# British Bombers and Transport aircrafts



## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

RAF Bomber Command was the organisation that controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II, the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s was at the peak of its postwar power with the V bombers and a supplemental force of Canberra light bombers. RAF Bomber Command had 19 Victoria Cross winners. In August 2006, a memorial was unveiled at Lincoln Cathedral. A Memorial is also proposed for Green Park in London to highlight the price paid by the aircrews.

At the start of World War II in 1939, Bomber Command faced three problems. The first was lack of size; Bomber Command was not large enough to effectively attack the enemy as a pure, stand-alone strategic force. The second was rules of engagement; at the start of the war, the targets allocated to Bomber Command were not wide enough in scope. The third problem was the Command's lack of technology; specifically radio or radar derived navigational aids to allow accurate target location and thus bombing.

When the war began on 1 September 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the then-neutral United States, issued an appeal to the major belligerents to confine their air raids to military targets. The French and British agreed to abide by the request, which included the provision "that these same rules of warfare will be scrupulously observed by all of their opponents". The United Kingdom's policy was to restrict bombing to military targets and infrastructure such as ports and railways which were of military importance. While acknowledging that bombing Germany would cause civilian casualties, the British government renounced deliberate bombing of civilian property (outside combat zones) as a military tactic. The British abandoned this policy at the end of the Phony War on 15 May 1940, one day after the Rotterdam Blitz.

The British Government did not want to violate its agreement by attacking civilian targets outside combat zones, and the French were even more concerned lest Bomber Command operations provoke a German bombing attack on France. Since the Armée de l'Air had few modern fighters and no defence network comparable to the British chain of radar stations, France was effectively prostrate before the threat of a German bombing attack. The final problem was lack of good enough aircraft. The main Bomber Command workhorses at the start of the war had been designed as tactical-support medium bombers, and none of them had enough range or ordnance capacity for anything more than a limited strategic offensive.

Bomber Command became even smaller after the declaration of war. No. 1 Group, with its squadrons of Fairey Battles, left for France to form the Advanced Air Striking Force. This was for two reasons; to give the British Expeditionary Force some air striking power, and to allow the Battles to operate against German targets - it lacked the range to do so from British airfields. The Sitzkrieg (or Phony War) mainly affected the army. However, to an extent, Bomber Command too saw little combat during the first few months of hostilities. Bomber Command flew many operational missions, and lost aircraft, but it did virtually no damage to the enemy. Most of the missions either failed to find their targets, or were leaflet-dropping missions (the first flights by RAF bombers over the German homeland were only to drop propaganda leaflets at night). The attack in the west in May 1940 changed everything.

The Fairey Battles of the Advanced Air Striking Force were partially disabled by German strikes on their airfields at the opening of the invasion of France. However, far from all of the force was caught on the ground. The Faireys proved to be horrendously vulnerable to enemy fire. Many times, Battles would set out to attack, and be almost wiped out in the process. Due to French paranoia about being attacked by German aircraft during the "Phony War", the Battle force had actually trained over German airspace at night.

Following the German Rotterdam Blitz of 14 May 1940, RAF Bomber Command was authorized to attack German targets east of the Rhine on May 15, 1940; the Air Ministry authorized Air Marshal Charles Portal to attack targets in the Ruhr, including oil plants and other civilian industrial targets which aided the German war effort, such as blast furnaces (which at night were self-illuminating). The first attack took place on the night of 15/16 May, with 96 bombers setting off to attack targets east of the Rhine, 78 of which were against oil targets. Of these, only 24 claimed to have found their targets. Bomber Command's strategic bombing campaign on Germany had thus begun.

Bomber Command itself soon fully joined in the action. With the rapid collapse of France, invasion of England seemed a clear and present danger. As its part in Battle of Britain, Bomber Command was assigned to pound the invasion barges and fleets assembling in the Channel ports. This was much less high profile than the battles of the Spitfires and Hurricanes of RAF Fighter Command, but still vital and dangerous work. From July 1940 to the end of the year, Bomber Command lost nearly 330 aircraft and over 1,400 aircrew killed, missing or captured.

Bomber Command was also indirectly responsible, in part at least, for the switch of Luftwaffe attention away from Fighter Command to bombing civilian targets. A German bomber on a raid got lost due to poor navigation and bombed London. Churchill consequently ordered a retaliatory raid on the German capital of Berlin. The damage caused was minor, but the raid sent Hitler into a rage. He ordered the Luftwaffe to level British cities, thus precipitating the Blitz. Like the United States Army Air Forces later in the war, Bomber Command had first concentrated on a doctrine of "precision" bombing in daylight. However, when well-organised German defence cut several British raids to pieces in late 1939, a switch to night attack tactics was forced upon the Command. The problems of enemy defences were then replaced with the problems of simply finding the target. It was common in the early years of the war for bombers relying on dead reckoning navigation to miss entire cities. Surveys of bombing photographs and other sources published during August 1941 indicated that less than one bomb in ten fell within 5 miles (8.0 km) of its intended target. One of the most urgent problems of the Command was thus to develop technical navigational aids to allow accurate bombing.


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## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

The Vickers Type 163 was a prototype British biplane bomber design of the 1930s built by Vickers-Armstrong. It was based on the Vickers Vanox (Vickers "Type 150") scaled up to take four engines in paired mountings. It was submitted both as a bomber and as a troop carrier to Air Ministry specifications B.19/27 and C.16/28 respectively first flying on 12 January 1931. Only one was produced.


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## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

The Heyford was built to Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a heavy night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, competing with the Vickers Type 150 and the Fairey Hendon designs. The prototype, the Handley Page HP.38, was designed by Handley Page's lead designer G R Volkert and first flew on 12 June 1930 at Handley Page's factory at Radlett, powered by two 525 hp (390 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engines driving two-blade propellers.

The aircraft was of mixed construction having fabric-covered metal-frame wings, while the fuselage had an aluminium monocoque forward section with a fabric-covered frame to the rear, with open positions for the pilot and both the nose and dorsal gunners. The Heyford had a novel configuration, with the fuselage attached to the upper wing and the bomb bay in the thickened centre lower wing. This provided a good defensive field of fire for the nose and dorsal guns as well as the ventral retractable "dustbin" turret, each equipped with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. The fixed undercarriage consisted of large, spat-covered wheels. The design allowed ground crews to safely attach bombs while the engines were running, but the result was that the pilot was some 17 ft (5 m) off the ground.

The HP.38 proved successful during service trials at Martlesham Heath and with No. 10 Squadron RAF and was chosen as the winner of the B19/27 competition, being ordered as the HP.50 Heyford. Production Heyford Is were fitted with 575 hp (429 kW) Kestrel III engines and retained the two-blade propellers, while the IAs had four-blade propellers. Engine variations marked the main Mk II and III differences; the former being equipped with 640 hp (480 kW) Kestrel IVs, supercharged to 695 hp (518 kW) in the Heyford III.


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## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

The Heyford I entered service with No. 99 Squadron RAF, at RAF Upper Heyford in November 1933,[2] and later with No. 10 Squadron and 7 Squadron, re-equipping with the Heyford IA and II in August 1934 and April 1935 respectively. As part of the RAF's Expansion scheme, orders were placed for 70 Heyford IIIs in 1936, with steam condenser-cooled Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. The delivery of these aircraft allowed the RAF to have nine operational Heyford Squadrons by the end of 1936.

These squadrons of Heyfords formed the major part of Bomber Command's night bomber strength in the late 1930s. Heyfords flew many long night exercises, sometimes flying mock attacks against targets in France. Disaster struck on one of these long-range exercises on 12 December 1936, when a flight of seven Heyfords of No. 102 Squadron RAF flying from Northern Ireland, encountered fog and icy weather conditions as they approached their base at RAF Finningley, Yorkshire. Four crashed and two had to make forced landings resulting in three crewmen killed and three injured.

The Heyford started to be replaced in 1937, with the arrival in service of Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys and Vickers Wellesleys, finally being retired from frontline service in 1939. Some remained flying until 1940 as bombing and gunnery trainers, being declared obsolete in July 1939.[6] At least two examples found experimental use; one for airborne radar and the other for inflight refuelling, and it is reported that one was still flying as late as 1944.


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## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

The Overstrand was essentially an upgrade of Boulton Paul's Sidestrand which had first flown in 1928 and like the Sidestrand was named for a village in Norfolk, home also of Boulton Paul's Norwich factory. The Sidestrand was similar to its First World War predecessors in that it had open cockpits and hand-operated defensive machine guns. However, unlike its predecessors, the Sidestrand could fly at 140 mph (225 km/h) making operating the exposed gun positions difficult, particularly in the aircraft's nose. To overcome this problem, the Overstrand was fitted with an enclosed and powered nose turret mounting a single Lewis gun. As such the Overstrand was the first RAF aircraft to have a power-operated turret. Rotation was handled by pneumatic motors while elevation and depression of the gun used hydraulic rams. The pilot's cockpit was also enclosed but the dorsal and ventral gun positions remained open, though shielded.

The first Overstrand, at the time designated the Sidestrand Mk IV, flew in 1933, powered by two 580 hp (430 kW) Bristol Pegasus IM.3 engines, instead of the Sidestrand's 460 hp (340 kW) Bristol Jupiters, and was capable of 153 mph (246 km/h). The bombload was also increased to 1,500 lb (680 kg). The conversion was a succes and three more Sidestrands were modified using the 580 hp (430 kW) Bristol Pegasus II.M3. 24 Overstrands were produced and in 1936 began replacing the Sidestrand in service. The Overstrand was operated by No. 101 Squadron RAF (which had been the sole Sidestrand squadron) and briefly by No. 144 Squadron RAF (though they were replaced by Bristol Blenheims in 1938).

At the outbreak of the Second World War, 11 Overstrands remained in service and six of these were used for gunnery training. They remained in operation until May 1941 though flying was limited following the mid-air breakup of Overstrand K8173 on 22 April 1940. There were plans to develop a version with retractable undercarriage, dubbed the P.80 "Superstrand", but the project was abandoned.


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## gekho (Nov 23, 2010)

The design originated from the Air Ministry Specification G.4/31 which called for a general purpose aircraft, capable of carrying out level bombing, army co-operation, dive bombing, reconnaissance, casualty evacuation and torpedo bombing. The Vickers Type 253, which used a radical geodesic airframe construction that was derived from that used by Barnes Wallis in the airship R100, was tested against the specification along with the Fairey G.4/31, Westland PV-7, Handley Page HP.47, Armstrong Whitworth A.W.19, Blackburn B-7, Hawker P.V.4 and the Parnall G.4/31. The Type 253 was declared the winner, with 150 being ordered.

The Vickers Type 246 monoplane, which used the same geodetic design principles for both the fuselage and wings, was then built as a private venture, first flown at Brooklands by Chief Test Pilot J "Mutt" Summers, on 19 June 1935 and offered to the RAF. This had superior performance, but did not attempt to meet the multi-role requirements of the specification, being designed as a bomber only. An initial order for 96 Type 246s was substituted for the Type 253 order. The RAF ultimately ordered a total of 176 as the Wellesley, to a newly written specification 22/35, with a 14-month production run starting in March 1937.

The Wellesley was a single-engine monoplane with a very high aspect ratio wing, and a manually-operated, retractable undercarriage. As it was not known how the geodetic structure could cope with being disrupted by a bomb bay, the Wellesley's bomb load was carried in two streamlined panniers under the wings. The Wellesley Mk I had two separate cockpits, but this was changed in the Wellesley Mk II to a single-piece cockpit canopy covering both the pilot and navigator positions.

The RAF received its first Wellesleys in April 1937, serving with No.76 Squadron at Finningley, and eventually equipped six RAF Bomber Command squadrons in the UK. Five aircraft with provisions for three crew members were modified for long-range work with the RAF Long-Range Development Flight. Additional modifications included the fitting of Pegasus XXII engines and extra fuel tanks. On 5 November 1938, three of them under command of S/L R. Kellett flew non-stop for two days from Ismailia, Egypt to Darwin, Australia (7,162 mi/11,525 km) setting a world distance record. All three aircraft succeeded in breaking the existing record, but No. 2 aircraft landed in West Timor, 500 mi (800 km) short of the final objective. The Wellesley's record remained unbroken until November 1945. To this day, though, this flight remains the longest by a single engined aircraft.

By the outbreak of the Second World War, the Wellesley had been phased out from home based squadrons, with only four examples remaining in Britain,[2] but remained in service with three squadrons based in the Middle East.[6] Following the Italian declaration of war on 10 June 1940, the remaining Wellesley squadrons became involved in the East African Campaign against Italian forces in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somaliland. Sudan based Wellesleys carried out their first bombing mission on 11 June 1940 against Asmara in Eritrea. Although obsolete, the Wellesley formed a major part of the British Commonwealth's available bomber forces, mainly carrying out raids against Eritrea and Northern Ethiopia. In the early part of the campaign, fighter escort was not available, and when caught by Fiat CR.42s, proved vulnerable to the Italian biplane fighter. Despite this, the Wellesley continued to be used for bombing raids, bombing Addis Ababa from Aden on 18 August. The Wellesley continued in use against the Italians over East Africa until November 1941, when Gondar, the last Italian held town, fell to Commonwealth and Ethiopian forces. The final Wellesley equipped unit, 47 Squadron was then switched to carrying out maritime reconnaissance duties over the Red Sea, continuing in this role until September 1942.

While the Wellesley was not a significant combat aircraft, the design principles that were tested in its construction were put to good use with the Wellington medium bomber that became one of the main types of Bomber Command in the early years of the European war. In February 1940, three Wellesleys (K7728, K7735 and K8531) were sold to Egypt to serve in the Royal Egyptian Air Force


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## Gnomey (Nov 23, 2010)

Nice shots! We certainly didn't have good looking aircraft in the early 1930's...


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## gekho (Nov 24, 2010)

The Armstrong Whitworth Whitley was the only heavy bomber available to the RAF at the outbreak of the Second World War. Together with the Vickers Wellington and Handley Page Hamden medium bombers, the Whitley had the unenviable task of taking the war to Germany, at a time when navigation at night over such long distances was at best hit and miss. The Whitley was a very distinctive aircraft, with a sharp, angular appearance and very odd looking flight profile – the wings were angled slightly upwards, so in level flight the Whitley looked to be pointing downwards. 

Although it was slow, it was rugged and reliable, and when it was new it carried a heavy bomb load. The Whitley was developed in response to a Air Ministry Specification (B.3/34) issued in July 1934. Armstrong Whitworth produced a two engined aircraft, with a stressed-skin construction, powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Tiger radial engine, driving three blade, variable pitch propellers. The first prototype flew on 17 March 1936. The Whitley was selected to be the standard RAF heavy bomber, and an order for eighty aircraft was placed. Production of the Whitley stopped in June 1943, after 1,814 of all versions had been produced.


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## gekho (Nov 24, 2010)

Bomber command used the Whitley from March 1937, when No.10 Squadron converted to the new type, until April 1942 when it was officially retired from front line service. At first the RAF avoided bombing operations over Germany, so the Whitney Mk III saw most service dropping leaflets over Germany.
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk.I K7208 with Merlin engines

That changed with the German onslaught in May 1940. The Whitley was still the only heavy bomber available to the RAF (the first of the four engined heavies, the Short Stirling did not enter service until early 1941). It achieved several notable firsts – the first bombs dropped on Germany during a raid near München Gladbach on 11-12 May 1940, the first bombs dropped on Berlin on 25-26 August 1940 and the first raid over Italy on 11-12 June 1940. However this was the period where Bomber Command raids were inaccurate at best. The Whitley's low speed made it increasingly vulnerable, and it was officially retired from front line service with bomber command in April 1942, although a number did take place in the thousand bomber raid on Cologne on 30 May 1942, when every available aircraft was needed to reach the target number of bombers.

The Whitley was also used with paratroops and as a glider tug. Its most famous exploit was probably the raid on the German radar station at Bruneval on 27-28 February 1942, when Whitleys of No. 51 Squadron carried the paratroopers. The Whitley also served with Coastal Command. In September 1939 No. 58 Squadron briefly served on coastal patrol duties, before returning to Bomber Command. The first Coastal Command squadron to receive the Whitley was No. 502, replacing its Avro Ansons in October 1940. The Mk VII was a dedicated maritime patrol aircraft, with greater range and air-to-surface radar. On 30 November 1941, a Mk VII of No. 502 Squadron achieved the Whitley’s first U-boat kill. The Whitley was phased out of Coastal Command early in 1944.


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## gekho (Nov 24, 2010)

The Whitley first entered service with No. 10 Squadron in March 1937, replacing Handley Page Heyford biplanes, and by the outbreak of the Second World War, seven squadrons were operational with the Whitley. The majority were flying Whitley IIIs or IVs as the Whitley V had only just been introduced.

Along with the Handley Page Hampden and the Vickers Wellington, Whitleys bore the brunt of the early fighting, and saw action on the first night of the war when they dropped leaflets over Germany. Amongst the many aircrew who flew the Whitley in operations over Germany was the later to be famous Leonard Cheshire who spent most of his first three years at war flying Whitleys. However, unlike the Hampden and Wellington – which met specification B.9/32 for a day bomber – the Whitley was always intended for night operations, and so did not share the early heavy losses received in attempted daylight raids on German shipping early in the war. Along with Hampdens, the Whitley made the first bombing raid on German soil on the night of 19/20 March 1940, attacking the Hornum seaplane base on the Island of Sylt. Whitleys also carried out the first RAF raid on Italy on 11/12 June 1940. As the oldest of the three bombers, the Whitley was obsolete by the start of the war, yet over 1,000 more were produced before a suitable replacement was found. A particular problem with the twin-engine aircraft was that it could not maintain altitude on one engine.

With Bomber Command, Whitleys flew 8,996 operations, dropped 9,845 tons (8,931 tonnes) of bombs with 269 aircraft lost in action. The Whitley was retired from all front line service in late 1942 but it continued to operate as a transport for troops and freight, as well as for paratroop training and towing gliders. No. 100 Group RAF used Whitleys to carry airborne radar and electronic counter-measures.The British Overseas Airways Corporation operated 15 Whitley Mk Vs converted into freighters in 1942. Running night supply flights from Gibraltar to Malta, they took seven hours to reach the island, often landing during air attacks. They used large quantities of fuel for a small payload and were replaced in August 1942 by the Lockheed Hudson, with the 14 surviving examples being returned to the Royal Air Force.

The long-range Coastal Command Mk VII variants were among the last to see front line service, with the first kill attributed to them being the sinking of the German U-boat U-751, on 17 July 1942 in combination with a Lancaster heavy bomber. Having evaluated the Whitley in 1942, the Fleet Air Arm operated a number of modified ex-RAF Mk VIIs from 1944–46 to train aircrew in Merlin engine management and fuel transfer procedures.


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 24, 2010)

Great! I love British Bombers, esp the early ones.


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## Gnomey (Nov 24, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Nov 25, 2010)

The Handley Page Hampden was one of the three twin engined bombers in RAF service at the outbreak of the Second World War, along with the Vickers Wellington and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Like the Wellington, the Hampden was developed in response to Air Ministry specification B.9/32 of September 1932. This called for a twin engined bomber of a significantly higher performance than had been seen before. By the time the two aircraft were in production, both the Wellington and the Hampden were much improved on the specification.

Handley Page developed a modern stressed skinned mid wing monoplane, eventually powered by Bristol Pegasus radial air cooled engines. It had the most advanced wings available at the time, giving it a remarkably low landing speed of 73 mph for an aircraft of its size with a top speed of 265 mph. It also gave the aircraft an impressive climb rate. The Hampden had a short, narrow but tall main fuselage with a very slender tail unit. This gave it a very distinctive look, although would later limit its flexibility.

The prototype first flew on 21 June 1936. Two months later, Handley Page received an order for 180 Hampdens. The first production aircraft was complete by May 1938. The Hampden entered squadron service with No. 49 Squadron, who received their first aircraft in September 1938. Production was rapid, and by the outbreak of war, Bomber Command had ten squadrons of Hampdens, making up No. 5 Group (six operational, two reserve and two pool squadrons).

Like the Wellington, the Hampden was considered suitable for use as a day time bomber in 1939. Events would very quickly disprove this opinion. The Hampden’s worst day came on 29 September 1939, off Heligoland Bight, when a formation of eleven Hampdens lost five aircraft to attack by German fighters. The Wellington was soon to suffer the same fate in the same area.


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## gekho (Nov 25, 2010)

The problem with the Hampden was seen to be its poor defensive armament. As first built it only carried four .303in machine guns, two in the nose (one of which was fixed to fire directly forwards only), and one gun in each of the dorsal and ventral positions, pointing backwards. The design of the aircraft made it hard to do much to improve the situation, although both of the rear firing gun positions were soon given a second gun, bringing the total up to six. Even after this change, the manually operated guns of the Hampden could never be as effective as the powered guns of the Wellington or later bombers.

With daylight operations abandoned, Bomber Command had to wait until the spring of 1940 to begin the night bombing offensive. The Hampden played a full role in the bombing war, taking part in the first attack on German soil, on 19/20 March (an attack on the island of Sylt), the first attack on the German mainland (against Munchen Gladback on 11/12 May) and the first raid on Berlin (25/26 August 1940). A Hampden piloted by Guy Gibson was the first Bomber Command aircraft to drop a 2,000lb , against the Scharnhorst on 1/2 July 1940.

The Hampden remained in service long enough to take part in the 1,000 bomber raids of 1942, making up 79 of the 1,047 aircraft involved (34 from No.5 Group and 45 from 91 (O.T.U.) Group. By this point the Hampden was well past its peak as a front line bomber, only equipping two squadrons.


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## gekho (Nov 25, 2010)

The Hampden was a perfectly acceptable night bomber, capable of carrying only slightly less bombs than the Wellington for about the same distances. Despite this the Hampden was withdrawn from Bomber Command service a full year earlier than the Wellington, in September 1942. One reason for this was the narrow fuselage. This dramatically limited the flexibility of the aircraft (not to mention making it impossible for crew members to change place!), especially as bombs began to get bigger.

The real reason for the withdrawal of the Hampden was that it was being replaced by the new four engined heavy bombers, amongst them the Handley Page Halifax. Handley Page themselves had ceased production of the Hampden in July 1940, having produced 500 aircraft. Another 770 Hampdens were built by English Electric between February 1940 and March 1942. By the time the Hampden was withdrawn as a bomber it had been out of production for six months!

The Hampden had a second career as a torpedo bomber. Experiments early in 1942 proved that the type was suitable for the role, and two Bomber Command squadrons (Nos. 144 and 455) were transferred to Coastal Command. Only minor modifications were needed for the new role – the bomb bay had to be made deeper in order to carry the 18-inch torpedo, while 500lb bomb racks were added under each wing. In all four squadrons flew the Hampden as a torpedo bomber, with the last retaining it until December 1943.


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## Gnomey (Nov 25, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Nov 26, 2010)

The Hereford bomber was a Napier Dagger-engined version of the Hampden 'Flying Suitcase', ordered as a back-up at the same time as the first Hampden production contracts. The noisy new inline engines overheated on the ground and cooled too quickly and seized in the air. Even routine maintenance was more complicated than that required for the Hampden's Pegasus radials. There were no performance advantages from the new engines. On daylight raids in 1940—41 the Hampdens and Herefords were shot to bits by faster and better-armed German fighters, so were quickly relegated to night missions. Only a very small number of Herefords saw action (in Hampden squadrons). The rest were relegated to training units, soon followed by their (marginally) better brethren.


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## gekho (Nov 26, 2010)

The Avro Manchester was one of the least successful British aircraft of the Second World War. However, it was also the parent of probably the best British bomber of the war, the Avro Lancaster. The Manchester was developed in response to Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 of May 1936. This called for a twin engined heavy bomber powered by the new Rolls Royce Vulture engine. The Vulture was still under development in 1936, and consisted of two twelve cylinder Rolls Royce Kestrel engines (another design to be developed from the Kestrel was the Peregrine, also not a great success).

The specification also made a series of other demands which were later abandoned, including the ability to act as a dive bomber, drop torpedoes and the capacity for catapult assisted take-off. As a result of these demands, the Manchester was a very strong aircraft, with a very large single celled bomb bay that took up some two thirds of the length of the fuselage. Avro received an order for 200 Manchesters on 1 July 1937, purely on the strength of the design. The first prototype would not fly until 25 July 1939. By the time the prototype took to the air, the Vulture project was running into problems. By 1938 it had become clear that the new engine was not as powerful as had been expected, nor was it proving to be very reliable.

The first prototype was very clearly the ancestor of the Lancaster. It used a similar twin finned tail plane to the later aircraft. The design called for nose and tail turrets, not installed in the first prototype, and Avro had begun to make provision for a dorsal turret. Tests on the new aircraft revealed some minor problems – the wings had to be extended by ten feet, from a span of 80ft 2ins to one of 90ft, and the aircraft suffered from directional instability. This was reduced by added a third tail-fin on the rear fuselage. This third fin would be the most obvious visual difference between the Manchester Mk I and the Lancaster (other than the number of engines of course!).


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## gekho (Nov 26, 2010)

A bigger problem was that the Vulture engines were not producing enough power to give the Manchester its expected performance. This problem would never be solved – Rolls Royce had more urgent jobs in 1939-40 than fixing the Vulture, and the entire project would soon be dropped. Work now began on modifying the Manchester to use different engines. Two main approaches were taken – to either use two radial engines (Napier Sabre or Bristol Centaurus engines were suggested), under the name Manchester Mk II, or use four of the less powerful but much more reliable Rolls Royce Merlin engines, under the name Manchester Mk III. The prototype Manchester Mk III flew on 9 January 1941, and was a clear success. It was this aircraft, soon renamed the Avro Lancaster, that would eventually become the mainstay of Bomber Command.

In the meantime the Avro Manchester Mk I began to enter service. The Mk I carried sight .303in machine guns in three turrets in the nose (2 guns), dorsal (2 guns) and rear (4 guns) positions. A proposed ventral turret as not installed. The first squadron to receive the Manchester was No. 207 Squadron, which was reformed at Waddington on 1 November 1940. Their first raid came on 24 February 1941, against a German cruiser in Brest harbour, and for the Manchester was a relative success – none were shot down, and only one crashed on its return to base. However, this first raid came six weeks after the first flight of the Lancaster. The Manchester’s days were numbered, and only the desperate need for new aircraft kept it in front line service.

The Manchester’s performance statistics are somewhat misleading. Although the type had a service ceiling of 19,200 feet, with a full load it was forced to operate at nearer to 10,000 feet. In theory it could fly on one engine, and the unreliable Vulture forced it to do this far too often. In reality it was rare for a Manchester to cover any distance on one engine. The Manchester remained in squadron service from November 1940 until the end of June 1942. In all 202 Manchesters were built before production switched to the Lancaster. Of those aircraft, around 80 were lost in action, and another 50 to general unreliability. Early problems with the tail were solved by used the twin finned design being developed for the Lancaster, under the designation Manchester Mk IA. This version truly resembles the later aircraft.

The Manchester did have some good features. The bomb bay was the biggest of any Bomber Command aircraft, and this would allow the Lancaster to carry increasingly large bomb loads to Germany later in the war. Even the Manchester could manage the 4,000lb “cookie”. The bomb aimer had a well designed position with a good view, again a feature that was carried over to the Lancaster. Avro’s design was sound, but the Vulture was not. It was only the urgent requirement for new aircraft in the face of the looming threat of war with Germany that forced the Manchester into service.


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## Gnomey (Nov 27, 2010)

More good stuff, keep it coming.


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## gekho (Nov 29, 2010)

In 1935 the Air Ministry had issued two specifications, M.15/35 and G.24/35, which detailed requirements for a torpedo-bomber and a general reconnaissance/ bomber respectively. The latter was required to replace the Avro Anson in service for this role and. as mentioned in the Bristol Blenheim entry, was to be met by the Bristol Type 149 which was built in Canada as the Bolingbroke. To meet the first requirement, for a torpedo-bomber, Bristol began by considering an adaptation of the Blenheim, identifying its design as the Type 150. This proposal, which was concerned primarily with a change in fuselage design to provide accommodation for a torpedo and the installation of more powerful engines, was submitted to the Air Ministry in November 1935.

After sending off these details of the Type 150, the Bristol design team came to the conclusion that it would be possible to meet both of the Air Ministry's specifications by a single aircraft evolved from the Blenheim, and immediately prepared a new design outline, the Type 152. By comparison with the Blenheim Mk IV, the new design was increased slightly in length to allow for the carriage of a torpedo in a semi-exposed position, provided a navigation station, and seated pilot and navigator side-by-side. Behind them were radio and camera positions which would be manned by a gunner/camera/radio operator. The Type 152 was more attractive to the Air Ministry, but it was considered that a crew of four was essential, and the accommodation was redesigned to this end. The resulting high roofline, which continued unbroken to the dorsal turret, became a distinguishing feature of this new aircraft, built to Air Ministry Specification 10/36, and subsequently named Beaufort.

Detail design was initiated immediately, but early analysis and estimates showed that the intended powerplant of two Bristol Perseus engines would provide insufficient power to cater for the increase of almost 25 per cent in gross weight without a serious loss of performance. Instead, the newly developed twin-row Taurus sleeve-valve engine was selected for the Beaufort, the only concern being whether it would be cleared for production in time to coincide with the construction of the new airframe. The initial contract, for 78 aircraft, was placed in August 1936, but the first prototype did not fly until just over two years later, on 15 October 1938. There had been a number of reasons for this long period of labour, one being overheating problems with the powerplant, and another the need to disperse the Blenheim production line to shadow factories before the Beaufort could be built.


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## gekho (Nov 29, 2010)

Test flying of the prototype revealed a number of shortcomings, leading to the provision of doors to enclose the main landing gear units when retracted, repositioning of the engine exhausts, and an increase to two machine-guns in the dorsal turret. These and other items, added to continuing teething problems with the new engine, delayed the entry into service of the Beaufort Mk Is, these first equipping No. 22 Squadron of Coastal Command in January 1940. It was this unit, which on the night of 15-16 April 1940, began the Beaufort's operational career by laying mines in enemy coastal waters, but in the following month all in-service aircraft were grounded until engine modifications could be carried out.

Earlier, the Australian government had shown interest in the Beaufort, and following the visit of a British Air Mission in early 1939, it was decided that railway and industrial workshops could be adapted to produce these aircraft, resulting in the establishment of two final assembly plants (at Fishermen's Bend, Melbourne, and at Mascot, Sydney) with the production backing of railways workshops at Chullora, Islington and Newport. Twenty sets of airframe parts and the eighth Bristol built Beaufort Mk I (L4448, which became A9-1001) was imported for trials, but at an early stage the Australians decided they did not want the Taurus powerplant. Accordingly, they had obtained a licence from Pratt Whitney to build the Twin Wasp (already being licence built by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation in Australia), and these were to power all Australian-built Beauforts, which eventually totalled 700. As from May 1941, several notable long distance flights were carried out by this experimental prototype and all expectations were exceeded. The first DAP Beaufort was tested in August 1941, and was one of a batch of 180 ordered by the RAF for use in the Far East.

Australian production began in 1940, the first Australian Beaufort Mk V making its initial flight in May 1941. Apart from the change in engines, these were generally similar to their British counterparts except for an increase in fin area to improve stability with the powerful Twin Wasp engine. In fact, engine and propeller changes accounted for most of the different variants produced by the Australian factories. These included the Beaufort V (50) and Beaufort VA (30), both with licence-built Twin Wasp S3C4-G engines; Beaufort VI (40 with Curtiss propellers) and Beaufort VII (60 with Hamilton propellers), all 100 being powered by imported SlC3-G Twin Wasps due to insufficient licence production; and the Beaufort VIII with licence-built S3C4-Gs. This last mark was the definitive production version, of which 520 were built, and had additional fuel tankage, Loran navigation system and variations in armament, with production ending in August 1944. Some 46 of the last production batch were subsequently converted to serve as unarmed transports; designated Beaufort IX, this variant had the dorsal turret removed and the resulting aperture faired in. The powerplant rating of all the Australian versions was 1,200 hp (895 kW). The Beaufort was used extensively by the Royal Australian Air Force in the Pacific theatre, serving from the summer of 1942 until the end of World War II.


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## gekho (Nov 29, 2010)

The early trials of the Australian Beaufort V with Twin Wasp engines induced the Air Ministry to specify this powerplant for the next contract, and a prototype with these American engines was flown in November 1940. The first production Beaufort Mk II flew in September 1941, and by comparison with the Beaufort Mk I revealed much improved take-off performance. However, because of a shortage of Twin Wasps in the UK, only 164 production Mk IIs were built before Mk Is with improved Taurus XII engines were reintroduced on the line. In addition to the powerplant change, this version had structural strengthening, a changed gun turret, and ASV radar with Yagi aerials. When production of this version ended in 1944, well over 1,200 Beauforts had been built in Britain.

The final two Beaufort designations, Mk III and Mk IV, related respectively to a version with Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engines of which none were built, and a version with two 1,250 hp (932 kW) Taurus XX engines of which only a prototype was built. Beauforts were the standard torpedo-bomber in service with Coastal Command during 1940-43, equipping Nos. 22, 42, 86, 217, 415 and 489 Squadrons in home waters, and Nos. 39, 47 and 213 in the Middle East. They were to acquit themselves well until superseded by the Beaufighter, involved in many of the early and bloody attacks against the German battle cruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, three vessels that often seemed to be invincible, at least to aircraft carrying conventional weapons.


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## gekho (Nov 29, 2010)

On 28 July 1942, a Beaufort of 217 Squadron was forced to ditch during an attack on an Italian convoy. The crew, Lieutenant E.T. Strever (SAAF-pilot), Plt Off W.M. Dumsmore and two New Zealanders, Sergeants A.R. Brown and J.A. Wilkinson, were later picked up by a Cant Z.506B floatplane. They were taken to an Italian base at Prevesa, Greece where they were well looked after overnight. Next morning the prisoners boarded another Cant Z.506B: the Italians decided not to use handcuffs in case the aircraft was forced down at sea.

Some 45 minutes into the flight, Sgt Wilkinson distracted the guard who was overpowered and disarmed. The five Italian crew were forced to surrender the Cant and Lt Strever took over the controls, altering course to fly to Malta. There were no proper maps on board and a rough heading to the south-west was set. Eventually Cape Spartivento, the southernmost point of Italy, was recognised and a new course was set for Malta, some 100 mi (160 km) to the south. The aircraft was soon detected by radar on Malta and a section of four Spitfires of 603 Squadron was scrambled to intercept. They found the Cant about 10 mi (16 km) off the coast and forced it to alight with a burst through the port wing.

HSL 107 (an RAF High Speed Launch, used to rescue aircrew) arrived an hour later and found the five Italians and four Beaufort crew sitting on the wings enjoying wine and brandy provided by the Italians. Cant No. MM45352 13 of 139 Squadrilia was taken into service by the RAF and used for air-sea rescue (ASR) duties. Lt Strever and Plt Off Dunsmore were awarded the DFC and Sgts Wilkinson and Brown, the DFM.


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## Gnomey (Nov 29, 2010)

Nice shots!


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 29, 2010)

With above!


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## Wildcat (Nov 30, 2010)

Cool, love the Beaufort.


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## gekho (Nov 30, 2010)

The Blenheim was originally built in in England in 1934 as one of the first executive planes for the proprietor of the Daily Mail, Lord Rothermere, who wanted a fast plane capable of carrying six passengers, a pilot and a co-pilot. Equipped with two Bristol Mercury engines, the Bristol Type 142, as it was then called, was 30 mph (48km/h) faster than the RAF's new biplane fighter, the Gloster Gauntlet.

Bristol began designing a military version of their new aircraft, the Type 142M. The Air Ministry placed an order for 150 aircraft in the summer of 1935, and a second order for 434 more followed in July of 1937. The Type 142M, or Blenheim I, as it was now called, had a bomb aimer's station in the nose, an internal bomb bay, and a dorsal machine gun turret for self-defense. There was also a single machine gun in the port wing. The Blenheim was of all-metal construction, with the nose of the plane barely extending beyond the engines. It was equipped with two Bristol Mercury engines. When first revealed to the public, the Blenheim's speed attracted great notice and led to the belief Britain was armed with the best bomber in the world. This myth became self-perpetuating and soon two new production lines had to be set up as orders for still more aircraft were placed. A total of 1,552 Blenheim Is were built and equipped 26 RAF squadrons at home and in British possessions in the Middle East (e.g. Egypt, Iraq, Aden) and the Far East (e.g. India, Malaya/Malaysia, Singapore).


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## gekho (Nov 30, 2010)

During the early stages of development the Bristol company designed a derivative of the Blenheim, the Type 149, in response to an Air Ministry request for a coastal reconnaissance and light bomber aircraft to replace the Avro Anson. The Type 149 was a Blenheim with greater fuel capacity and a lengthened nose for an observer and his gear. The Air Ministry then began to worry that this new aircraft would interfere with the production of the Blenheim I already underway. Instead, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ordered production in Canada as the Bolingbroke Mk I, and the prototype was shipped to Canada to help start the production lines at Fairchild Aircraft Ltd. The Type 149 would enter production in the UK as the Blenheim Mk IV. By 1939, most Blenheim Is had been replaced in Britain by the new Mk IV. The Mk Is continued to serve as trainers and a number were converted into night fighters.

The night fighter version, the Blenheim IF, was equipped with a special under-fuselage pack that housed four machineguns, and an airborne interception radar. It was a Blenheim IF that made the first radar-assisted kill of the war in July of 1940. The Blenheim would also become the first aircraft to make reconnaissance and bombing raids into Germany during the opening stages of the war in the west. The Blenheim Mk IV would equip 70 squadrons at its height of popularity, and continue to serve in the Middle and Far East until the last years of the war. A Blenheim Mk V was also built, with extra armor and weapons, but the same engines. This meant it was an extremely slow aircraft and after serious losses in Italy, it was withdrawn from service. Today only a single Blenheim IVT, actually a RCAF Bolingbroke, remains airworthy. It is owned and operated by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford, UK, and has been flying since May 1993.


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## Jarda Rankl (Nov 30, 2010)

Some color pics.


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## gekho (Dec 1, 2010)

Always remembered as the first of the four-engined bombers to join the RAF, the Stirling suffered from several design limitations which severely affected its performance and load-carrying capability. As a consequence, its service with Bomber Command was marred by heavy losses when used on operations alongside the higher-flying Halifaxes and Lancasters.

Air Ministry Specification B12/36, to which the Stirling was one of 11 designs proposed by various companies, called for a four-engined heavy bomber capable of carrying a bombload of 14,000lbs with a range of 3,000 miles a remarkably demanding request for the time). It also specified that the wingspan should not exceed 100 feet to enable the aircraft to fit inside current RAF hangars (although, curiously enough, the most common type of hangar, the C Type, could open to over 125 feet). As a consequence, certain aspects of the Stirling's performance suffered namely that operating altitude of the aircraft with a full load, as the wings could not generate the lift required to operate a higher altitudes.

Shorts, the aircraft's designers, were well versed in the design of flying boats and had never designed an aircraft with retracting undercarriage before. Taking the basic design of the company's most recent flying boats, Shorts modified them to accommodate four engines and wheel undercarriage. To prove the design, Shorts built a half-scale prototype and this flew for the first time in September 1938 and after a series of test flights it was decided that the aircraft take-off and landing runs were overly long. This was countered by increasing the length of the undercarriage legs to increase the angle of the wings to the ground, but the legs were overly-complicated and lanky affairs and throughout its life, the Stirling suffered from a number of undercarriage-related accidents.

Early test flights of the Stirling were dramatic affairs; on the maiden flight of the first full-size prototype in May 1939, a wheelbrake locked on landing causing the aircraft to slew violently and collapse one of the undercarriage legs. The aircraft was a write-off. On the first flight of the second prototype two months later, and engine cut-out on take-off but the aircraft was landed safely.


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## gekho (Dec 1, 2010)

With test flying sufficiently advanced, deliveries to squadrons commenced in August 1939 when No 7 Squadron at Leeming received its, and the RAF's first four-engined heavy bomber. Eight days later, at the height of the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe attacked the Shorts' factory in Rochester and destroyed six aircraft. Within a week, the same fate had befallen the Belfast factory and a further fiver aircraft lost.

Early aircraft had a retractable belly turret but this was soon discarded after a number of leaks had caused the turret to lower and strike the ground while the aircraft was taxying. With other minor problems cured, the Stirling finally flew its maiden operation during the night of 10th/11th February 1941 when aircraft from No 7 Squadron took part in a raid on Rotterdam. But then another fault with the aircraft's design was encountered. As Bomber Command started operations in earnest over Germany towards the end of 1941, the lack of power produced by the four Bristol Taurus engines severely limited the loads carried by Stirlings. On missions against long-range targets such as Italy or deep inside Germany, the Stirling was restricted to 3,500lbs of bombs (seven 500lb-ers) and could barely climb over the Alps during the flights to and from the targets. The design of the bomb-bay meant that the heaviest bomb that could be carried was the 2,000lb armour-piercing shell - the new 4,000lb High Capacity bomb being introduced was too big for the compartmentalised bay of the Stirling.


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## gekho (Dec 1, 2010)

Some way to remedying the poor performance of the basic Stirling design with the introduction of the Mark III from the start of 1943, but still the aircraft suffered much higher losses than the other aircraft of the Main Force. Within five months of being introduced, 67 out of the 84 aircraft delivered had been lost to enemy action or written off after crashes. During the year, the Stirlings were gradually phased out of the Main Force and moved to less dangerous duties such as minelaying. Only one Stirling squadron served with the Pathfinders - No 7 - but the Stirlings had been replaced by Lancasters by mid-1943.By mid-1944 the Stirlings had found a new lease of life as troop-carriers or glider-tugs, being used as such during the D-Day landings. The final Bomber Command operation was flown by No 149 Squadron against Le Havre on 8 September 1944.

Two Victoria Crosses were awarded to Stirling pilots. The first was to Flight Sergeant RH Middleton, and Australian serving with No 149 Squadron. Middleton's aircraft was hit repeatedly by flak during a raid on Turin in November 1942. With severe wounds and blind in one eye, Flight Sergeant Middleton and his second-pilot coaxed the Stirling back over the Alps to England. It was as they crossed the coast that only 5 minutes fuel remained and the pilot gave the order to bale out; Middleton managed to control the aircraft while five members of the crew parachuted to safety, but was unable to prevent the aircraft from crashing, killing himself and two others who had stayed to assist. The second, also for gallantry during a raid on Turin, was posthumously awarded to Flight Sergeant AL Aaron DFM of No 218 Squadron. During a raid on the Italian city in August 1943, Aaron's Stirling was attacked by a night-fighter. The navigator was killed; Aaron himself had his jaw shattered by a bullet as well as being wounded in the chest and one arm. With one engine out and two others damaged, Aaron placed the bomb-aimer in control of the aircraft and set a course for North Africa. Five hours later, after being restrained from taking over the pilot's seat again, Aaron assisted the bomb-aimer in making a wheels-up landing at Bone. All the crew survived except Flight Sergeant Aaron who died nine hours later of his wounds.


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## Airframes (Dec 1, 2010)

Great pics, thanks.


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## Gnomey (Dec 1, 2010)

Great stuff, keep it coming.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 1, 2010)

Always thought the Stirling looked so regal, great pics!


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## gekho (Dec 2, 2010)

Few if any bombers of the Second World War enjoyed a longer or more distinguished operational career than the Vickers Wellington. Blooded in combat at the very outset of hostilities, it carried the lions share of R.A.F. Bomber Commands night bombing offen*sive until the operational debut of the first four-engined heavies, and was still first-line equipment when the war ended. Indeed, such was the brilliant battle record of the Wellington that any tribute can be but a pale reflection of the distinctions that this remarkable warplane won for itself. The Wellingtons docility combined with a lively performance and its ability to absorb a fantastic amount of battle damage rapidly endeared it to its crews, and its portly, well-fed appearance engendered the nickname Wimpey after Popeyes obese friend J. Wellington Wimpy of strip-cartoon fame, an appellation that became as widely known as that with which it was officially christened. More than any other bomber, the Welling*ton proved the power-operated gun turret to be a formidable defensive weapon, but it disproved the widely-held belief that large bombers could undertake daylight bombing attacks against heavily defended areas without fighter escort.

Like most successful combat aircraft, the Wellington was the result of team work, but it undoubtedly owed its success to the revolutionary geodetic, or basket weave, system of construction, an ingenious idea the more remarkable for its essential simplicity. When Vickers Limited, through a subsidiary company known as the Airship Guarantee Company, received a contract from H. M. Government to build the airship R.100, they employed an outstanding engineer named Barnes N. Wallis to design the structure. From an airship designed for use on an experimental commercial air service between the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth to a medium bomber built by the thousand in the Second World War may seem a long step indeed, but in the R. 100s construction lay the germ of an idea which was to see fruition years later in the Wellingtons structure.


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## gekho (Dec 2, 2010)

The geodetic system of construction the name being derived from geodeses, imaginary geographical lines following the curvature of the earth along a straight path was designed to carry all loads in the structure along the shortest possible paths. It produced a criss-cross pattern of self-stabilising members by means of which loads in any direction were automatically equalised by forces in the intersecting set of frames. High strength was obtained at low weight. Vickers were not slow to see the advantages which might accrue from this form of construction and Barnes Wallis was teamed up with Rex K. Pierson, then Vickers chief designer, to produce structural designs. The complex shape of the aeroplane, coupled with the need to cut away some of the multitudinous geodetic members for cockpits, bomb-bays, and gun turrets, presented such difficulties that the originators might well have given up hope of reaping the rewards of their ingenuity. Vickers enjoyed no subsidy to cover the expense of developing the geodetic system, but with faith and perseverance the many hurdles were surmounted, and the company's belief in the soundness of Barnes Wallis's invention was amply vindicated.

The first aeroplane to employ geodetic construction was the Type 246 Wellesley which was built as a private venture to meet the general requirements of specification G.4/3 1 which called for a general-purpose bombing and torpedo-carrying aircraft. Vickers actually received a prototype contract for a biplane fulfilling this specification, the Type 253, which was in fact built and flown, but the company had implicit faith in the superiority of their monoplane which, in the event, was adopted for the Royal Air Force. The Wellesley prototype (K7556) did not fly until June 19, 1935, and by that time lessons learned in its design were already being applied to the next, even more ambitious Vickers bomber.


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## gekho (Dec 2, 2010)

The pattern for this new bomber was set by an official specification, B.9/32, issued in the middle of 1932, for a twin-engined day bomber of appreciably higher performance than any previously envisaged. The promise offered by the forthcoming Bristol Mercury VI S2 supercharged air-cooled radial engines and the Rolls-Royce Goshawk steam-cooled inline engines rendered possible a performance such as that demanded by the specification, and Vickers prepared a design in which these power plants were alternatively applicable. After these preliminary suggestions, sub*mitted in March 1933, had been studied, the Air Ministry revised the specification in September 1933 to give favour to the Goshawk engine, and in the following October Vickers submitted a new design which, employing geodetic construction, was -a mid*wing monoplane with a retractable undercarriage and two Goshawk I engines. The mid-wing gave better drag figures at the root junction with the fuselage than a high-mounted wing, and also provided a bomb-bay unobstructed by the main spar of a low-mounted wing.

In December 1933 Vickers were awarded an official contract for the construction of one prototype of their design which, bearing the designation Type 271, was powered by two Goshawks. Six months later, however by which time construction had already begun the Air Ministry realised that the Goshawk was not fulfilling its earlier promise, and the specification again had to be changed. As no alternative power plant with a similar power-to-weight ratio as that of the Goshawk presented itself, it was necessary to relax the limit on the bomber's tare weight in order to permit the installation of the heavier and more powerful Bristol Perseus or Pegasus nine-cylinder air-cooled radials. There can be no doubt that this decision saved the design from the early demise which would have resulted if the Goshawk installation, with its complex steam cooling, had been continued.

Vickers eventually elected to use the Bristol Pegasus engine which, in its PE5.SM version, was rated at 850 h.p. for take-off. In production, this engine was designated the Pegasus X, and two of them powered the Vickers Type 271 (K4049) bomber prototype when J. Mutt Summers took the aircraft into the air at Brooklands on its maiden flight on June 15, 1936, Although the Type 271 was destined to be completely redesigned before it emerged as the Wellington I, ii was itself a major step forward in British bomber design. The fuselage, although portly, was remarkably well streamlined, and the wings were of a higher aspect ratio at 8.83:1 than had previously been attempted in a twin-engined aeroplane, with consequent benefit on performance. The Wellesley-type tail unit initially planned had given place to one of larger area the single fin and rudder design was borrowed directly from the Supermarine Stranraer flying boat which had twin vertical tail surfaces. The span was 85 ft. 10 in., and the overall length was 60 ft. 6 in., and the Type 271 was designed to be operated by a crew of four, with provision for a fifth crew member when required.

The warload was a maximum of nine 500-lb. bombs, or nine 250-lb. bombs with fuel for maximum range, and defensive armament comprised two Lewis 0.303-in. machine guns, one forward- and one rearward-firing in enclosed, hand-operated cupolas at each end of the fuselage. Provision was made in the design for a hand-operated gun in a retractable dorsal turret, but this was never implemented. At an all-up weight of 21,000 lb., the Type 271 reached 250 m.p.h. at 8,000 ft. Immediately after making its first flight, the proto*type appeared in the new-types park at the R.A.F. Display at Hendon in June 1936, where it created a most favourable impression. This was subsequently confirmed in official trials which followed, and before the end of the year in August 1936, in fact a production specification was drawn up around the Type 271 design, and 180 aircraft were ordered to be build to this standard. Hence the Wellington I met the requirements of specification 29/3 6, and appeared in quite different guise to the basic B.9/32 design.


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## gekho (Dec 2, 2010)

The Vickers Warwick was one of many examples of promising aircraft whose development was delayed by the choice of engines. It was originally designed as a twin-engined heavy bomber, and like the Avro Manchester was to use the Rolls Royce Vulture. When the Vulture failed to live up to expectations Avro installed four Merlin engines in the Manchester, to produce the excellent Avro Lancaster, but Vickers decided to keep the twin-engined design, and searched for more powerful engines. Eventually over 800 Warwicks would be produced, powered by either the Pratt Whitney Double Wasp or the Bristol Centaurus.

The Vickers Warwick was developed as a twin-engined heavy bomber to satisfy specification B.1/35. This was a thoroughly un-ambitious specification, calling for an aircraft powered by two 1,000hp engines and capable of carrying 2,000lb of bombs over 1,500 miles at a speed of 195mph – by the time it entered service the Wellington medium bomber could carry twice the bomb load, had a range of 2,550 miles and a speed of 235mph, and the Wellington was powered by two 1,050hp Bristol Pegasus engines, giving it only 100hp more than envisaged for the B.1/35.

The Warwick was developed alongside the final version of the Wellington. Although the specification for the Wellington had been issued in 1932 (B.9/32), it had taken four years for the first prototype to make its maiden flight (15 June 1936). This early version of the aircraft was then virtually abandoned, and a complete redesign was begun. The redesigned B.9/32 became the Vickers Type 285, while the prototype of the Warwick was the Type 284. Structurally the Wellington was essentially a cut-down version of the Warwick. As a result the two aircraft had many components in common, especially in the geodesic members.

The first Vickers design, of July 1935, was powered by two Bristol Hercules HEISM engines. The company was awarded a contract to produce one prototype on 7 October 1935. This prototype (serial number K8178) would not make its maiden flight until 13 August 1939. By this point the aircraft was powered by Rolls Royce Vulture engines, a complex piece of machinery that merged two inline V engines and failed to produce as much power as had been hoped, while also proving very unreliable.

A second prototype was ordered on 2 July 1937 (serial number L9704). This aircraft eventually made its maiden flight in April 1940, by which time it was powered by a pair of Bristol Centaurus engines. It had been hoped to use the Napier Sabre, but that engine failed to materialise in time, and when it did become available was reserved for fighter aircraft. By the time the second prototype took to the air, the Warwick was no longer needed as a heavy bomber, that role having been taken by the new four-engined heavies. Despite that, on 3 January 1941 Vickers was given a contract to produce 150 Warwick Mk Is, powered by the Pratt Whitney Double Wasp and 100 Warwick Mk IIs, powered by the Centaurus. Only 16 Mk. Is and 1 Mk. II were ever completed.

The Warwick was eventually produced in significant numbers. In January 1943 it was decided to turn it into an air-sea rescue aircraft. A total of 369 ASR Warwicks were produced. Another 328 Warwicks were produced as general reconnaissance aircraft for Coastal Command, but only a handful were ever used in combat. Another 114 were produced as transport aircraft, and by the time production finished 845 had been built.


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## gekho (Dec 3, 2010)

The H.P. 54 Harrow was the production version of the earlier Handley Page H.P.51 design, itself a monoplane conversion of the three-engined Handley Page H.P.43 biplane. The two monoplanes were both designed by Dr. G.V. Lachmann. Initially Handley Page intended to offer the H.P.51 to Air Ministry specification C.26/31 for a bomber-transport, then saw the H.P.54 as a more likely winner. In the end neither type was a candidate for C.26/31, since in June 1935 the Air Ministry, anxious to expand and modernise the RAF wrote specification B.29/35 around the Harrow, emphasising its bomber role though retaining its transport capability. In August, 14 months before the first Harrow flew, the Ministry put in an order for 100 aircraft. Powered by Bristol Pegasus X engines of 830 hp (620 kW), the first Harrow flew on 10 October 1936 from Radlett. The Harrow was designed to have powered nose, dorsal and tail turrets, and carried a bomb load of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) under the cabin floor.

The first Harrow was delivered to No. 214 Squadron RAF on 13 January 1937, with all 100 delivered by the end of the year, with five bomber squadrons of the RAF being equipped with the Harrow. The Fleet Air Arm ordered 100 Harrows but Handley Page lacked the production capacity to supply them. Despite being fitted with cabin heating by steam boilers using exhaust heat, the Harrow gained a reputation of being a cold and draughty aircraft owing to the turret design. As the delivery of more modern bombers increased, the Harrow was phased out as a front-line bomber by the end of 1939, but continued to be used as a transport. 271 Squadron was formed on 1 May 1940 with a mixture of Harrows, Bristol Bombays and impressed civil aircraft. While the other aircraft equipping 271 squadron were replaced by Douglas Dakotas, it retained a flight of Harrows (sometimes nicknamed "Sparrows" due to their new nose fairings to give a more streamlined fuselage) as transports and ambulance aircraft until the end of the Second World War in Europe.


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## gekho (Dec 3, 2010)

The Bristol Buckingham was originally designed as a replacement for the earlier Bristol Blenheim. It was one of many British aircraft projects delayed by a unfortunate choice of engines (in this case the Bristol companies own Centaurus radial engine) but the main problem for the Buckingham was that by the time it was ready for service the de Havilland Mosquito was already doing the same job.

The Buckingham could carry a 4,000lb bomb load at a maximum speed of 330mph and had a maximum range of 3,180 miles. The bomber version was heavily armed for a light bomber, with four .303in machine guns firing forward, four more in a ventral turret and two more in a ventral cupola, firing into the vulnerable position behind and below the aircraft. Changes to the design and problems with the Centaurus engine delayed the first flight of the Buckingham prototype to 4 February 1943, and the first flight of a production aircraft to 12 February 1944. By then the Mosquito B.Mk XVI had been in service for two months, and was capable of carrying the same 4,000lb bomb load at least as far as Berlin, and at 408mph.

Production of the Buckingham continued because of its longer range, seen as potentially valuable in the Far East. Fifty four were completed as bombers out of an original order of 400. Another 65 were completed as a fast transport aircraft, but the Buckingham was really too small for this job, and could only carry four passengers. In the post-war period the RAF had hundreds of aircraft better suited to the transport role, and the Buckingham was soon phased out. More successful were the 110 Buckinghams that were completed as Bristol Buckmaster advanced trainers, and the closely related Bristol Brigand, designed as a torpedo bomber.


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## gekho (Dec 3, 2010)

The Bristol Brigand was designed as a replacement for the Bristol Beaufighter in its role as a torpedo-bomber. The Beaufighter had been a success in that role, but did have some flaws in the role, not having been designed for it. The Brigand was based on the Bristol Buckingham, a proposed light bomber that failed to see service in its original role, having been made obsolete by the Mosquito. The Brigand too would fail to see service in its intended role, but would find a new role as a ground attack aircraft.

The first Brigand prototype was ordered in April 1943. The new aircraft shared much of its design with the Buckingham, particularly the wings and tail plane. The most obvious difference was the high cockpit, with the three crew members sitting in line under a single canopy. The first prototype flew on 4 December 1944, at which point it was still possible that the aircraft might have been needed in the Far East, but the Japanese surrender left the original Brigand TF.Mk 1 was no longer needed.

The type survived as a light bomber. The B.Mk 1 was very similar to the TF.Mk 1, but with the torpedo carrying capability removed. It entered service in 1949 and saw active service during the Malaya emergency. A number of other variants were also produced, most important of which were the T Mk 4 and T Mk 5, used to train RAF radar operators until finally retired in 1958.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 3, 2010)

Excellent, I've gained a lot more respect for the Wellington (the Popeye reference would make a great trivia question.)


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## gekho (Dec 9, 2010)

Under the cover of darkness, on May 17,1943, 19 Lancaster heavy bombers of Royal Air Force Bomber Command flew over the coast of occupied Europe on a most secret mission. The crews had been specially trained and the aircraft specially prepared to carry barrel shaped bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. As the targets loomed closer, the designated aircraft initiated their attack runs at very low altitude. The first Lancaster released its bomb, followed by the other aircraft in its group, and as each pulled away the crew could see the bomb bouncing along the surface of the lake towards its concrete target, striking it and finally sinking and exploding. Back at base the news broke - Lancasters of 617 Squadron had breached the Moehne, Eder and Sorpe dams in northwest Germany and had caused major flooding of the vital Ruhr Valley industrial area. The floods had drowned some 1,200 German workers and had cost the RAF eight Lancaster bombers and their crews. This spectacular venture, and the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord in 1944, are the best known of all the exploits of the Lancaster, yet it was as the ceaseless nighttime destroyer of German industrial centers and cities that it did most to bring the war to a close.

The Lancaster bomber holds a special place of affection mingled with a great deal of pride in the hearts of British and Commonwealth citizens--feelings which perhaps find their parallel in the hearts of Americans toward the B-17 Flying Fortress. Just as the Spitfire epitomized the Commonwealth's supreme spirit of defiance in the face of seemingly irresistible defeat, so the evening sight and sound of streams of Lancasters "heading out" toward the heartland of the German Reich was the ultimate translation of a war weary people's will to see the Nazi military and industrial machine--the source of colossal suffering for so much of the world--battered into oblivion.

The Lancaster flew for the first time on January 9,1941 as a four-engined development of the Avro Manchester. The RAF began to equip with Mk Is in early 1942 and used them first on March 10th against targets in Essen. Altogether, more than 7,300 Lancasters were produced in Britain as Mks I to VII and Canada as Mk Xs, and they dropped more than 608,000 tons of bombs on 156,000 wartime missions. Some Lancasters were still flying with the RAF in the early 1950s as maritime-reconnaissance, photo-reconnaissance and rescue aircraft.

Like all successful aircraft the Lancaster not only looked good but its flying characteristics matched its appearance. It is all the more ironic therefore that the birth of Avro's mighty machine owed so much to failure, the failure of its immediate predecessor, the twin engine Avro Manchester. The Avro 683 evolved almost accidentally as a result of recurrent failure of the insufficiently developed Rolls Royce Vulture engines installed in the Manchester.


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## gekho (Dec 9, 2010)

In May 1936 Group Captain R.D. Oxland, Director of the Air Ministry's Operational Requirements, issued specification P.13136 for a twin engine bomber capable of carrying internally a 12,000 lb maximum bomb load, or a single 8,000 lb bomb, or a pair of torpedoes. Two firms were invited to build prototypes of their design submissions, Handley Page their HP 56 and the Avro 679, in the event the HP 56 was rejected because of a projected shortage of Rolls-Royce engines. Within weeks of Avro receiving a prototype order a production order was placed for 200 machines to the new Specification 19137.

Large when compared with other twin engine aircraft the P.13136 was actually powered by four Rolls-Royce engines. Under the designation Vulture, Rolls-Royce had mated a pair of V 12 cylinder Kestrel engines with a common crankcase creating a 24 cylinder V engine and a lot of trouble. On 25 July 1939 the prototype, L7246, was flown for the first time with Group Captain H.A. Brown at the controls. While only airborne for 17 minutes It was long enough to realize that the Vulture engines were turning out much less power than anticipated and wing loading made the aircraft extremely difficult to fly.

To correct lateral instability a central fin was added to the second prototype, L7247, which flew for the first time on May 26,1940. The second machine was armed with six .303 Browning machine guns, two in the nose, ventral and tail turrets. Production quickly followed with the first production machine, L7276, rolling out on August 5,1940 during the height of the Battle of Britain. Production machines had a wing span increase and the ventral turret was removed to the dorsal position. The need for additional modifications and the urgency of manufacturing fighters slowed down production of the P.13136, which was now known as the Manchester. L7277, the second production machine, was not delivered until October 25,1940.


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## Gnomey (Dec 9, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Dec 10, 2010)

This second production machine was delivered to No. 207 Squadron at Waddington under the command of Wing Commander Hyde, which had been reformed to work up the still secret Manchester. By the end of the year No. 207 Squadron had received some twenty machines. On January 9,1941 the existence of the Manchester was revealed to the full RAF and on February 24 six Manchesters were part of the attacking force raiding Brest where a Hipper class cruiser was reported. All machines returned safely but L7284 crash landed at Waddington when the hydraulic system failed. Trouble with the hydraulic system persisted, but was eventually traced to an oil leak which fouled the undercarriage micro switches and was corrected.

Problems with the Vulture power plants were not so easily solved however, and No. 207 Squadron seldom had more than five machines serviceable at one time. On the night of March 13,1941 the first Manchester was lost to enemy action when L7319 was shot down shortly after takeoff from Waddington by Feld W. Hans Hahn of I/NJG 2. Most of the Manchester's mechanical problems by now had been solved and a second assembly line, at Metropolitan Vickers, began turning out machines and new Squadrons were being assembled. The basic problem with the Manchester, that of being underpowered, was still to be addressed. With a service ceiling of only 10,000 feet the loss of one engine resulted In an almost immediate loss of height. This poor performance of the Manchester caused one squadron to (only half-jokingly) plan their squadron reunion in POW camp.

In April all Manchesters were grounded when faults were found in the Vulture engine bearings. On June 16 the Manchesters were again grounded to modify the cooling system and again on June 30 for complete engine overhauls and testing, the results of which were a further series of modifications. On August 7 operations were resumed at which time two further faults showed up. The tail flutter, which was eventually corrected by redesigning the tail to an enlarged twin fin configuration under the designation Manchester IA, and the propeller feathering problem which was not so easily traced. Engine problems seemed to increase rather than abate and casualties grew.

During initial trials of the Manchester prototype it had been quickly realized that the 24 cylinder Vultures were not turning out the anticipated power. Two projects were initiated to correct the situation, replacement of the Vultures with a pair of Napier Sabre or Bristol Centaurus engines keeping the twin engine configuration under the designation Manchester Mk II, or by reconfiguring the aircraft to a four engine machine under the designation Manchester Mk III. The four engine solution was completed first and so successfully that the twin engine projects were dropped out of hand.


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## gekho (Dec 10, 2010)

Owing to delays in the full development of the Vulture engine, the decision was taken in mid l940 to design a new version of the Manchester with four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines. The first conversion made use of about 75 per cent of the Manchester's parts and assemblies, the principal change being the provision of a new center section of the wing with mountings for Merlin engines. This aircraft became the first prototype of the Lancaster. A second prototype fitted with Merlins and significantly modified in detail was designed, built and flown in just eight months. The first production Lancaster I flew just over five months later, its power plant comprising similar 954 Kw (1,280 hp) Rolls-Royce Merlin XX Vee, liquid-cooled engines, each driving a three-blade constant-speed and fully feathering propeller. Because of the possibility of some interruption in Merlin production, the Lancaster II was built with 1,229.5 Kw (1,650 hp) Bristol Hercules VI radial engines. These fears did not materialize, with the result that only 300 Lancaster IIs were built.

BT308, a standard Manchester airframe, was fitted with a new wing center section into which were installed four of the very reliable Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines. Flying for the first time on January 9,1941, that flight was enough to convince Roy Dobson and his designers that true success had been achieved.

The doubling from two to four motors meant an increase in the Manchester's maximum bomb load, from 10,350 lbs to an operational average of 12,000/14,000 lbs. Fuel capacity was increased from 1,700 to 2,154 gallons and range increased from 1200 miles to 2350 miles. Bomber Command now had a bomber that could penetrate deep into Nazi occupied Europe with a much larger bomb load and reasonably expect to evade or fight off all that the enemy could provide in defensive measures--and at an altitude more than double the Manchester's meager 10,000 foot ceiling. Of even more importance to the crews flying the bomber into enemy air space was the security afforded them by the reliability of the newly installed Merlin power plants.


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## gekho (Dec 14, 2010)

Official testing at Boscombe Down during March found that the elevators and ailerons responded well at either end of an I.A.S. range of 100 to 290 mph, but rudder pressure did increase with speed. The strong tendency to swing to port during takeoff was solved by advancing the port-outer throttle and raising the tail quickly, to allow the pilot to bring the rudders into play. In May the second prototype, DG595, took to the air. In contrast to BT308, she carried both mid-upper and ventral turrets and a newly designed and enlarged twin tail configuration which discarded the center fin. New 1,280 HP Merlin XX engines had been installed in place of the earlier Merlin Xs. The RAF now had a bomber with which it could wage war in Germany. There would be no more talk around the squadrons about reunions in POW camp!

First operational RAF squadron to be equipped with Lancasters was No 44, which used them operationally for the first time on March 3,1942 laying mines in the Heligoland Bight. Defended by ten machine-guns and carrying a maximum bomb load of 6,350 kg (14,000 lb). The Lancaster was, and soon proved itself to be a formidable weapon in the hands of the RAF, which had, by mid 1942, learned a great deal about night bombing operations over Europe. By comparison with contemporary four-engined bombers it was statistically the most effective, dropping 132 tons of bombs for each aircraft lost on operations; the corresponding figure for the Halifax and Stirling were 56 and 41 tons respectively. The Lancaster was so right, from the beginning, that there were very few changes in airframe design during its wartime service. Improved power plants, however, provided steadily improving performance: the Lancaster VII, for example, with 1,207 kW (1,620 hp) Merlin 24 engines, had a maximum takeoff weight of 30,844 kg (68,000 lb) by comparison with the 22,680 kg (50,000 lb) of the early Is. Bomb load changed considerably, the cavernous bomb bay being designed originally to carry bombs of up to 4,000 lb, with a total bomb load of 6,350 kg (14,000 lb); it was modified progressively to carry the 22,000 lb Grand Slam bomb.

The Lancaster will be remembered for its part in two spectacular operations: the breaching of the Mohne and Eder dams on the night of May 16-17,1943 by No 617 Squadron (led by Wing Cdr. Guy Gibson); and the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz Its contribution to victory in World War II is best measured, however, by the total of 608,612 tons of bombs delivered, which represented Two-thirds of the total bomb load dropped by the RAF from the time of its entry into service. A total of 7,366 Lancasters were built (including Mk Xs in Canada) and the type remained in front-line service with the RAF until 1954. Canada had some photo-reconnaissance Lancasters in service in 1964.


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## Gnomey (Dec 14, 2010)

Nice shots! Keep them coming.


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## FlexiBull (Dec 14, 2010)

That's a classic. Low pass with three engines feathered. Always gives me a rye smile. Alex Henshaw maybe?


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## gekho (Dec 15, 2010)

More pics


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## gekho (Dec 15, 2010)

More pics


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## FlexiBull (Dec 15, 2010)

Think this is an Avro Lincoln. Different nose, longer body, different engines. But still great images.

Flexi


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## gekho (Dec 16, 2010)

Second of the four-engined heavy bombers to enter service with the RAF, in November 1940, the Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax was one of the famous triad comprised of the Handley Page Halifax, Avro Lancaster and Short Stirling which mounted RAF Bomber Command's night-bombing offensive against Germany. In conjunction with the daylight attacks for which the USAAF had accepted responsibility, this round-the-clock battering of German targets reached its peak in 1944, causing almost unbelievable devastation. But although it entered service more than a year ahead of the Lancaster, the Halifax was always somewhat over-shadowed in the bombing role by the achievement of the superb Lancaster. The Halifax, however, scored over the Lancaster in its multi-role capability, for in addition to its deployment as a heavy night-bomber, it was equally at home when employed as an ambulance, freighter, glider tug, personnel transport and maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

The origin of the Halifax stemmed back to an Air Ministry requirement of 1935 for a twin-engined bomber, to which Handley Page submitted a design identified as the H.P.55. This proved to be unsuccessful, but about a year later the Air Ministry issued a new specification, P.13/36, which called for a medium/heavy bomber to be powered by two 24-cylinder engines known as the Vulture X-Type which Rolls-Royce then had under development. Handley Page's H.P.56 proposal was selected for prototype construction, but the company had doubts that the Vulture engine would emerge as a reliable production powerplant, and set about the task of redesigning the H.P.56 to take four Bristol Taurus engines, but this was soon changed to incorporate Rolls-Royce Merlins instead. The overall configuration was not greatly changed, but the H.P.57 design, which was submitted to the Air Ministry for approval, was for a considerably larger and heavier aeroplane. 40,000 lbs (18141 kg) loaded weight instead of the original 26,300 lbs (11927 kg).

On 3 September 1937 Handley Page was awarded a contract for the manufacture of two prototypes of the H.P.57, with construction beginning in early 1938. When the first of these was nearing completion, it was realised that the company's airfield at Radlett, Hertfordshire, was too restricted for the first flight of such a large aircraft, and it was decided instead to use the nearest non-operationa1 RAF airfield, which was at Bicester in Oxfordshire. Thus, final assembly was carried out at Bicester and it was from there that the first flight (L7244) was made on 25 October 1939.


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## gekho (Dec 16, 2010)

As then flown the H.P.57 was a mid-wing cantilever monoplane of all-metal construction, the wing incorporating automatic leading-edge slats, but these were deleted on production aircraft as the Air Ministry required that the wing leading edges should be armoured and provided with barrage balloon cable cutters. The tail unit comprised a large high-mounted tailplane and rudder assembly with twin endplate fins and rudders, and the fuselage was a deep, slab-sided all-metal structure with considerable internal volume, it was this feature which was to provide the later versions with multi-role capability. Accommodation was provided for a crew of seven, including three gunners to man the nose, beam and tail positions. Landing gear was of retractable tailwheel type, and the powerplant comprised four Merlin engines. For its primary role as a bomber, a variety of weapons could be carried in a 22 ft (6.71 m) long bomb bay in the lower fuselage, supplemented by two bomb compartments in the wing centre-section, one on each side of the fuselage.

The second prototype (L7245) made its first flight on 17 August 1940, followed just under two months later on 11 October 1940 by the first production example (L9485), by then designated Halifax Mk I, and this was powered by 1,280 hp (954 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines. Armament of these early production aircraft consisted of two and four 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-guns in nose and tail turrets, respectively. Full designation of the first production version was Halifax B.Mk I Series I, and these began to equip the RAF's No.35 Bomber Squadron based in Leeming starting on 23 November 1940. It was this unit that, on 11 March 1941, was the first to use the Halifax operationally, in an attack on Le Havre by six of the squadrons aircraft, and a few days later the Halifax became the first of the RAF's four-engined bombers to make a night attack against a German target, when bombs were dropped on Hamburg by three aircraft. The Halifax was used for the first time in a daylight attack against Kiel on 30 June 1941, but it did not take long to discover that the aircraft's defensive armament was inadequate for daylight use, and by the end of 1941 the Halifaxes were used only by night in the bombing role. This resulted in the provision of better armament for later versions.

Early deployment of the Halifax had confirmed that this new four-engined bomber had much to offer, but although contracts for large-scale construction very quickly exceeded the productive capacity of the Handley Page factories at Cricklewood and Radlett, pre-war plans had been made for alternative sources of supply. The establishment of four new production lines was made easier by the unit method of construction which had been adopted for the Halifax, and the first of these sub-contract aircraft to fly, on 15 August 1941, came from the English Electric Company of Preston, which had earlier been involved in the manufacture of Handley Page's Hampden medium-bomber. The other three lines were those of Fairey Aviation Company Limited of Stockport, Rootes Securities Limited of Spekes and the London Aircraft Production Group (London Passenger Transport Board).


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## gekho (Dec 16, 2010)

From their first introduction into operational service, Halifax bombers were in continuous use by RAF Bomber Command, equipping at their peak usage no fewer than 34 squadrons in the European theatre, and four more in the Middle East. Two flights were in early use in the Far East, and following VE-Day a number of squadrons operating with the Halifax B.Mk VI flew their aircraft out for co-operation with the Allied forces fighting in the Pacific theatre The Halifax was involved in the first Pathfinder operations in August 1942 and was the first RAF aircraft to be equipped with the highly secret H2S blind bombing radar equipment. It was also involved in extensively in daylight attacks on German V-1 sites. Between 1941 and 1945 the Halifax flew 75,532 sorties during which 231252 tonnes (227,610 tons) of bombs were dropped on European targets.

The Halifax was also operated by nine squadrons of the RAF's Coastal Command for anti-submarine, meteorological and shipping patrols, the aircraft being converted from standard bombers and specially equipped, taking the designations Halifax GR.Mk II, GR.Mk V or GR.Mk VI according to the bomber version from which they were derived. Similarly, RAF Transport Command acquired Halifax C.Mk III, C.Mk VI and C.Mk VII aircraft as casualty, freight and personnel transports. Little known in wartime was the work of Nos 138 and 161 SOE (Special Duties) Squadrons, which had the task of dropping special agents and/or supplies by parachute into enemy territory.

One other vital use of the Halifax was by the Airborne Forces, for under the designations Halifax A.Mk III, A.Mk V and A.Mk VII, equivalent bomber versions were converted to serve for the deployment of paratroops or as glider tugs. The Halifax was, in fact, the only aircraft capable of towing the large General Aircraft Hamilcar glider, a capability first proven in February 1942. Soon after that date the Halifax tug made its operational debut when two Airspeed Horsas were hauled across the North Sea to attack the German heavy-water plant in south Norway.

The Halifax Mk I was followed into service by the Halifax B.Mk II Srs 1, which introduced a Boulton Paul twin-gun dorsal turret, and an increase of 15 per cent in standard fuel capacity. The powerplant, initially Merlin XXs, was changed later to Merlin 22s of equal power output. These changes, plus others introduced after the prototypes had made their first flights, resulted in a steady increase in gross weight. As there had been no surplus engine power from the outset, the result was that operational performance was being eroded by enhanced capability. This can be accepted during wartime conditions provided the rate of attrition remains fairly constant, but in the case of the Halifax Mk II the dorsal turret represented 'the last straw', and steps were taken immediately to improve the performance of these aircraft.


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## Gnomey (Dec 16, 2010)

Nice shots!


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## gekho (Dec 17, 2010)

Manufactured by Avro and incorporating the wings, tail, undercarriage and engines of the Lancaster bomber, the York was to prove a useful military and civilian transport aircraft in war and peace. In 1941, Avro designer Roy Chadwick began to sketch out a long range transport aircraft based on the Lancaster. The result became the Avro Type 685 York, and the prototype flew on 5 July 1942. Production began in 1943 and 258 aircraft were manufactured before construction ceased in November 1946. Yorks were used by the RAF and by a number of British and Commonwealth airlines and charter companies during the 1940s and 1950s. During the Berlin Airlift, Yorks flew 58124 of the 131800 sorties conducted by the RAF. British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) Avro York aircraft took over the Shorts Empire Class flying boat routes from Cairo to Durban in late 1946. British South American Airways (BSAA) were also operators of Avro York aircraft on their routes to South America.


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## gekho (Dec 17, 2010)

Handley Page's answer to meet Air Staff Specification C.3/44 for a long-range general purpose transport was the H.P.67. It was an all-metal low-wing cantilever monoplane with conventional tail unit. It had all-metal tapering dihedral wings, which had been designed for the abandoned HP.66 bomber development of the Handley Page Halifax and a circular fuselage suitable for pressurisation up to 5.5 psi (38 kPa). It had a retractable undercarriage and tailwheel. The Hastings was powered by four wing-mounted Bristol Hercules 101 sleeve valve radial engines. In service the aircraft was operated by a crew of five and could accommodate either 30 paratroopers, 32 stretchers and 28 sitting casualties, or 50 fully equipped troops.

A civilian version of the Hastings was developed as the Handley Page Hermes. The Hermes prototypes were given priority over the Hastings but the program was put on hold after the prototype crashed on its first flight on 2 December 1945 and the company concentrated on the military Hastings variant. The first of two Hastings prototype (TE580) flew at RAF Wittering on 7 May 1946.Tests showed that the aircraft was laterally unstable and that it had poor stall warning capabilities. The prototypes and first few production aircraft were subject to a series of urgent modifactions and testing to resolve these problems. A temporary solution was found by modifying the tailplane with 15° of dihedral, while being fitted with synthetic stall warning. This allowed the first production aircraft (Hastings C1) to enter service in October 1948.

The RAF initial ordered 100 Hastings C1s but the last six were built as weather reconnaissance versions as the Hastings Met. Mk 1, and seven other aircraft were converted to this standard. Eight C1 aircraft were later converted to Hastings T5 trainers which were used for training the V-bomber crews; three at a time. While tail modifications introduced to the C1 allowed it to enter service, a more definitive solution was the fitting of an extended-span tailplane, which was mounted lower on the fuselage. These changes, together with the fitting of additional fuel tanks in the outer wing, resulted in the C Mk 2, while a further modified VIP transport, fitted with yet more fuel to give a longer range become the C Mk 4. A total of 147 aircraft were built for the Royal Air Force and four for the Royal New Zealand Air Force, a total of 151.


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## gekho (Dec 17, 2010)

The Hasting was rushed into service because of the Berlin Airlift, with No. 47 Squadron replacing its Halifax A Mk 9s with Hastings in September-October 1948, flying its first sortie to Berlin on 11 November 1948. The Hasting was mainly used to carry coal, with two further squadrons, 297 and 53 joining the airlift before its end. A Hastings made the last sortie of the airlift on 6 October 1949, the 32 Hastings deployed delivering 55,000 tons (49,900 tonnes) of supplies for the loss of two aircraft. One hundred Hastings C.Mk 1 and 41 Hastings C.Mk 2 were built, and they served both on Transport Command's long-range routes and as a tactical transport until well after the arrival of the Bristol Britannia in 1959. An example of the latter use was during the Suez Crisis when Hastings of 70, 99 and 511 Squadrons dropped paratroopers on El Gamil airfield.

Hastings continued to provide transport support to British military operations around the globe through the 1950s and 60's, including dropping supplies to troops opposing Indonesian forces in Malaysia during the Indonesian Confrontation. The Hastings was retired from Royal Air Force Transport Command in early 1968 when it was replaced by the Lockheed Hercules. The Met Mk.1 weather reconnaissance aircraft were used by No. 202 Squadron RAF at RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland from 1950 until the Squadron was disbanded on 31 July 1964, being made obsolete by weather satellites. The Hastings T.Mk 5 remained in service as radar trainers well into the 1970s, even being used for reconnaissance purposes during the Cod War in the winter of 1975—76, finally being retired on 30 June 1977.

Hastings were also operated in New Zealand, where the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 40 Squadron flew the type until replaced by C130 Hercules in 1965. Four Hastings C.Mk 3 transport aircraft were built and supplied to the RNZAF. One crashed at RAAF Base Darwin and caused considerable damage to a water main, a railway and the road into the city. The other three were broken up at RNZAF Base Ohakea. During the period that the engines were having problems with their sleeve valves (lubricating oil difficulties) RNZAF personnel joked that the Hastings was the best three-engined aircraft in the world.


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## Gnomey (Dec 17, 2010)

Good stuff! Keep them coming.


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## gekho (Dec 18, 2010)

The Royal Air Force (RAF) entered World War II with no heavy bomber of its own in service; the biggest available were long-range medium bombers such as the Vickers Wellington which could carry up to 4,500 lb of bombs. While the Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax would become its primary bombers by 1941, in early 1940 the RAF entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Air Corps to be provided with 20 B-17Cs, which were given the service name Fortress I. Their first operation, against Wilhelmshaven on 8 July 1941 was unsuccessful: on 24 July, the target was Brest, France, but again the bombers missed completely.

By September, after the RAF had lost eight B-17Cs in combat or to accidents and many instances of aborts due to mechanical problems, Bomber Command abandoned daylight bombing raids because of the Fortress I's poor performance. The experience showed both the RAF and USAAF that the B-17C was not ready for combat, and that improved defenses, larger bomb loads and more accurate bombing methods were required. However the USAAF continued using the B-17 as a "day" bomber, despite pleas from the RAF that attempted daylight bombing would be ineffective.

As usage by Bomber Command had been curtailed, the RAF transferred its remaining Fortress I aircraft to Coastal Command for use as a long-range maritime patrol aircraft instead. These were later augmented in August 1942 by 19 Fortress Mk II (B-17F) and 45 Fortress Mk IIA (B-17E). A Fortress from No. 206 Squadron RAF sank U-627 on 27 October 1942, the first of 11 U-boat kills credited to RAF Fortress bombers during the war. No. 223 Squadron, as part of 100 Group operated a small number of Fortresses in support of the bombing offensive for jamming German radar.


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## Gnomey (Dec 18, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## Airframes (Dec 18, 2010)

Great stuff. The Hastings was actually retired slightly earlier than intended, when an example loaded with trainee parachutists rolled over on take off from No.1 PTS, Abingdon, killing all on board.
The last pic of the RAF B17 is interesting, as the US Sergeant shown in the pic was one of a team of American 'advisers' (actually there to gain knowledge of operations and limitations with the B17), when the U.S. at that time were still neutral. That might account for the facial expression - he wasn't 'officially' there !


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## gekho (Dec 19, 2010)

Liberator GR Is in British service were the first B-24s to be used operationally. The very first use of Liberators in British service was the use of ex-USAAF YB-24s (designated LB-30A), which while not suitable for combat, were used as a long-range transport, operating the Atlantic Return Ferry Service, returning the civilian ferry pilots who delivered aircraft such as the Lockheed Hudson across the Atlantic back to Canada. The most important role for the first batch of the Liberator GR Is was in service with RAF Coastal Command on anti-submarine patrols in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Later in 1941, the first Liberator IIs entered RAF service. This model introduced self-sealing fuel tanks and powered gun turrets. At the same time, Consolidated added a 2 ft 7 in (79 cm) plug in the forward fuselage to create more space for crew members. The Liberator IIs were divided between Coastal Command, Bomber Command, and BOAC. Two RAF squadrons with Liberators were deployed to the Middle East in early 1942, in the first use of the Liberator as a bomber.


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## gekho (Dec 20, 2010)

After french defeat, some 95 French-operated DB-7's escaped to North Africa while the remaining models in American hands - and the contract to go along with them - were diverted to British ownership who took over operation of the type as the "Boston". The British Boston series covered three distinct marks as the Boston Mk.I (DB-7), Boston Mk.II (DB-7A) and Boston Mk.III (DB-7B).

RAF Bostons were fielded as day bombers initially, though these met with disastrous results. The type was found to be unsuitable for such a dangerous role and therefore modified into a dedicated night-fighter form. The RAF selected roughly 100 of these Boston light bombers and produced the converted "Havoc", intruder aircraft fitted with the AI Mk IV series of radar in the nose housing and as many as 12 x 7.7mm machine guns to handle the offensive dirty work. Additionally, these converted Bostons were given increased armor protection for the crew and specialized exhaust piping to dampen the flame effects of the engines at night. Essentially, the British RAF gave birth to the "Havoc" series by default, despite its origins as an American airplane. Havocs were first fielded by No. 23 Squadron.

With its newfound weapon, the RAF initiated several interesting - yet costly - projects involving the Havoc. One such initiative involved the "Turbinlite", night-fighting Havoc Mk I models fitted with a 2,700-million candlepower spotlight taking up most of the space in the nose housing. Up to 10 squadrons and 18 months of valuable time and resources went into this project which ultimately proved a failure.


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## gekho (Dec 21, 2010)

The RAF received 367 B-25Cs and 212 B-25Ds, which were designated "Mitchell Mark II". The Mitchell Mark IIs were the first B-25s to see combat with the RAF. They conducted their first raid against the Nazis on 22 January 1943, and continued with attacks on airfields and communications centers in preparation for D-Day. Ironically, although the USAAF found good use for the B-25 in almost all other theaters of war, the USAAF only operated the B-25 from England in limited numbers, apparently mostly on coastal patrols.


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## Gnomey (Dec 21, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## Wildcat (Dec 22, 2010)

Great pictures!


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## gekho (Dec 22, 2010)

After the Franco-German Armistice, all remaining planes on the French order were shipped to the United Kingdom where they received the designation Maryland Mk.I. Many of the aircraft were eventually shipped to Egypt and Malta in time for the 1941 fighting there. In the British Fleet Air Arm, at any rate, they seem to have seen little combat, being used for spotting and target towing duties. The RAF used the aircraft to some effect for photo-reconnaissance operations in North And Eastern Africa, sometimes as a bomber, being faster and better armed than the Blenheim, but since it was a "rare bird", its role was mainly reconnaissance missions, often flown over the most important Italian targets. A Maryland bomber was the aircraft sent to gather photographs of the Italian Fleet before and after the Battle of Taranto on 11 November 1940. The pilot of that Maryland was the famous ace Adrian Warburton, who scored his five confirmed kills with the Maryland's forward-firing guns - the only person ever to achieve ace status in a bomber type. The Maryland also brought back the pictures that alerted the British that the German battleship Bismarck had left harbor on 22 May 1941.


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## Gnomey (Dec 22, 2010)

Nice ones!


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## gekho (Dec 23, 2010)

The first British aircraft were delivered in late 1941 to equip Operational Training Units. The RAF only used the Baltimores operationally in the Mediterranean theater and North Africa. Many users were impressed by the step up that the Baltimore represented from older aircraft like the Bristol Blenheim. The users of the Baltimore, and Martin pilot Benjamin R. Wallace, praised the aircraft for its heavy armament, structural strength, maneuverability, bombing accuracy and relatively high performance but crews complained of cramped conditions like the earlier Maryland. Due to the narrow fuselage it was nearly impossible for crew members to change positions during flight if wounded (the structure of the interior meant that the pilot and observer were separated from the wireless operator and rear gunner). This was common for most light bombers of the era like the Handley Page Hampden, Douglas Boston, and Blenheim. Crews complained as well for the difficulties in handling the aircraft on the ground. The pilot had to co-ordinate the throttles perfectly to avoid a nose-over, or worse, on takeoff.

Thrown into action to stop Rommel's advance, the Baltimore suffered massive losses when it was utilized as a low-level attack aircraft, especially in the chaos of the desert war where most missions went unescorted. However, operating at medium altitude with fighter escorts, the Baltimore had a very low loss rate, with the majority of losses coming from operational accidents.

Undertaking a variety of missions in the Middle East, Mediterranean and European theaters, the Baltimore's roles included reconnaissance, target-towing, maritime patrol, night intruder and even served as highly uncomfortable fast transports. The Baltimore saw limited Fleet Air Arm service with aircraft transferred from the RAF in the Mediterranean to equip a squadron in 1944. Used in the anti-submarine role during the war, the Baltimore achieved moderate success, sinking up to eight U-boats.

The RAF also transferred aircraft to other Allies in the Mediterranean area. After the capitulation of Italy in 1943. The type was used intensively in the Italian campaign to clear the road to Rome for advancing Allied forces. After the armistice, an Italian-manned squadron, the 28th Bomber Wing, was equipped with ex-RAF Baltimores, becoming the co-belligerent Stormo Baltimore. The Italians suffered considerable attrition during their training phase on the Baltimore. The majority of accidents were during takeoffs and landings due to the aircraft's fairly high wing loading, high approach speed and a directional stability problems during takeoffs. The Italians only operated the Baltimore for roughly six months. Many of those operations were in Yugoslavia and Greece, providing air support for partisan forces or dropping supplies.

Most Baltimores were scrapped soon after the war, although one RAF squadron continued to use the type in Kenya where the aircraft were used in aerial mapping and locust control until 1948. In post-war service, the Baltimore took part in United Stated Navy instrument and control surface tests in the effort to break the sound barrier. With its powerful engines and light, yet robust construction, the aircraft was able to be dived at high speed, reaching Mach .74 in tests.[1] All Baltimores were withdrawn from service by the end of 1949, the last one being retired on 23 December 1949.


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## gekho (Dec 23, 2010)

More pics


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## gekho (Dec 23, 2010)

387 PV-1s were used by the RAF as the Ventura G.R.V. They were used in the Mediterranean and by Coastal Command. Some RAF aircraft were modified into Ventura C.V transport aircraft. The Ventura Mark I was first delivered to the Royal Air Force in September 1941, and flew its first combat mission on 3 November 1942 against a factory in Hengelo, the Netherlands. On 6 December 1942, 47 Venturas engaged in a daylight, low-altitude attack against Eindhoven, also in the Netherlands. This was the primary event that demonstrated the Ventura's weakness in such raids: of the 47, nine of the bombers were downed. Following this tragedy, tactics were switched to medium-altitude raids. The Ventura fared little better in this strategy. During one attack on a power station in Amsterdam on 3 May 1943, New Zealand's 487 Squadron was told the target was of such importance that the attack was to be continued regardless of opposition. All ten Venturas to cross the coast were lost to German fighters. Squadron Leader Leonard Trent, (later the last of the Great Escapers), won the Victoria Cross for his leadership in this raid.

It was never a very popular aircraft among RAF crews, and despite the fact that it was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster and carried more than twice as many bombs as its predecessor, the Hudson, it proved ill-suited to its task as a bomber. By the summer of 1943, the Ventura had been phased out of service in favour of the de Havilland Mosquito. Its last mission was flown by No. 21 Squadron RAF on 9 September 1943. After leaving bombardment service, a number were modified to be used by Coastal Command; they served as the Ventura G.R.I. A small number of Venturas were also used in other countries, including Canada the Royal New Zealand Air Force and South Africa.


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## gekho (Dec 23, 2010)

In 1938, the British Purchasing Commission sought an American maritime patrol aircraft for the United Kingdom to support the Avro Anson. On 10 December 1938, Lockheed demonstrated a modified version of the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra commercial airliner, which swiftly went into production as the Hudson Mk I. A total of 350 Mk I and 20 Mk II Hudsons were supplied (the Mk II had different propellers). These had two fixed Browning machine guns in the nose and two more in the Boulton Paul dorsal turret. The Hudson Mk III added one ventral and two beam machine guns and replaced the 1,100 hp Wright Cyclone 9-cylinder radials with 1,200 hp versions (428 produced). The Hudson Mk V (309 produced) and Mk VI (450 produced) were powered by the 1,200 hp Pratt Whitney Twin Wasp 14-cylinder two-row radial. The RAF also obtained 380 Mk IIIA and 30 Mk IV Hudsons under the Lend-Lease programme.


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## gekho (Dec 23, 2010)

By February 1939, RAF Hudsons began to be delivered, initially equipping No. 224 Squadron RAF at RAF Leuchars, Scotland in May 1939. By the start of the war in September, 78 Hudsons were in service. Due to the United States then-neutrality, early series aircraft were flown to the Canadian border, landed, and then towed on their wheels over the border into Canada by tractors or horse drawn teams, before then being flown to RCAF airfields where they were then dismantled and "cocooned" for transport as deck cargo, by ship to Liverpool. The Hudsons were supplied without the Boulton Paul dorsal turret, which was installed on arrival in the United Kingdom.

Although later outclassed by larger bombers, the Hudson achieved some significant feats during the first half of the war. On 8 October 1939, over Jutland, a Hudson became the first RAF aircraft to shoot down a German aircraft. (The first British aircraft to shoot down a German plane was a Blackburn Skua of the Fleet Air Arm on 26 September 1939.) They operated as fighters during the Battle of Dunkirk. A PBO-1 Hudson of US Navy squadron VP-82 became the first US aircraft to destroy a German submarine when it sank U-656 southwest of Newfoundland on 1 March 1942. A Hudson of Royal Canadian Air Force Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron 113 became the first aircraft of RCAF's Eastern Air Command to sink a submarine, when Hudson 625 sank U-754 on 31 July 1942.


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## gekho (Dec 24, 2010)

In 1942, a batch of 52 B-26A Marauders (designated Marauder I by the RAF) were offered to the United Kingdom under Lend-Lease. Like the earlier Martin Maryland and Baltimore bombers, these were sent to the Mediterranean, replacing the Bristol Blenheims of No. 14 Squadron in Egypt. No. 14 Squadron flew its first operational mission on 6 November 1942, being used for long range reconnaissance, mine-laying and anti-shipping strikes. Unlike the USAAF, 14 Squadron made productive use of the option for carrying torpedoes, sinking several merchant ships with this weapon. The Marauder also proved useful in disrupting enemy air transport, shooting down considerable numbers of German and Italian transport aircraft flying between Italy and North Africa.

In 1943, deliveries of 100 long wingspan B-26C-30s (Marauder II), allowed two squadrons of the South African Air Force, 12 and 24 Squadron, these being used for bombing missions over the Aegean, Crete and Italy. A further 350 B-26F and Gs were supplied in 1944, with two more South African Squadrons (24 and 30) joining No 12 and 24 in Italy to form an all Marauder wing, while one further SAAF squadron (25) and a new RAF Squadron (39 Squadron) re-equipped with Marauders as part of the Balkan Air Force supporting Tito's Partisans in Yugoslavia. A Marauder of 25 Squadron SAAF, lost on the unit's last mission of the Second World War on 4 May 1945, was the last Marauder to be lost in combat by any user. The British and South African aircraft were quickly scrapped following the end of the war, the United States not wanting the return of the Lend-Lease aircraft.


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## gekho (Dec 24, 2010)

More pics


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## Airframes (Dec 24, 2010)

Good stuff, thanks for posting. Sad sight though, those Lancastrians in the various stages of being scrapped.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 24, 2010)

I agree, great thread!


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## Gnomey (Dec 24, 2010)

Agreed Terry. Good stuff!


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## gekho (Dec 25, 2010)

The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II. It was the last piston-engined bomber used by the Royal Air Force. The Lincoln became operational in August 1945, too late to see action in the Second World War. It was assigned to units of Tiger Force, a British Commonwealth heavy bomber force, intended to take part in Allied operations against the Japanese mainland. However, the Lincoln did see action with the RAF during the 1950s, in the Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya and with the RAF and RAAF during the Malayan Emergency.


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## gekho (Dec 25, 2010)

In the postwar Royal Air Force, the Lincoln equipped many bomber squadrons. Nearly 600 Lincolns were built to equip 29 RAF squadrons, mainly based in the United Kingdom. They were partially replaced by 88 Boeing Washingtons, on loan from the USAF, which had longer range and could reach targets inside the Iron Curtain. 

RAF Lincolns were also used in combat during the 1950s, in Kenya against the Mau-Mau, and RAF and RAAF examples served in Malaya during the Malayan Emergency, against insurgents aligned to the Malayan Communist Party. On 12 March 1953, a RAF Lincoln (RF531 "C") of Central Gunnery School was shot down 20 mi (32 km) NE of Lüneburg, Germany by a Soviet MiG-15 as it flew to Berlin on a training flight, resulting in the deaths of the seven crew members.

In November 1955, four Lincolns of No. 7 Squadron RAF were detached for duties in British territories in the Middle East. In Bahrain, they carried out border patrols of the then Trucial States. When 7 Sqn was disbanded in December 1955, the four detached crews and aircraft became No. 1426 Flight RAF, officially a photographic reconnaissance unit. It was later sent to Aden, carrying out patrols in the lead up to the Aden Emergency.

As the RAF Lincolns became unserviceable due to wear and tear they were replaced by jet aircraft. The Lincolns of Bomber Command were phased out from the mid-1950s, and were completely replaced by jet bombers by 1963. The last Lincolns in RAF service were five operated by No. 151 Squadron, Signals Command, at RAF Watton, Norfolk, which were finally retired on 12 March 1963.


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## Gnomey (Dec 25, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Dec 26, 2010)

Designed and built as the RAF’s first dedicated four-engine long-range maritime patrol aircraft, the Avro Shackleton was the final expression of Avro’s classic heavy bombers, the Lancaster and Lincoln. Retaining the wing and landing gear of the Lincoln, the Shackleton had a larger, rounder and shorter fuselage, which provided space for a crew of 10. Armament included two 20mm cannon in the nose, two in a dorsal turret, and two machine guns in the tail plus bombs or depth charges, depending on the mission.

Entering service in 1951, the plane underwent two primary modifications over the years. The MR.2 gained a semi-retractable ‘dustbin’ radome, allowing a 360-degree scan as well as changes allowing the plane to fly with three engines feathered. The Shackleton MR.3 added greater overall capabilities with improved ailerons, wing tip tanks and better crew quarters. By the late 1960’s the Shackleton was being replaced by the Nimrod jet patrol aircraft. However, this grand dame was not finished yet.

Responding to the loss of Airborne Early Warning (AEW) capability with the demise of the Royal Navy’s carriers, twelve Shackletons were pressed into service as AEW.2 aircraft in 1971. The radome was replaced by a ‘guppy’ radar unit forward of the weapons bay, and many internal changes were made to accommodate the electronic gear and radar operators. From 1974 to 1991, the Shackleton AEW.2 flew missions over the North Sea, Arctic Ocean and western Atlantic until relieved by the Boeing E-3D Sentry.

A single Shackleton (WL790) is operated in the USA and, until recently, a second one flew in South Africa as a part of the SAAF "Historic Flight." Another Shackleton, "WR963" (the sister ship to WL790), is based at Coventry Airfield in the UK, and is undergoing a refurbishment program which should make it airworthy again in the next few years. For now, WR963 makes weekly engine runs and is available for tours.


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## gekho (Dec 26, 2010)

The main production variant, the TT2 naval target tug (TS 475 – TS 498) spent most of its life with No. 728 Squadron at Hal Far, Malta. They also operated with No. 771 Squadron at RNAS Ford in 1950- 1954. Their primary role as a target tug included towing targets for ground-to-air firing practice, photographic marking of ground-to-air firing, target towing for air-to-air practice by night and day, "throw-off," target practice and radar calibration All existing Sturgeon TT2s were modified to a (S.B.9) TT3 standard during the early 1950s. The TT3 variant was intended to meet less stringent requirements. The extended TT2 nose with its synchronised photographic equipment and crew station was removed and replaced by a smaller streamlined nose cone. With the change from carrier operations to ground bases, all deck-landing equipment was also eliminated as well as the wing being modified to have a manual folding gear in place of the TT2's hydraulic system.

Briefly, a Short Sturgeon TT2 (VR363) piloted by "Jock" Eassie was utilised as a glider tow aircraft in the Short SB.1 flight tests. The experimental "tailless" glider, designed by David Keith-Lucas and Professor Geoffrey T.R. Hill, was built by Shorts as a private research venture and intended to test the concept of the aero-isoclinic wing. The first towed launch of the SB.1 piloted by Shorts' Chief Test Pilot, Tom Brooke-Smith ("Brookie") took off from RAF Aldergrove on 30 July 1951. The SB.1 was towed behind to a height of 10,000 ft with the flight completed successfully. On the second flight of the day, the tow rope was extended and Brooke-Smith experienced the problems inherent in flying a light aircraft in the turbulence caused by the towing aircraft. Brooke-Smith had to cast off at low altitude and while attempting to side-slip out of the wake, struck the ground "nose-down" at 90 mph, injuring himself seriously and damaging the aircraft. With the extensive damage to the Short SB.1 necessitating a rebuild, the decision to "power" the modified glider (redesignated the Short Sherpa) meant the end of the use of the Sturgeon tow plane in the program.


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## Gnomey (Dec 27, 2010)

That last one looks very strange. Nice shots!


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## FlexiBull (Jan 1, 2011)

Well that's one I've never heard of before.

Thanks


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 1, 2011)

Very cool!


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

The company's first aircraft of all-metal stressed-skin construction, the de Havilland D.H.95 Flamingo was designed by R. E. Bishop as a mediumrange passenger transport to carry 12-17 passengers and a crew of three. It featured hydraulically retractable landing gear, split trailing-edge flaps and was powered initially by two 664 kW (890hp) Bristol Perseus XIIc radial engines. The prototype was first flown by de Havilland chief test pilot Geoffrey de Havilland Jr at Hatfield on 28 December 1938; during subsequent flight testing a third, central fin was fitted temporarily. In May 1939 this aircraft was delivered to Guernsey Jersey Airways Ltd for route-proving trials, linking Heston and Southampton's Eastleigh Airport with the two principal Channel Islands.

The outbreak of war precluded commercial use on these services, but the Royal Air Force had ordered two Flamingoes for communications duties with No. 24 Squadron and one for The King's Flight, the last being delivered to RAF Benson on 7 September 1940. It was transferred to No. 24 Squadron in February 1941, the unit having acquired also the prototype, two aircraft ordered by civilian customers and the fifth airframe which had been used by the manufacturer for development of the Bristol Perseus XVI radial. This engine was fitted to all subsequent examples, including one used by the Royal Navy's No. 782 Squadron at Donibristle for communications flights to the Orkney and Shetland Islands and to Northern Ireland, and eight flown by BOAC on Middle East services, based at Cairo. The Royal Navy's Flamingo was the only aircraft to return to civil use after the war, seeing limited service with British Air Transport at Redhill where it was scrapped in 1954. Flamingo production totalled 16 aircraft. 

Source: De Havilland D.H.95 Flamingo - medium transport


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

The Bristol Bombay was a combination of a transport aircraft and a bomber that was developed to serve with RAF squadrons in the Middle East. Partly because of its duel purpose and partly because of the time it took to develop, the Bombay was effectively obsolescent by the time it entered service in 1939, but it did perform some useful service in the Middle East during the Second World War. The Bombay was first designed to fulfil Air Ministry Specification C.26/31 which called for a replacement for the Vickers Valentia. The new aircraft would have to perform as a troop carrier, a cargo carrier and a long range bomber. Two years passed before Bristol received a contract to produce a prototype (March 1933) and the first prototype would not fly for another two years, taking to the air on 23 June 1935. Bristol was awarded a production contract for fifty aircraft under Specification 47/36. The aircraft themselves were produced by Short Brothers Harland, as Bristol’s factories were busy building the Blenheim. A new government owned factory was built to produce the Bombay, causing further delay, and the first of the production aircraft did not appear until March 1939. By the time it appeared the Bombay looked outdated. It was a high winged twin engined monoplane with a fixed undercarriage. Even by the standards of 1939 it was under-armed, carrying two 0.303in machine guns in single gun nose and tail turrets. It was a clear advance over the Vickers Valentia, a rather outdated biplane troop transport plane that had itself only entered service in 1934. Although they had the same bomb load (2,200lb) and could carry almost the same number of troops, the Valentia could only reach a top speed of 120mph, compared to the 192mph of the Bombay.

The main user of the Bristol Bombay was No. 216 Squadron in Egypt, which received its first Bombays in October 1939, and retained them until June 1943. At first the squadron operated the Bombay purely as a bomber, retaining the Valentia as a transport. The Bombay took part in the Libyan campaign of 1940, being used as a bomber from June 1940 until the end of the year. It was then replaced as a bomber by the Wellington, but remained in use as a transport aircraft until 1943. Two more Middle Eastern squadrons used the Bombay for short periods. No. 267 Squadron operated a small number of Bombays as transport aircraft between August 1940 and August 1942. No. 117 Squadron borrowed four Bombays from No. 216 squadron between April and November 1941, using them for long range flights from Khartoum, one of the final staging points on the aircraft supply route that led from West Africa to Egypt. No. 271 Squadron was the only unit to operate the Bombay in Britain. It was reformed in May 1940, with a number of Bombays, which it then used to help evacuate British troops from France. Its Bombays were withdrawn by the end of June 1940. 

Sources: Bristol Type 130 Bombay


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

The Hinaidi followed the Hyderabad into RAF service and 12 Mk Is and 33 Mk IIs were built, six of the Mk Is originally being ordered as Hyderabads but built as Hinaidis (not converted after completion). These served from 1930. The RAF also received three examples of the troop-transport version known as the Clive (formerly Chitral). Each could accommodate 17 fully armed troops, or equivalent freight; folding seats being provided on both sides of the cabin and racks for the rifles. Two gun positions were retained (nose and dorsal). The first Clive was later civil registered G-ABYX and named Youth of Australia (subsequently Astra).


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

The Avro 691 Lancastrian was a British passenger and mail transport aircraft of the 1940s and 1950s developed from the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. The Lancaster was named after Lancaster, Lancashire; a Lancastrian is an inhabitant of Lancashire. The Lancastrian was basically a modified Lancaster bomber without armour or armament and with the gun turrets replaced by streamlined metal fairings. The initial batch was converted directly from Lancasters; later batches were new builds.

In 1943, Avro, through its wartime Victory Aircraft Canadian subsidiary, converted a Lancaster X bomber for civil transport duties with Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA). This conversion was a success resulting in eight additional Lancaster Xs being converted. The "specials" were powered by Packard-built Merlin 38 engines and featured a lengthened, streamlined nose and tail cone. Range was enhanced by two 400 gal (1,818 L) Lancaster long-range fuel tanks fitted as standard in the bomb bay. These Lancastrians were used by TCA on its Montreal–Prestwick route. The modification of abundant military aircraft into desperately needed civil transports was common in the United Kingdom in the immediate post-war period: the Handley Page Halton was a similar conversion of the Halifax heavy bomber.


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

In 1945, deliveries commenced of 30 British-built Lancastrians for BOAC. On a demonstration flight on 23 April 1945, G-AGLF flew 13,500 mi (21,700 km) from England to Auckland, New Zealand in three days, 14 hours at an average speed of 220 mph (354 km/h). The Lancastrian was fast, had a long range, and was capable of carrying a heavy load, but space inside was very limited as the Lancaster had been designed with space for its 7 crew dispersed through the fuselage, and the 33 ft (10.05 m) long bomb bay. Consequently it was not suited to carry large numbers of passengers, but for mail and a small number of VIP passengers. BOAC used it for flights between England and Australia from 31 May 1945. It also served with the RAF; RAF Lancaster I number PD328, converted to a Lancastrian and renamed Aries, completed the first airborne circumnavigation of the globe, as well as serving with QANTAS and Flota Aérea Mercante Argentina.

Lancastrians were used during the Berlin Airlift to transport petrol; 15 aircraft made over 5,000 trips. Two Lancastrian Is were used by Rolls Royce and the Royal Aircraft Establishment for tests of various turboprop and jet engines. One powered by two Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets in addition to two Merlins is credited with the first international passenger jet flight from London to Paris on 23 November 1946; the flight time was 41 minutes on power from the jets alone.


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

More pics


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

More pics


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

More pics


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

More pics


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

More pics


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## gekho (Jan 7, 2011)

The first squadron to operate the Albemarle was No. 295 at RAF Harwell in January 1943. Other squadrons to be equipped with the Albemarle were No. 296, No. 297 and No. 570. Other RAF squadrons operated small numbers of the aircraft. Albemarles took part in many of the major British airborne operations such as the invasions of Sicily and Normandy and the assault on Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. In October 1942, the Soviet Air Force placed a contract for delivery of 200 Albemarles. No 305 Ferry Training Unit was set up at RAF Errol near Dundee to train Soviet aircrews. During training, one aircraft was lost with no survivors. The first Albemarle from Scotland flew successfully to Vnukovo airfield on 3 March 1943, followed by 11 more. Two aircraft were lost over the North Sea (one to German interceptors, one unaccounted for).

Tests of the surviving Albemarles revealed their weaknesses as transports (notably the cramped interior) and numerous technical flaws; in May 1943, the Soviet government put further deliveries on hold and eventually cancelled them in favor of abundant American C-47 Skytrains. The Soviet camp at Errol field continued until April 1944, apparently the Soviet command hoped to secure de Havilland Mosquito deliveries. Twelve Soviet Albemarles served for about two years; at least two were lost in accidents. Surviving aircraft were retired at the end of 1945.


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## vikingBerserker (Jan 7, 2011)

Great posts, it might not have been much but I do like the looks of the Albemarle.


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## Gnomey (Jan 7, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## gekho (Mar 31, 2011)

Postwar, several Royal Air Force Bomber Command squadrons were equipped with B-29s loaned from USAF stocks. The aircraft were known as the Washington B.1 in RAF service , and remained in service from March 1950 until the last were returned in early 1954, having been replaced by initial deliveries of the UKs 'V-bomber' aircraft.


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## gekho (Apr 7, 2011)

The Hendon was built to meet the Air Ministry Specification B.19/27 for a twin-engine night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, competing against the Handley Page Heyford and Vickers Type 150. The specification required a range of 920 mi (1,480 km) at a speed of 115 mph (185 km/h), with a bombload of 1,500 lb (680 kg). To meet this requirement, Fairey designed a low-winged cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. The fuselage had a steel tube structure with fabric covering and housed the crew of five, consisting of a pilot, a radio operator/navigator, and three gunners, manning open nose, dorsal and tail positions. Bombs were carried in a bomb-bay in the centre-fuselage. Variants powered by either radial engines or liquid cooled V12 engines were proposed.

The prototype K1695 (which was known as the Fairey Night Bomber until 1934) first flew on 25 November 1930, and was powered by two 460 hp (340 kW) Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engines. The prototype crashed and was heavily damaged in March 1931, and so was re-built with two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines replacing the Jupiters. After trials, 14 production examples, now named the Hendon Mk.II were ordered. These were built by Fairey's Stockport factory in late 1936 and early 1937 and flown from Manchester's Barton Aerodrome. Orders for a further 60 Hendons were canceled in 1936, as the prototype of the first of the next generation of British heavy bombers - the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley - had flown, and it showed much higher performance. The Hendon Mk.II was powered by two Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. It had a fixed undercarriage and a crew of five while the production Hendon Mk.II included an enclosed cockpit for the pilot and navigator


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## Gnomey (Apr 7, 2011)

Good stuff! The Hendon is pretty ugly though, much the same as the many ugly bombers that seemed to appear at this time...


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## Wayne Little (Apr 9, 2011)

That is one ugly mother....


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## gekho (Dec 11, 2011)

The DH.91 was designed in 1936 by A. E. Hagg to Air Ministry specification 36/35 for a trans-Atlantic mail plane. The aircraft was remarkable for the ply-balsa-ply sandwich construction of its fuselage which was later made famous in the de Havilland Mosquito bomber. Another unique feature was a cooling system for the air cooled engines that allowed for streamlining of the engine mounting similar to how liquid cooled engines were. The first Albatross flew on May 20, 1937. The second prototype broke in two during overload tests but was rebuilt and it and the first prototype were used by Imperial Airways. Although designed as a mailplane, a version to carry 22 passengers was developed; the main differences were extra windows and the presence of slotted flaps in place of the split type. Five of these made up the production order delivered in 1938/1939.

As normal for the Imperial Airways fleet of the time, all were given names starting with the same letter, and the first aircraft's name was also used as a generic description for the type overall, as "Frobisher Class". This tradition, which came from a maritime and railway background of classes of ships and locomotives, lasted well into post-war days with BOAC and BEA. The first delivery to Imperial Airways was the 22-passenger DH.91 Frobisher in October 1938. The five passenger carrying aircraft were operated on routes from Croydon to Paris, Brussels and Zurich. After test flying was completed the two prototypes were delivered to Imperial Airways as long-range mail-carriers. The only significant season of their operation was the summer of 1939, when they were the main type on the two-hourly London Croydon to Paris Le Bourget passenger route. With the onset of World War II, the Royal Air Force considered their range and speed useful for courier flights between Great Britain and Iceland and the two mailplanes were pressed into service with the 271 Squadron in September 1940. Both aircraft were destroyed in landing accidents in Reykjavík, one (Faraday) in 1941 and one (Franklin) in 1942. The five passenger aircraft were used by Imperial Airways (later BOAC) on Bristol-Lisbon and Bristol-Shannon routes. One aircraft Frobisher was destroyed during a German air raid on Bristol in 1940, and two in landing accidents, one (Fingal) in 1940 at Pucklechurch and the other (Fortuna) in 1943 at Shannon Airport. With only two aircraft surviving Falcon and Fiona were scrapped in September 1943.


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## stug3 (Jan 5, 2013)

Halifax


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## Gnomey (Jan 5, 2013)

Nice stuff!


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## stug3 (Jan 5, 2013)

The Albatross was a real beauty. I love the Hendon too though, it looks like something from a comic book.


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## stug3 (Jan 17, 2013)

Halifax B Mark II Series 1, R9430 ‘19’, of No. 1658 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Riccall, Yorkshire, being test-flown on the starboard inner engine only by Squadron Leader P Dobson in order to determine the height loss for emergency flights on one engine.






Lancaster B Mark I, W4113 ‘GP-J’, of No. 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire, in flight. W4113 was a veteran aircraft having flown on a number of raids with Nos. 49 and 156 Squadrons RAF in 1942 and 1943


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## stug3 (Jan 30, 2013)




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## stug3 (Feb 15, 2013)

Flying Officer J F Greenam (in the centre) and his crew, photographed in front of Lancaster W4201 of No 57 Squadron at Scampton, February 1943. This image was part of a sequence taken for an Air Ministry picture story entitled ‘T for Tommy Makes a Sortie’, which portrayed the events surrounding a single Lancaster bomber and its crew during a typical operation.






Lancasters awaiting takeoff at Scampton.






Fraser Nash FN50 turret






Still from film shot in an Avro Lancaster by the RAF Film Production Unit, during a daylight attack on the Luftwaffe airfield and signals depot at St Cyr, France, by aircraft of No. 5 Group. A 4,000-lb HC bomb (‘Cookie’) and a smaller 500-lb MC bomb are seen just after they were released over the target.


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## Gnomey (Feb 15, 2013)

Nice shots!


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## stug3 (Mar 1, 2013)

Handley Page Halifax B Mark II Series 1A, HR952 ‘MH-X’, of No. 51 Squadron RAF receiving a mixed load of 500-lb MC bombs and incendiaries in its dispersal at Snaith, Yorkshire, for a night raid on Germany.






A 4,000-lb GP Bomb is hoisted from its trolley during operational trials at Marham, Norfolk. It entered general service with Bomber Command squadrons in early 1943, but proved inferior to the 4,000-lb HC Bomb in its blast effect and was withdrawn from service by the end of the year. In the background Vickers Wellingtons of No. 115 Squadron.


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## stug3 (Mar 3, 2013)

Annotated vertical taken during the major night raid on the Renault works at Boulogne-Billancourt, west of the centre of Paris. The largest number of aircraft sent to a single target so far - 235 - were despatched, dropping a record tonnage of bombs. A significant development was the mass use of flares to illuminate the target ('1' and '2'). Smoke and flame from exploding bombs can be seen on the factory ('3'), and also on the Ile St Germain ('4' and '5'). Only one aircraft, a Vickers Wellington, was lost during the raid, which was judged to be a great success.






A post raid image.


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## stug3 (Mar 5, 2013)

Armourers fit fuzes to 250-lb GP bombs on their trolleys, prior to loading into Handley Page Hampden Mark I, P1333 ‘EA-F’, of No. 49 Squadron RAF at Scampton, Lincolnshire. P1333 crash-landed near Breda, Netherlands, on returning from a raid on Merseburg, Germany on 17 August 1940. By 1943 No 49 Squadron was equipped with Lancasters.






The bomb load most commonly used for area bombing raids (Bomber Command executive codeword ‘Usual’) in the bomb bay of an Avro Lancaster. ‘Usual’ consisted of a 4,000 impact-fused HC bomb (‘cookie’), and 12 Small Bomb Containers (SBCs) each loaded with incendiaries, in this case, 236 x 4-lb incendiary sticks.


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## stug3 (Mar 10, 2013)

Squadron Leader J D Nettleton of No. 44 Squadron RAF in one of the first operational Avro Lancasters. He is about to cross the western perimeter of RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, with bomb doors open during a Squadron practice for low-level attacks in April 1942.






Armourers of No 149 Squadron at Mildenhall fit bomb carriers to a pair of 1,000-pounders, while behind Stirling 'N-Nuts' runs up its engines, 10 March 1942.






Armourers wait for the conclusion of an engine test on Short Stirling Mark I, ‘OJ-N’, of No. 149 Squadron RAF, parked at the end of the south-east runway at Mildenhall, Suffolk, before loading her with 250-lb GP bombs for a night raid on Essen, Germany. Each bomb has been fitted with a shackle to enable it to be winched into position in the Stirling’s high bomb-bay.






Short Stirlings of No. 1651 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) in flight, 1942. W7427 ‘B’ is in the middle of the formation.


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## Gnomey (Mar 13, 2013)

Good stuff!


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## michaelmaltby (Mar 16, 2013)

Great airframe, great bomber, great Commonwealth aircrew, great documentary:


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRa8LXUS4Yg_

MM


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## Wayne Little (Mar 17, 2013)




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## stug3 (Mar 20, 2013)

Operation PUGILIST. Martin Baltimore Mark IIIAs of No. 232 Wing RAF off the coast of Tunisia, en route to bomb the Mareth Line.


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## Capt. Vick (Mar 20, 2013)

Love the picture...sad we will never see the like again...


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## Wayne Little (Mar 21, 2013)

Cool!


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## stug3 (Apr 17, 2013)

Lancaster B Mark I, of No.97 Squadron RAF, piloted by Squadron Leader J D Nettleton of No. 44 Squadron RAF, flying at low-level over the Lincolnshire countryside during a Squadron practice for the low-level attack on the M.A.N. diesel engineering works at Augsburg, which took place on 17 April 1942.






Lancasters from No.44 Squadron during practice flights.






97 Squadron Lancasters practicing low level flight for the Augsburg raid over Scotland.






Handley Page Halifax Mk II W7676 ‘TL-P’ of No. 35 Squadron in flight, circa May 1942. This aircraft was lost on an operation to Nuremberg on 28/29 August 1942.






‘Pinocchio’, a veteran Halifax of No 102 Squadron at Pocklington, has the bomb symbol for its 26th operation painted on its fuselage by a member of the ground crew, April 1943. The ice cream cornets represent raids on Italian targets and the key indicates the aircraft’s 21st operation.






‘G for George’, a Halifax bought for the RAF by the people of Ceylon, with its typically mixed Bomber Command crew of British, Canadians, New Zealanders and Australians, at Driffield, Yorkshire.






No 76 Squadron Halifax, W7805/MP-M, being bombed-up at Linton-on-Ouse, 3 April 1943.


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## stug3 (May 4, 2013)

The damaged fuselage and mid-upper turret of Avro Lancaster B Mark I, R5700 ‘ZN-G’, of No. 106 Squadron RAF based at Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire, after crash-landing at Hardwick, Norfolk, following an attack by a German fighter over Essen. R5700, was among 60 aircraft taking part in the first “Oboe” raid on Essen on the night of 13/14 January 1943, when it was twice attacked by a Focke Wulf Fw 190 “Wilde Sau” night-fighter shortly after bombing the target. The aircraft was severely damaged, the rear gunner was badly wounded and the mid-upper gunner, Sergeant J B Hood, was killed, but the pilot, Sergeant P N Reed, managed to fly the crippled bomber as far as the USAAF base at Hardwick before executing a successful crash-landing. Three weeks later, Sergeant Reed and his crew failed to return from a raid on Hamburg.






An 8,000-lb HC bomb (‘super cookie’) is brought by tractor to a waiting Avro Lancaster of No. 106 Squadron RAF in its dispersal at Syerston, Nottinghamshire. The target on this particular night was Stuttgart, Germany.


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## Gnomey (May 4, 2013)

Nice stuff!


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## nuuumannn (May 4, 2013)

Verey nice. So, seriously, Stug3, whose archive do you acquire these images from?


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## stug3 (May 4, 2013)

Many sites on the internet like- 

RAF - Gallery

Photographs | Research | Collections | RAF Museum


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## stug3 (May 4, 2013)

Vertical aerial photograph taken during Operation MILLENNIUM, the 'Thousand-bomber' raid on Cologne, Germany 30/31 May 1942. The tracks of a mass of concentrated searchlights and tracer bullets from anti-aircraft fire cover the larger area of the picture as the first bombs explode on the city (lower left).


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## nuuumannn (May 5, 2013)

> Many sites on the internet like-



And these sites are aware that you are doing this? Just inquiring. I know that some of these organisations don't appreciate their images being reproduced without permission, in digital form or not, is all. If you put a credit to where you got the images from, maybe?


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## stug3 (May 23, 2013)

Avro Lancaster B Mark III, ED724 ‘PM-M’, of No. 103 Squadron RAF pauses on the flarepath at Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire, before taking off for a raid on Duisburg, Germany, during the Battle of the Ruhr. Three searchlights (called ‘Sandra’ lights) form a cone to indicate the height of the cloud base for the departing aircraft.






Silhouetted against the glare of incendiary fires, a Handley Page Halifax of No. 4 Group releases its bomb load through cloud during a successful night raid on Leipzig, Germany.






Short Stirling W7459 ‘O’ of No. 1651 HCU (Heavy Conversion Unit) in flight, 1942.


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## stug3 (May 26, 2013)

Fortress Mark IIA, FL459 J, of No. 220 Squadron RAF, preparing to taxi at Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides. This aircraft sank two U-boats (U624 and U707) and shared in the sinking of another (U575) during its period of service with the squadron. The aerials of the ASV II radar with which FL459 is equipped are clearly visible on the nose and under the starboard wing.






A No 220 Squadron Fortress IIA seen ‘bombing up’ with depth charges at Benbecula, in the Outer Hebrides, May 1943.






250lb depth charges are being hoisted into the bomb bay of a No 220 Squadron Fortress IIA at Benbecula, May 1943.






No 220 Squadron Fortress radar operator at his set, peering through a light guard at the CRT indicator screen for the ‘tell-tale return from a surfaced U-boat’, Benbecula, May 1943.






Oblique aerial view of the airfield at Benbecula, Outer Hebrides, from west-south-west, while the runways were under construction. The method used was known as ‘sand carpet’, which consisted of bitumen laid directly over compacted sand, resulting in a flexible surface.






The presence of aircraft in an otherwise remote location, previously linked to the mainland by boat only, meant that No 220 Squadron flew its share of mercy missions from Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides. This patient with acute appendicitis was airlifted to hospital on the mainland in one of the Squadron’s Fortresses, the open waist window serving as a convenient entrance to the aircraft, May 1943.






Fortress Mark IIA, FK212 V, of No. 220 Squadron RAF based at Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, in flight over the Atlantic Ocean. FK212 failed to return from a patrol on 14 June 1943.


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## stug3 (Jun 5, 2013)

Vertical night aerial photograph taken during a raid on Berlin, showing bombs exploding in the vicinity of the central cattle-market and railway yard (middle right), east of the city centre. The broad wavy lines are the tracks of German searchlights and anti-aircraft fire can also be seen. Also illuminated by the flash-bomb in the lower half of the photograph are the Friedrichshain gardens and sports stadium, St Georgs Kirchhof and Balten Platz. A mixed force of 49 aircraft took part in the raid, of which 5 were lost. From September 1941.


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## stug3 (Jun 14, 2013)

The wrecked rear turret of Avro Lancaster B Mark I, ED413 ‘DX-M’ “Minnie the Moocher”, of No. 57 Squadron RAF at Scampton, Lincolnshire, after returning from a night raid to Oberhausen, Germany, on the night of 14/15 June 1943, during which it was attacked by German night fighters.
A cannon shell exploded in the rear turret, killing the gunner, Sergeant R F Haynes of Nuneaton, Cheshire, while further strikes smashed the radio and navigational equipment, and riddled the fuselage of the aircraft with holes.
The pilot, Sergeant A H Moores of Bromley, Kent, who was on his fifth operation over Germany, carried on nevertheless and bombed the target before making a succesful return to Scampton.


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## Airframes (Jun 14, 2013)

Nice one. This aircraft went on to be one of the 35 Lancaster to complete over 100 operations. The caption info is a bit out though - Nuneaton is many miles from the County of Cheshire !
EDIT: Apologies - it was EE176, QR-M, '_Micky_ the Moocher' , of 97 and 61 Squadrons which completed over 100 ops.


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## B-17engineer (Jun 14, 2013)

In post #4, last picture

Is that someone on the ground? The two guys seem to be looking down at him or something. Just caught my eye.


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## Airframes (Jun 14, 2013)

You're right H. Looks like he's either collapsed in the heat, or fallen from the top of the aircraft. Note how that hose has been left unattended, and the other guys in shirt sleeves are moving towards him.


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## stug3 (Jun 17, 2013)

The crew of a Martin Baltimore of No. 69 Squadron RAF disembark from their aircraft at Luqa, Malta, following a reconnaissance sortie, June 1942.


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## Wildcat (Jun 18, 2013)

Ya gotta love the Baltimore, its one sleek looking machine


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## Capt. Vick (Jun 18, 2013)

Disembarking? More likely Embarking with the engines warming up, but take that with a grain of salt because I wasn't in Malta during the war years!


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## stug3 (Jun 24, 2013)

Lancaster B Mark II, DS652 ‘KO-B’, of No. 115 Squadron RAF, undergoing a test of its Bristol Hercules VI sleeve-valved radial engines in a dispersal at East Wretham, Norfolk. DS652 failed to return from a raid on Bochum, Germany on 12/13 June 1943.






Lancaster B Mark I, W4113 ‘GP-J’, of No. 1661 Heavy Conversion Unit based at Winthorpe, Nottinghamshire, in flight. W4113 was a veteran aircraft having flown on a number of raids with Nos. 49 and 156 Squadrons RAF in 1942 and 1943.


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## Gnomey (Jun 28, 2013)

Good stuff!


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## Wayne Little (Jun 29, 2013)

yep...Nice!


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## stug3 (Jul 3, 2013)

Lancasters under construction at the A V Roe Co Ltd factory at Woodford in Cheshire, 1943


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 3, 2013)

Gees, the fun I could have had..................


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## Gnomey (Jul 3, 2013)

Cool shot!


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## Airframes (Jul 4, 2013)

Nice one. I have the shots from the opposite end also, showing the completed airframes. 
Woodford is four miles from where I live, and has now closed, after the cancellation of the latest Nimrod project. Lots of speculation as to what will happen to the airfield, and the Mk1 Vulcan parked there.


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## stug3 (Jul 4, 2013)

Airframes said:


> Nice one. I have the shots from the opposite end also, showing the completed airframes



Post those pics!


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## Airframes (Jul 4, 2013)

Will do, when I find which books they are in. They're in more than one book, in colour and in B&W.


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## stug3 (Jul 22, 2013)

Two Avro Lancaster B Mk Is, R5509 ‘EM-G’ and R5570 ‘EM-F’, of No. 207 Squadron RAF based at Bottesford, Linclonshire, in flight. Both aircraft were eventually lost on operations, R5509 while minelaying in the Baltic on 17 August 1942, and R5570 which crashed near Milan while on a night bombing raid to Turin on 9 December 1942.






30-lb incendiary bombs, just released from an attacking aircraft, fall over the southern suburbs of Nuremberg during the night raid of 28/29 August 1942. 






A bomber crew of No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF study a map, while sitting on 250-lb GP bombs which are about to be loaded into their Vickers Wellington Mark IC at East Wretham, Norfolk, 1942


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## Gnomey (Jul 23, 2013)

Good stuff!


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## stug3 (Jul 24, 2013)

Night raid on Hamburg of 24/25 July 1943. Sticks of incendiaries are burning in the Altona and Dock districts (top). A photoflash bomb at lower left has illuminated the camouflaged Binnen Alster, and the Aussen Alster on which a flak position has been built.






Avro Lancaster B Mark I, R5626 ‘OL-E’, of No 83 Squadron RAF taking off for Bremen, Germany, on the third ‘Thousand-Bomber’ raid, from Scampton, Lincolnshire.


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## Gnomey (Jul 25, 2013)

Nice shots!


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## stug3 (Aug 2, 2013)




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## vikingBerserker (Aug 2, 2013)

Excellent pics.


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## Gnomey (Aug 6, 2013)

Good shot!


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## s1chris (Aug 10, 2013)

stug3 said:


> Two Avro Lancaster B Mk Is, R5509 ‘EM-G’ and R5570 ‘EM-F’, of No. 207 Squadron RAF based at Bottesford, Linclonshire, in flight. Both aircraft were eventually lost on operations, R5509 while minelaying in the Baltic on 17 August 1942, and R5570 which crashed near Milan while on a night bombing raid to Turin on 9 December 1942.



Is there any further information about the crash location of R5570? 
I travel with work to Milan and onto Brescia quite frequently and I would like to visit the crash site if its is possible to locate.


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## stug3 (Aug 10, 2013)

Try an internet search including these terms-

Lancaster B Mk I R5570 ‘EM-F’of No. 207 Squadron RAF based at Bottesford, Linclonshire

R5570 crashed near Milan while on a night bombing raid to Turin on 9 December 1942


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## s1chris (Aug 10, 2013)

Thanks Stug3. I did have a quick google but nothing come up with anything other than close to Milan or en route to Turin. 

Now that I know one exists ill ask my friend who lives close to Milan to have an ask around. 

Cheers Chris


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## stug3 (Aug 12, 2013)

Stirling B Mark III of the Empire Central Flying School about to land at sunset at Hullavington, Wiltshire.







Handley Page Halifax Mark II Series 1s of No. 10 Squadron RAF based at Melbourne, Yorkshire, gain height in the failing evening light while outward bound on a raid to Turin, Italy.


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## stug3 (Aug 16, 2013)

Low-level ‘beat-up’. A Halifax II, JB911/KN-X of No 77 Squadron roars low over an audience of appreciative ‘erks’ during air tests at Elvington, Yorkshire, July 1943.


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## Wildcat (Aug 16, 2013)

Now that is an awesome photo!!! Thanks for posting.


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## Wayne Little (Aug 17, 2013)

That's a top shot!


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## rochie (Aug 17, 2013)

fantastic picture


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## stug3 (Aug 17, 2013)

Aerial reconnaissance view of the V1 launching ramps at the Luftwaffe Test Installation, Peenemunde West, Usedom Island, Germany, showing a Fiesler Fi 103 flying bomb positioned on its ramp (arrowed). This was the photograph from which Flight Officer Constance Babington-Smith, a photographic interpreter at the Allied Central Interpretation Unit, RAF Medmenham, Buckinghamshire, confirmed the existence of the V1. The sortie was carried out by a Mosquito of No. 540 Squadron flown by Squadron Leader J R H Merifield and his navigator Flying Officer W N Whalley.






Aerial views of V2 Rocket Sites at Peenemunde






Aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Rocket Research Establishment at Peenemunde, Usedom Island, Germany, taken by a De Havilland Mosquito PR Mark IX of No. 540 Squadron RAF, using a Type F.52 (36″) vertical camera. This view shows the concentration of bomb craters on the airfield and damage to technical buildings of the Luftwaffe Test Facility, Peenemunde West, after the raid by Bomber Command on 17/18 August 1943.






Aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Rocket Research Establishment at Peenemunde, Usedom Island, Germany, taken by a De Havilland Mosquito PR Mark IX of No. 540 Squadron RAF, using a Type F.52 (36″) vertical camera. This view shows the devastated Karlshagen Housing Estate, which accommodated the Establishment’s married staff and their families, after the air raid by Bomber Command on 17/18 August 1943. Of the 2,500 dwellings on the estate, only 72 survived.


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## stug3 (Aug 25, 2013)

Farmers gather in the wheat, undisturbed by the presence of these Halifaxes of an unidentified No 4 Group squadron in Yorkshire, August 1943.






The wireless operator of a Handley-Page Halifax of No. 35 Squadron RAF, in his position prior to take-off at Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire.






Halifax B Mark II Series 1A, HR861, on the ground prior to delivery to No. 35 Squadron RAF at Graveley, Huntingdonshire. HR861 was lost over Nuremberg, 11 August 1943.






The wreckage of Handley Page Halifax Mark II, JD379 ‘KN-M’, of No. 77 Squadron RAF based at Elvington, Yorkshire, lying in a cleared fir plantation at Queloh, north-west of Eschede, Germany, after being shot down by a night fighter while returning from a major night raid on Berlin on 24 August 1943. 3 members of the crew, including the pilot, Pilot Officer A Massie, were killed and the 4 survivors were made prisoners of war. JD379 was the 25th victim of the Luftwaffe night-fighter ‘ace’, Oberleutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer.






The damaged tail section of Handley Page Halifax B Mark II Series I, HR782 ‘MH-V’, 51 Squadron RAF, following its collision with an Avro Lancaster while returning from a raid on Munchen-Gladbach on the night of 29/30 August 1943. HR782 was ten miles from its temporary base at Ossington, Nottinghamshire, when the Lancaster, apparently on a reciprocal course, collided with the aircraft, damaging the port propellers, gashing the fuselage and tearing off the upper port fin. The pilot, Flying Officer R Burchett, found the aircraft uncontrollable at less than 180 miles per hour, but made a good landing at Ossington despite overshooting the runway. HR782 was repaired and flew on further operations before it was finally lost on a raid to Leipzig on the night of 3/4 December 1943.


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## vikingBerserker (Aug 25, 2013)

Great stuff.


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## Gnomey (Aug 26, 2013)

Good stuff!


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## stug3 (Sep 10, 2013)

Armourers make final checks on the bomb load of an Avro Lancaster B Mark I of No. 207 Squadron RAF at Syerston, Nottinghamshire, before a night bombing operation to Bremen, Germany. The mixed load (Bomber Command executive codeword ‘Usual’), consists of a 4,000-lb HC bomb (‘cookie’) and small bomb containers (SBCs) filled with 30-lb incendiaries, with the addition of four 250-lb target indicators (TI). 






Vertical aerial photograph taken over the centre of Dusseldorf at 11 pm on 10 September 1942, at the height of the major night raid by 479 aircraft of Bomber Command. Most of the area photographed is covered with widespread incendiary fires, from which flame and smoke are rising to obscure the target.


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## vikingBerserker (Sep 10, 2013)

I really like that first pic!


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## stug3 (Sep 10, 2013)

I wonder if that is a camera port in front of the bomb bay?


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## Airframes (Sep 10, 2013)

Yes, it is. 
It's the 'Strike camera', as it would be called today, carried by all RAF bombers, from Mosquito to Lancaster, and was situated on the port side of the bomb aimer's compartment, at the rear, in the Lanc. 
The aircraft had to maintain straight and level flight for a number of seconds (time dependent on altitude) whilst the camera was operated and a photo flash dropped, to record the bomb bursts. These were later analysed, to calculate bombing accuracy and effect. The film was processed soon after landing on return from the 'Op', and copies of the prints posted on a notice board for all crews to view. The crew with the best bombing accuracy were often awarded 'points' towards extra leave or similar perks.
Those vertical photos posted previously, showing flak trails and so on, are examples of the strike photos taken by these cameras.

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## Capt. Vick (Sep 11, 2013)

Terry, may you live a thousand years and get younger!

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## Gnomey (Sep 13, 2013)

Nice stuff!


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## Airframes (Sep 15, 2013)

Why thanks Jim !


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## stug3 (Sep 30, 2013)

Three Avro Lancaster B Mark Is of No 44 Squadron, Royal Air Force based at Waddington, Lincolnshire, flying above the clouds on 29 September 1942. Left to right: W4125, `KM-W’, being flown by Sergeant Colin Watt, Royal Australian Air Force; W4162,`KM-Y’, flown by Pilot Officer T G Hackney, (later killed while serving with No 83 Squadron); and W4187, `KM-S’, flown by Pilot Officer J D V S Stephens DFM, who was killed with his crew two nights later during a raid on Wismar.


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## Gnomey (Sep 30, 2013)

Good stuff!


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## Waynos (Oct 23, 2013)

stug3 said:


> The Albatross was a real beauty. I love the Hendon too though, it looks like something from a comic book.



I remember reading once that the Lockheed Constellation was inspired by the DH91, though done properly of course, does anyone have any more on this?


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## stug3 (Feb 11, 2015)




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## johnbr (Oct 1, 2016)




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## johnbr (Oct 1, 2016)




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## johnbr (Oct 1, 2016)



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## Crimea_River (Oct 1, 2016)

Like that Stirling pic.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 1, 2016)




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## johnbr (Nov 11, 2016)

Leslie H Shepherd, original cutaway ink, pencil and watercolour study, on card, of WWII Stirling bomber, showing various named sectional cutaway interior parts, signed Leslie H Shepherd to bottom right, 53.5cm wide x 38cm high, - cutaway and technical drawings of aircraft and airborne weaponry etc. like these were critical to the war efforts of Allied and Axis forces alike, many drawings like these were originally listed as restricted and previously unpublished in any form, many of the graphic artists and technical illustrators employed by the Allies remain anonymous.

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## Wurger (Nov 11, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Nov 11, 2016)




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## Gnomey (Nov 12, 2016)

Good stuff guys!


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## johnbr (Nov 27, 2016)

Tail gunner view of another lancaster, the last 2 fly



ing.

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## Wurger (Nov 27, 2016)




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## Old Wizard (Nov 28, 2016)




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## Gnomey (Nov 28, 2016)

Nice shot!


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## johnbr (Jul 25, 2017)

Short Stirling Mk V 1945 Forums / RAF Library / Stirling Stuff - Axis and Allies Paintworks




Stirling Construction Drawings and Interior Photo’s


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## johnbr (Jul 25, 2017)

An impressive view of a row of Halifax bombers being assembled at the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood. The aircraft can be seen looking from nose to tail, rather than in profile, with the tail of the first aircraft visible in the foreground.

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## Old Wizard (Jul 25, 2017)




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## Wayne Little (Jul 26, 2017)

great pics.


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## Gnomey (Jul 27, 2017)

Nice shots!


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## Wurger (Jul 28, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)

Stirling Construction Drawings and Interior Photo’s


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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)




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## Wurger (Aug 2, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)

Not a good day


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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)

Ground crew hoist two 1500lb sea mines into the bomb bays of a 218 Squadron Stirling. 
SWEET PEA : April 28th/29th 1943 : Black day for 218 Squadron


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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)



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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)

Pilots Instrument Panel showing throttle box. This is a Mk.III Stirling layout.

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## johnbr (Aug 2, 2017)

Pilots Instrument Panel showing throttle box. This is a Mk.III Stirling layout.A stunning photograph of the crew of Pilot Officer Alan Hine RAFVR standing in front of Short Stirling Mk.III EE884 HA-B “Bertie” a few days before they failed to return from Bremen on October 8th 1943. Short & Harland Ltd built EE884 was TOC by 218 Squadron May 31st 1943 and carried out its first operation on June 13th, a minelaying sortie to La Pallaice with F/Sgt S G Johnston and crew. The aircraft completed another 10 operations changing its call sign letter from H to Z to B in the process. The aircraft had flown a total of 101hrs 10min when lost. 

No.218 (Gold Coast) Squadron Short Stirling’s 1942-1944


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## Old Wizard (Aug 2, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 25, 2017)

Lancaster bombers nearing completion in Avro's assembly plant at Woodford near Manchester, 1943

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## Wurger (Aug 25, 2017)




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## Old Wizard (Aug 25, 2017)




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## Gnomey (Aug 25, 2017)

Nice shots!


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## Wayne Little (Aug 26, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 27, 2017)

The RAF Repair and Maintenance Service dismantle and hoist a shot-up, crashed Lancaster

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## Wayne Little (Aug 27, 2017)

Good shot.


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## johnbr (Aug 27, 2017)




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## Wurger (Aug 27, 2017)

Nice.


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## Glider (Aug 27, 2017)

A little different its the Lady Jane stripped for work to make her airworthy. She is a British bomber after all

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## Old Wizard (Aug 28, 2017)




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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)

June 9th, 1944 First flight of the Avro Lincoln.


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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)

Bristol Beaufort bomber 
Harold A. Skaarup, author of Shelldrake


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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)

Brewster Buffalo, flown by RCAF members serving with the RAF in the Far East during the Second World War.


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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)

Douglas Digby Mk. I, RCAF


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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)

_Wellington bomber bomb bay



_


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## johnbr (Aug 29, 2017)




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## Wurger (Aug 29, 2017)




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## Old Wizard (Aug 30, 2017)




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## fubar57 (Aug 30, 2017)

I think the Brewster aircraft in Post 224 is a Buccaneer.

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## Capt. Vick (Aug 30, 2017)

Geo!


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## Wayne Little (Aug 31, 2017)

Cool stuff.


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## johnbr (Sep 4, 2017)

*Avro "Manchester






*


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## johnbr (Sep 4, 2017)

*Prototype



Short "Shetland*


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## Wurger (Sep 4, 2017)




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## Old Wizard (Sep 4, 2017)




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## Glider (Nov 4, 2017)

Just Jane during a night run. I wish I could say that I took this picture but I didn't, its on the Facebook group. I was there but had to leave before nightfall.

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## pbehn (Nov 4, 2017)

Purely by chance my wife bought some "Just Jane" cheese which raises money for the restoration and tastes delicious.


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## Glider (Nov 4, 2017)

I live just north of where she is based and there is a lot of pride in the Just Jane across the whole county


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## Wurger (Nov 4, 2017)

A great shot.


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## Crimea_River (Nov 4, 2017)

Lancaster FM159 Night Run October 12, 2017. Pic by yours truly.

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## Glider (Nov 5, 2017)

Assuming that they do this again next year we will have to hook up


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## Crimea_River (Nov 5, 2017)

The Nanton museum does 3 to 4 night runs over the summer months. The timing of this last one was unusual in that it was late in the year as part of a conference of Canadian aviation museums hosted by the Nanton folks.


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## Wurger (Nov 5, 2017)




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## jamesinnewcastle (May 4, 2018)

johnbr said:


> Pilots Instrument Panel showing throttle box. This is a Mk.III Stirling layout.
> View attachment 379507



Sadly, it's not.

James


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## johnbr (Jul 10, 2018)

From ww-2 original

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## johnbr (Aug 19, 2018)



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## Wurger (Aug 19, 2018)




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## Gnomey (Aug 20, 2018)

Good stuff guys!


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## vikingBerserker (Aug 20, 2018)

I have to say, most British Bombers I've always thought looked elegant. Just beautiful


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## johnbr (Aug 30, 2018)

Short Shetland 1944

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## vikingBerserker (Aug 31, 2018)

Nice!


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## Wurger (Aug 31, 2018)




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## Gnomey (Sep 4, 2018)

Nice shot!


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## wuzak (Sep 4, 2018)

johnbr said:


> View attachment 506337



Looks like a scene from


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFyYZquh9hM_


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## Wurger (Sep 5, 2018)




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## johnbr (Sep 8, 2018)

https://218squadron.wordpress.com/british-allied-bombs-lac-dignum-note-book/


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## michael rauls (Sep 9, 2018)

vikingBerserker said:


> I have to say, most British Bombers I've always thought looked elegant. Just beautiful


I would agree and add that the Brits seemed to have a nack for making beautiful planes in general.
The spitfire, the mosquito,the tempest, the Lancaster, and the Huricane also in my opinion. All visual works of art.


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## Gnomey (Sep 10, 2018)

Cool shots!


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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)

The Dambusters who didn't make it home | Daily Mail Online
This is on



a the Dambuster raid. 
Fl Sgt Sumpter took this photograph of a bomber aircraft in flight during the Dambusters raid of 1943. His document provides a stark reminder that, despite the raid being regarded as a success, nearly half the men who took part in it were killed


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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2018)




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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)

Dambuster film.

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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2018)




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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)

Royal Canadian Air Force | News Article | Operation Chastise: The Dambusters raid

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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2018)




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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)



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## Wurger (Sep 13, 2018)




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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)

*Three Views of Lancaster BI (Special) SW244
"Long Range Saddle Tank Lanc."*











*Modified directly after leaving the production line in Nov. 1944.*

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## johnbr (Sep 13, 2018)



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## Airframes (Sep 13, 2018)

Post # 260 is the BBMF Lancaster, PA474 'City of Lincoln', photographed in the 1980s - print signed by Len Sumpter.

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## johnbr (Sep 29, 2018)



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## Gnomey (Oct 3, 2018)

Good stuff!


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## vikingBerserker (Oct 3, 2018)

I AGREE!


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## johnbr (Oct 12, 2018)

*An Avro Lancaster of No 156 Squadron, at Warboys, Huntingdonshire, 10 February 1944.*

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## johnbr (Oct 12, 2018)

*Halifax construction.*

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## johnbr (Oct 12, 2018)

*Servicing the Merlins of a 207 Sqn. Lanc. at Bottesford in June 1942*




Aircraft of the R.A.F. and S.A.A.F. during World War II in Colour

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## vikingBerserker (Oct 12, 2018)

Beautiful


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## johnbr (Oct 20, 2018)




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## Wurger (Oct 20, 2018)




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## Gnomey (Oct 20, 2018)

Good stuff!


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## johnbr (Dec 23, 2018)



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## Crimea_River (Dec 23, 2018)

Ya know, the minute the Wimpy gets out of a side view, it's actually a beautiful looking aircraft.


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 26, 2018)

Great shots.


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## Wurger (Dec 26, 2018)




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## johnbr (Dec 29, 2018)

Being Bruno ...More than 1.8 Million Photo views.



made in Canada.


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## johnbr (Dec 29, 2018)




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## johnbr (Dec 29, 2018)

Dambuster - Hopgood's final act
Lt. Hopgood orders his crew to bail out before losing a port wing after a failed attempt during the dams raid - May 17, 1943.

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## Wurger (Dec 29, 2018)




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## Gnomey (Dec 29, 2018)

Nice shots guys!


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## johnbr (Jan 6, 2019)

Avro 683 Lancaster B2


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## johnbr (Jan 6, 2019)

Vickers Warwick 
The first prototype Vickers Warwick K8178 with Rolls-Royce Vulture engines photographed in August 1939 
Second prototype Warwick L9704 flying in 1944 with remote control cannon barbettes in the rear of the engine nacelles 
G-AGFK is the last of 14 Vickers Warwick C Mk I built for the wartime use of BOAC 
Warwick C Mk III HG248 at Luton in 1946 as an engine test bed. Note the under-fuselage cargo pannier. 












In 1946, D.Napier & Sons Ltd engines were using a Vickers Warwick C MkIII (HG248 fitted with Sabre VI engines) as an engine test-bed.

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## Wurger (Jan 6, 2019)




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## johnbr (Jan 6, 2019)

*tailgun- Wellington bomber*


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## johnbr (Aug 30, 2019)

*RAF Short Stirling Bomber Bomb Loading World War Two *
WW2 WWII Photo RAF Short Stirling Bomber Bomb Loading World War Two / 5366 • $5.99


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## pbehn (Aug 30, 2019)

johnbr said:


> *RAF Short Stirling Bomber Bomb Loading World War Two *
> WW2 WWII Photo RAF Short Stirling Bomber Bomb Loading World War Two / 5366 • $5.99
> View attachment 550499


Did that bomb fit in that plane?


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## johnbr (Oct 3, 2019)

British Handley-Page III aircraft on exhibit in London, England, 1945. (


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## michaelmaltby (Oct 3, 2019)

.. what to make of the odd mission count symbols*. *Ideas, anyone ...


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## johnbr (Jul 12, 2020)

Bristol Blenheim Mk IV light bomber 
Air Vehicle Photos Pictures and Photos - Getty Images


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## Gnomey (Jul 14, 2020)

Good shots!


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## johnbr (Mar 8, 2021)

Diagram comparing the Lancaster (blue) with its contemporaries; the Short Stirling (yellow) and the Handley Page Halifax

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## fubar57 (Mar 8, 2021)

"FUM*(N?)*P"???????


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