, K9348, pictured during pre-war exercises whilst serving with 88 Squadron. Like so many other Battles, the light bomber was despatched to France and was reported missing on May 19, 1940 after taking off from Les Grandes Chappelles for an attack on Hirson. Aeroplane

August 1932 but not confirmed until April 1933. The remit was that the aircraft should be in service by 1936, be able to a carry a bomb load of no less than 1,000lb over a range of 1,000miles and have a speed of not less than 200mph. Designed by Marcel Lobelle, the P.27/32 was designed to accommodate the PV.12 engine (the prototype Rolls-Royce Merlin) which was not available until the spring of 1934. The wing, a cantilever design built in five sections, housed the retractable undercarriage and a pair of bomb traps in each side for up to four 250lb bombs. The centre section of the

wing was integral to the fuselage while aft of the pilot’s cockpit construction was semi-monocoque. Lobelle presented his design to the Air Ministry on June 11, 1934 and, seemingly impressed with what they saw, a contract for a single prototype was awarded. It was not until November 1935 that Rolls-Royce delivered a Merlin C engine to Fairey although by the time Chris Staniland flew the prototype P.27/32, K4303, on March 10, 1936, the powerplant was a 970hp Merlin G. However, senior staff were so impressed with the aircraft, even before its first flight, that an order for 155 aircraft was placed in

FAIREY BATTLE

September 1935. Now named the Battle, it was with this ‘G’ engine that K4303 was delivered to the A&AEE in October 1936 where all the performance figures as per Specification were achieved. Because of Roll-Royce’s pre-occupation with refining the Merlin engine for the Hurricane and Spitfire, further delays meant that the Battle did not enter RAF service until May 1937. The first recipient was 63 Squadron at Upwood followed by 105 Squadron at Harwell and, by the end of the year, five squadrons had converted to the Battle. These early arrivals were all powered by the

Merlin I which proved a troublesome engine and, after the 136th Battle was built, the unit was changed for the Merlin II which caused a great deal of conflict with Hurricane production at the time. By the beginning of the Second World War, 15 squadrons were equipped with the Battle and, as part of the AASF in support of the BEF, 12, 15, 40, 88, 103, 142, 150, 218 and 226 Squadrons were all sent to France. The type’s baptism of fire came during May 1940 when the light bomber was employed on a host of near suicidal low-level daylight attacks. One of these famous raids was on May 12 against

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the Meuse Bridge, Maastricht, when four out of five Battles from 12 Squadron failed to return, one of the crews being posthumously awarded the RAF’s first Victoria Crosses for the determined attack. Virtually relegated to second line duties on their return to England, the Battle saw out its operational days with 98 Squadron in July 1941. 2,200 Battles were built in total, 1,171 of them by Fairey at Hayes and Heaton Chapel and 1,029 by Austin. 16 were supplied to Belgium and, out of the grand total, 739 were shipped to Canada and 364 to Australia.

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The prototype, P.27/32 (later Battle), being demonstrated by Fairey test pilot Chris Staniland in April 1936. The aircraft was retired after 182.10 flying hours and saw out its days as an instructional airframe at 5 SoTT Locking from May 1939. Aeroplane

FAIREY BATTLE MK I ENGINE: One 1,030hp Rolls-Royce Merlin I twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line and later Merlin II, III and V. WING SPAN: 54ft LENGTH: 42ft 4in HEIGHT: 15ft 6in WING AREA: 422 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 6,647lb LOADED WEIGHT: 10,792lb MAX SPEED: 210 mph at sea level; 257 mph at 15,000ft CLIMB: 5,000ft in 4 min 6 sec CEILING: 25,000ft RANGE: 1,000 miles at 200 mph and 16,000ft

FAIREY BATTLE

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Main: 105 Squadron replaced its Hawker Audaxes with Battles from August 1937. The squadron like so many Battle units, suffered terribly in France and, in May 1940, was re-equipped with the Blenheim IV. Aeroplane Below: Battle Mk I, P2332, of 12 Squadron, which was one of the machines that took part in the famous attack on the bridges near Maastricht on May 12, 1940, when Garland and Gray won Bomber Command’s first Victoria Crosses. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

78 Crews from 226 Squadron, stationed at Harwell, prepare for a peacetime navigational exercise while Battle K7620 warms its Merlin through beyond. Transferred to 35 Squadron, K7620 never saw action and was wrecked at Jurby while serving with 5 AOS in November 1939. Aeroplane

ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY

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Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Bomber Command’s first modern, long-range heavy bomber As with the majority of early aircraft which served with the fledgling Bomber Command from 1937, those that served in the first part of the Second World War are often overshadowed by the Avro Lancaster and to a lesser extent the Handley Page Halifax. Armstrong Whitworth’s Chief Designer, John Lloyd should be highly praised for his contribution to the history of the heavy bomber. The Whitley arrived at a crucial time, giving the RAF access to a new generation of modern bombers, when it had previously been struggling along with big lumbering, uncomfortable biplanes. The Whitley would also lead the way at the beginning of the Second World War, becoming the most significant type to embark long-ranging operations over Germany. Capable of carrying almost twice the bomb load of its contemporary the Vickers Wellington, the Whitley’s main handicap was its low operating speed. However, during the early part of the war, there was no serious night fighter defence and the Whitley could roam relatively long distances over enemy territory with just sporadic flak to deal with. By 1941, Bomber Command was rapidly changing and the four-engine heavies such as Stirling and Halifax were in service and the

The first of two Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 prototypes, K4586, pictured at Baginton prior to its maiden flight. Flight via editor

Lancaster beckoned. The Whitley was removed from service with Bomber Command from April 1942 but continued to serve in a host of useful roles. These included operations with Coastal Command, clandestine Special Duties, dropping airborne troops, glider-tug and as an important long-serving bomber trainer with OTUs (Operational Training Unit). John Lloyd was convinced that the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.23, built for Air Specification C.26/31 (Valentia replacement), was the best approach to producing a bomber/transport aircraft. The single prototype built lost out to the Bristol Bombay, but the information gained by Armstrong Whitworth, convinced them that the formula only needed to be slightly modified. Almost a year before the A.W.23 first flew in June 4, 1935, the A.W.38, later titled the Whitley, after a district in Coventry, was already on the drawing board. Air Ministry Specification B.3/34 was then drafted around Lloyd’s ideas and proposals and the A.W.38, the Handley Page Harrow and the Bristol Type 144 were all tendered for it. An order for 100 Harrows was later placed, virtually all of them later being used in the transport

role and a pair of A.W.38 prototypes were also ordered. One of the reasons why the A.W.23 failed to reach the specification was because of its troublesome Armstrong Siddeley Tiger

ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY MK V ENGINE: Two 1,145hp Rolls-Royce Merlin X inline engines WING SPAN: 84ft LENGTH: 70ft 6in HEIGHT: 15ft WING AREA: 1,137 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 19,350lb MAX TAKE-OFF: 33,500lb MAX SPEED: 230mph at 16,400ft SERVICE CEILING: 26,000ft RANGE: 1,500 miles at 200 mph ARMAMENT: Four .303in guns in a power-operated rear turret and a single .303in machine gun in a nose turret and a maximum bomb load of 7,000lb

84 engines, but despite these still being used on the A.W.38, the order went ahead. The prototype A.W.38, K4586, first took to the air from Baginton on March 17, 1936 in the hands of Armstrong Whitworth Chief Test Pilot, Alan Colin Campbell Orde. Such was the urgency to replace the RAF’s obsolete bombers, such as the Hendon, Heyford and Virginia, 160 Whitleys were already in the order book. This order was only received after the Air Ministry received an assurance that the Tiger engine was achieving a good level of reliability. It was on June 12, 1935 that a ‘verbal’ agreement was made for the construction of 40 Whitley Mk I and Mk IIs, based solely on the two prototypes which were still being built. Further orders were received by Armstrong Whitworth during 1935/36 for Mk Is, IIs, IIIs, IVs and IVAs in order to achieve the RAF’s Expansion Programme targets. The company’s main project at the time was the AW.27 Ensign airliner which, to make way for the Whitley, was transferred to Hamble, where 14 were eventually built. All Whitley production would be centralised in Coventry, spread across three separate factories. The fuselage and various detailed components were made at Whitley Abbey, which was Armstrong Whitworth’s headquarters. Panel-

beating, section rolling, fuel tank construction and assembly of components was carried out in part of the Coventry Ordnance Works, Smith Street. The wing spars and their construction plus final assembly of the aircraft was carried out at Baginton airfield where Armstrong Whitworth were building a large three-bay hangar. By the end of production during the weekend of July 12/13, 1943, Armstrong Whitworth had built 34 Mk Is, 46 Mk IIs, 80 Mk IIIs, 33 Mk IVs, seven Mk IVs, 1,445 Mk Vs and 166 Mk VIIs making a grand total of 1,813 (including K4586 and K4587, the two prototypes). The Whitley Mk I first entered RAF service with 10 (Bomber) Squadron, under the command of Sqn Ldr J C Foden AFC, at Dishforth. The first of twelve Whitley’s, K7184 arrived on March 9, 1937 but it was not until the summer that a second squadron re-equipped. 78 (Bomber), also based at Dishforth and under the command of Wg Cdr M B Frew DSO, MC, AFC, replaced its Heyfords with the Whitley in July 1937. Whitley Mk Is also re-equipped 58 Squadron at Boscombe Down before the year was out. However, it was the Yorkshire-based units which

laid the foundation blocks for 4 Bomber Group to become completely Whitley-equipped before the beginning of the Second World War. It was 4 Group that saw the introduction of the Mk II, III, IV and IVA, the latter, entirely serving with 78 Squadron. The Mk V was first delivered to 78 Squadron, which was a reserve unit at the time, was made in August 1939. Only days before the beginning of the war the RAF had 196 Whitleys on strength made up of 32 Mk Is, 43 Mk IIs, 76 Mk IIIs, 33 Mk IVs, 7 Mk IVAs and five Mk Vs.

ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY

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Early production Whitley Mk I, K7188 ‘K’, which was delivered to 10 Squadron at Dishforth on April 24, 1937. After further service with 166 Squadron and 7 BGS the bomber was damaged in October 1940 and SOC by mid-December. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

A Fordson tractor manoeuvres its bomb trolley under an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk V in 1940. Flight via editor

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Vickers Wellington Taking Bomber Command to war The Wellington had been prepared for massed production even before the B.9/32 prototype had flown. The production aircraft differed from the original machine by a considerable margin and many considered the first production Mk I as the true Wellington prototype. The Wellington Mk I (Type 290) was initially powered by a pair of 915hp Pegasus X engines when L4212, the first of a batch of 180 aircraft ordered in 1935, made its maiden flight on December 23, 1937. Designed to a new Specification 29/36, the Mk I was fitted with three power-operated Vickers turrets each containing a pair of .303in machine guns. In service the Mk I was powered by a pair 1,050hp Pegasus XVIII engines which gave the bomber the ability to carry a bomb load of 4,000lb, which was three times more than the Handley Page Heyford. The Mk IA was actually meant to be built as the

Mk II and one of its features was the ability to accept a Pegasus or Merlin powerplant. In the end the idea was not pursued and the mark was only fitted with the Pegasus X. The troublesome Vickers turrets were also replaced with Fraser-Nash turrets. FN5 turrets were fitted into the nose and tail while an FN25 replaced the Vickers unit in the ventral position; each was fitted with a pair of .303in machine guns. The all-up weight of the Mk IA increased to 28,000lb and the undercarriage was strengthened and slightly repositioned to cope with it. The Mk IB was a back-up solution to the Wellington’s gun turret problems which were rectified with the Mk IA. If the Mk IB was ever built, they were quickly re-designated to Mk IAs. The Mk IC was produced in great numbers, but only differed from the Mk IA by having the ventral turret removed and replaced by a pair of .303in machine guns positioned in each of the rear fuselage

One of 50 Wellington Mk ICs built by Vickers at Weybridge and delivered between March and April 1940, P9249 was allocated to 38 Squadron stationed at Marham. The aircraft lost an engine on take-off from Marham for a ferry flight, struck a water tank and was written off. Aeroplane

windows. Initially these were Vickers ‘K’ guns, but the majority built were supplied with a pair of belt-fed .303in Browning machine guns. The Mk IC was also fitted with much improved hydraulics. The Mk I first joined 99 Squadron at Mildenhall in October 1938 and by the beginning of the war eight operational units (plus two in reserve) were equipped with the Wellington, all of them within 3 Group. Mainly because of its weak and unreliable defensive armament the Mk I was phased out of RAF service in favour of the Fraser-Nash equipped Mk IA from December 1939. The Mk IC was the early mainstay, the type re-equipping squadrons from April 1940 and remaining in production until late 1942. 185 Mk I, 183 Mk IA and 2,684 Mk IC were built between 1936 and 1942 at Weybridge, Blackpool and Chester. 395 Mk ICs were converted the GR Mk VIII standard.

VICKERS WELLINGTON

Wellington Mk I, L4304, enjoyed three operational tours, two with 148 Squadron and one with 75 Squadron before joining 15 and finally 11 OTU. The hard-working bomber survived without incident and was SOC in November 1944. Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk

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VICKERS WELLINGTON

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90 Record breaking Wellington production in full swing at Chester (Hawarden/ Broughton), which peaked at 130 aircraft per month in 1942. The Chester plant churned out 5,540 of the 11,461 Wellingtons built. Aeroplane

VICKERS WELLINGTON

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VICKERS WELLINGTON MK I & MK IC ENGINE: (I & IC) Two 1,050hp Bristol Pegasus XVIII WING SPAN: (I) 86ft; (IC) 86ft 2in LENGTH: (I) 61ft 3in; (IC) 64ft 7in HEIGHT: 17ft 5in WING AREA: 840 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: (I) 18,000lb; (IC) 18,556lb GROSS WEIGHT: (I) 24,850lb; (IC) 28,500lb MAX SPEED: (I) 245 mph at 15,000ft; (IC) 235 mph at 15,500ft CLIMB RATE: 15,000ft in 18 mins SERVICE CEILING: (I) 21,600ft; (IC) 18,000ft

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Handley Page Hampden Bearing the brunt of the early operations In September 1932 the Air Ministry issued Specification B.9/32 for a twin-engine bomber for which both Handley Page and Vickers tendered. Each was awarded a contract and the resulting prototypes, the Handley Page H.P.52 and the Vickers 271, flew within a week of one another, the former on June 21, 1936 and the 271, known later as the Wellington, on June 15. Considering they shared the same specification, the two types could hardly have been more different, Handley Page going for an extremely slim fuselage with three manually-operated gun positions, Vickers adopting a portly fuselage with power-operated turrets and manual beam guns. In spite of an antiquated appearance the Hampden, as the bomber was subsequently named, had several remarkable characteristics. With the use of Handley Page leading-edge slats it was able to land at only 73 mph, while its maximum speed

At least four Hampden Mk Is are visible here, warming through their Pegasus engines. All of these aircraft served with 83 Squadron at Scampton but are not displaying any squadron codes. Aeroplane

of 254 mph was higher than that of either the Wellington or the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, and it could carry 4,000lb of bombs for 1,200 miles, which was comparable to the Wellington’s bomb load over the same distance. Following an order for 180 Hampdens placed on August 15, 1936, to a new Specification B.30/36, the production prototype flew in 1937. Simultaneously with the first contract another was placed for 100 aircraft with Napier Dagger engines, these being produced under the name Hereford. In May 1938 the first production Hampden Mk I aircraft from the Handley Page line was flown at Radlett, and on June 24 the type was christened officially by the Viscountess Hampden. The build-up of the RAF was then in full swing and on August 6, 1938 other orders were placed: English Electric at Preston was contracted to build 75, and in Canada a British mission negotiated

for 80 more to be constructed by a consortium named Canadian Associated Aircraft Ltd. These sub-contracted Hampdens began to come off the production lines during 1940. Following trials at the A&AEE, Martlesham Heath, and at the Central Flying School at Upavon, deliveries to the RAF began in September 1938, with the first batch of Hampdens going to 49 Squadron at Scampton, Lincolnshire. 49 Squadron was part of 5 Group, which eventually was equipped completely with Hampdens. When the Second World War broke out 10 squadrons were using the type: 7 and 76 at Finningley; 44 and 50 at Waddington; 49 and 83 at Scampton; 61 and 144 at Hemswell with 106 and 185 in reserve. Early operations in the daylight reconnaissance role were uneventful, but on September 29 the Hampden’s shortcomings were highlighted vividly when five out of eleven aircraft in two formations

HANDLEY PAGE HAMPDEN

were destroyed by German fighters when within sight of the German coast. Not long after this it was decided to operate in future under cover of darkness, and some leaflet-dropping missions were carried out. By the winter of 1939-40 the Hampden had found its most useful role as a minelayer. Aircraft from five squadrons sowed mines in German waters on the night of April 13/14, 1940, just after the German invasion of Norway, and by the end of the year 5 Group’s Hampden squadrons had flown 1,209 mine-laying sorties and delivered 703 mines, losing 21 aircraft in the operations, the loss rate of less than 1.8% being considered acceptable. The Norwegian campaign, however, once again showed the Hampden’s ‘Achilles heel’; because of its inadequate defensive armament it suffered heavily at the hands of German fighters when used as a day bomber.

On the night of August 25/26, 1940, Hampdens and Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys took part in the RAF’s first raid on Berlin, and the Hampden continued to support the night bombing offensive until late 1942 when, on the night of September 15/16 aircraft of the RCAF’s 408 Squadron attacked Wilhelmshaven in the Hampden’s final sorties with Bomber Command. From April 1942 Hampdens had begun to transfer to Coastal Command for torpedobombing operations, the 157 conversions to this role having the designation Hampden TB Mk I. The first two squadrons in this role were 144 and 455, the latter an RAAF unit and detachments from both squadrons went to the northern USSR for convoy protection operations. Thirty-two Hampdens from the two squadrons left Sumburgh in the Shetlands on September 4, 1942, but nine were lost in the crossing, including two which

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crashed in Norway and one which crashed on landing in the USSR. The squadrons subsequently handed over their Hampdens to the Soviets before leaving for the UK on October 23. 455 Squadron was also the last operational Hampden squadron, based at Sumburgh, claiming a U-boat sunk on April 4, 1943, before re-equipping with Bristol Beaufighters at the end of the year. Thus the Hampden passed out of service. In spite of inadequacies it had its good points: among them were pleasant handling characteristics and the excellent view for the pilot. On the debit side accommodation was very cramped, individual crew members being able to change places only with extreme difficulty, which posed great problems in the case of injuries. In all, 1,432 Hampdens were built, 502 of them by Handley Page, 770 by English Electric and 160 in Canada.

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HANDLEY PAGE HAMPDEN

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HANDLEY PAGE HAMPDEN MK I ENGINE: Two 1,000hp Bristol Pegasus XVII nine-cylinder radial engines WING SPAN: 69ft 2in LENGTH: 53ft 7in HEIGHT: 14ft 11in WING AREA: 668 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 11,780lb MAX TAKE-OFF WEIGHT: 18,756lb MAX SPEED: 254 mph at 13,800ft SERVICE CEILING: 19,000ft RANGE: 1,885 miles with a 2,000lb bomb load ARMAMENT: One fixed and one portable .303in machine guns forward and twin .303in in dorsal and ventral positions and a bomb load up to 4,000lb

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Handley Page Harrow Second line pre-war bomber Specification B.3/34 ushered in the era of the monoplane bomber for the Royal Air Force by asking, as it did, for modern twin-engine designs to replace the Handley Page Heyford and the lumbering Vickers Virginia. Two companies were awarded contracts to the specification, one being Armstrong Whitworth who submitted the Whitley and the other, Handley Page, whose H.P.54 was somewhat less original in concept, featuring a high wing and fixed landing gear. It should be acknowledged, however, that although the two designs were to the same basic specification the Handley Page H.P.54, subsequently named Harrow, was intended for initial use as an interim bomber/trainer and later, when more advanced bombers were in quantity production, as a transport aircraft. One hundred Harrows were ordered to a new specification, B.29/35, before the prototype flew on October 10, 1936. This new aircraft was based largely on the H.P.51 prototype troop-carrier, which had flown in May of the previous year.

Handley Page had initiated a new method of production for the Harrow, which enabled components to be manufactured by small firms under sub-contract, offering advantages both in construction and repair. The first 39 production aircraft were designated Harrow Mk I with 850hp Bristol Pegasus X engines, which conferred a top speed of 190 mph, but the following 61 aircraft were Harrow Mk II aircraft with Pegasus XX engines of 925hp giving an extra 10 mph. Power-operated gun turrets in the nose, tail and mid-upper positions were an advance over then current service types; although the Harrow Mk Is did not have them when delivered, they were fitted later. 214 Squadron at Feltwell was the first unit to receive Harrows, in January

1937, when the type began to replace Virginias, and by the end of that year four other squadrons had re-equipped with the new bomber; 37 (Feltwell), 75 (Driffield), 115 (Marham) and 215 (Driffield). 115 Squadron had been disbanded in 1919, and was re-formed in June 1937 to receive the Harrow, while 37 was also re-formed in April of that year from a nucleus of 214 Squadron. Harrow production terminated with the 100th example in December 1937, but aircraft remained in service until the late stages of the Second World War. A novel use of the Harrow was as an aerial minelayer when, in October 1940, 420 Flight was formed at Middle Wallop to carry out experiments under the codename ‘Pandora’. These aircraft

HANDLEY PAGE HARROW carried ‘Long Aerial Mines’ (LAMs), which consisted of many small explosive charges suspended from parachutes with a 2,000ft length of piano wire trailing below. It was intended they should be launched in the path of a bomber stream, and if one of these aircraft flew into the wires it was expected to release one or more of the charges, which then slid down the wires to explode on contacting the enemy bomber. Three months of trial proved the idea to be impractical, although four or five ‘kills’ were achieved. 271 Squadron formed at Doncaster on 1 May 1940 to operate in the transport role, equipped with Harrows, Bristol Bombays and some impressed civil aircraft, and although most of the other types had been replaced by 1944 a flight of Harrows was retained. These aircraft found employment in support of Allied forces operating in North West Europe, two of them evacuating casualties from the Arnhem operation in September 1944, and they remained in service until the flight re-equipped with Douglas Dakotas in May 1945.

HANDLEY PAGE HARROW MK II

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ENGINE: Two 925hp Bristol Pegasus XX nine-cylinder radial engines WING SPAN: 88ft 5in LENGTH: 82ft 2in HEIGHT: 19ft 5in WING AREA: 1,090 sq ft EMPTY WEIGHT: 13,600lb LOADED WEIGHT: 23,000lb MAX SPEED: 190 mph at 10,000ft SERVICE CEILING: 22,800ft RANGE: 880 miles ARMAMENT: Four .303in machine guns, one in the nose and dorsal turrets and a pair in the rear and up to 3,000lb in bombs

The Harrow constituted a major part of Bomber Command’s early heavy bomber arm up to 1939, including this example with 75 Squadron at Feltwell. Aeroplane

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