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I ran across this a while ago:
View attachment 703410
I thought this meant:
Wellington Mk III would be listed as airframe Type 417 with Mod.423
Wellington Mk II would be listed as airframe Type 406 with Mod.423
Wellington Mk IC would be listed as airframe Type 416 with Mod.453 (if different Mod.# from the Mod.423)
The 4,000-lb High Capacity 'Cookie' was designed for maximum blast effect. For carriage in the Wellington, the standard bomb beam had to be removed entirely, and a new beam was installed above the bomb bay roof, attached to the leading edge frame and a new widened spar box on the centreline of the main spar. A 4,000-lb Type F bomb slip was attached to this beam and positioned just above the bomb bay roof, allowing the 'Cookie' to lie flush with the roof, with crutches attached to the beam projecting down into the bomb bay. Even in this position, the bomb still protruded a few inches below the bottom of the aircraft, so the bomb doors underneath the bomb were removed entirely, and a wooden framework was added in the bomb bay for the remaining doors to rest against. On release, the bomb simply fell through the hole.
This conversion was coded Type 423, and was applied to examples of several marks of aircraft (these aircraft were not given unique mark numbers) on the production line. Mk IIs W5389, W5399, and W5400 were the first aircraft to be converted. Often only one aircraft in a squadron would carry a 'Cookie', this aircraft taking off last in case of a mishap.
Bond
NC433 = 1 x Mk 13
NC434–NC439 = 6 x Mk 10
NC440 = 1 x Mk 13
Robertson
NC433–NC440 = 8 x Mk 13
Serial registers agree with Robertson (NC434 to 438 to French Air Force in 1946)
Bond
NC472–NC481 = 10 x Mk 10
NC482–NC489 = 8 x Mk 13
Robertson
NC472–NC480 = 9 x Mk 10
NC481–NC489 = 9 x Mk 13
Serial registers agree with Bond (NC482 to 486 to French Air Force in 1946) so +1 X, -1 XIII to Robertson totals
Bond
NC503 = 1 x Mk 13
NC504–NC509 = 6 x Mk 10
NC510 = 1 x Mk 13
Robertson
NC503–NC510 = 8 x Mk 13
Serial registers agree with Robertson
Bond
NC563–NC570 = 8 x Mk 10
NC571–NC576 = 6 x Mk 13
Robertson
NC563–NC571 = 9 x Mk 10
NC572–NC576 = 5 x Mk 13
Serial registers agree with Bond so -1 X, +1 XIII to Robertson totals, reversing the earlier change.
Bond
PG286–PG287 = 2 x Mk 10
PG288–PG293 = 6 x Mk 14
PG294–PG326 = 33 x Mk 10
Robertson
PG286–PG297 = 12 x Mk 10
PG298–PG303 = 6 x Mk 14
PG304–PG326 = 23 x Mk 10
Serial registers agree with Robertson
Bond
PG350–PG355 = 6 x Mk 10*
Robertson
PG350–PG355 = 6 x Mk 18
Serial registers agree with Robertson (and you)
Bond
RP538–RP590 = 53 x Mk 10
Robertson
RP538–RP561 = 24 x Mk 10
RP565–RP590 = 26 x Mk 10
Serial registers agree with Robertson
Where Robertson disagrees with the serial registers a double check confirms they are in the book and are not due to an incorrect transcription.
Hey 33k in the air,
Have you seen any establishment lists or other official documents where the aircraft with the Mod.423 was listed as Type 423? (as opposed to Mk III with Mod.423 as listed in the document I posted above for an example). I ask because I have not found any.
Wellington Ic T2545 became II W5352, so it needs to be counted as Ic or II, not both, the Ministry of Aircraft production says Ic, RAF II. The RAF census has 400 II plus 2 conversions.
The 3 Wellington II prototypes were L4250 (first flight 3 March 1939), R3221 and T2545/W5352, the first 2 have converted to II written on their cards. T2545 would have been rolled out in June 1940, then comes what it first flew as. There are aircraft cards for both T2545 and W5332 but they only overlap in 1942/43 and do not really reconcile.
HF112 has an aircraft card, reported arriving at 45MU 30 December 1942, then no further history, it also has a similar Serial Register entry. HF113 on were mark XIII which began deliveries 4 months later. The Contract Summary card says 737 III built and MAP also says 737 built. Unfortunately the mark III contract cards are missing. If HF112 did exist it would be mark III number 738. It probably did not exist.
The Contract Card, Serial Register, Aircraft Cards say MF203 was a mark XIII, Robertson says mark X.
MF298 was delivered on 2 March 1944 and as far as I can tell is not listed in the mark XIII cards or for that matter the mark X cards.
HZ722 lost on test flight 20-jun-43, finally counted as built in January 1944.
JA258 is mark X In Serial registers, XIII on contract cards, XIII to X in aircraft card, it was converted in 1945.
JA303 is mark X In Serial registers, XIII on contract cards, XIII to X in aircraft card, it was converted in 1945.
MF260 is mark X In Serial registers, XIII on contract cards, XIII to X in aircraft card, it was converted in 1945.
No idea why a new serial was allocated and there seems to be splits between those who say it is a Ic and a II, including having two aircraft cards, Ic and II. Take your pick, just make a note of your decision. I try to use first flown as but no information about this aircraft.So T2545 and W5352 are the same aircraft? I did not realize that. Why was the serial number changed? And it's not clear which mark the aircraft was initially completed as — or was it converted on the assembly line rather than after initial completion?
Agreed about the mark XIII and X, my mentioning of the mark X is for anyone wanting to double check my mark XIII conclusions, letting them know there were conversions.The conversions took place well after the aircraft were built, so I would consider them as a Mk 13 as originally built, with a note indicating it was later converted to Mk 10.
Good question, the answer is my comment about L4312 to L4316 was wrong and obviously wrong as MAP is only missing 2 mark I, the serials L4311 to L4316 were originally allocated to New Zealand but then all but L4311 were cancelled. No idea why, but it looks like R2699 to R2703 were the replacements. The note on the contract card with L4311 to L4316 says 6 for New Zealand with the 6 crossed out and replaced by 1.I would just like to comment on the 175 Wellington I's. L4212 to L4391. If the five that were originally allotted to the RNZAF and not delivered (to the RNZAFin New Zealand)were added the total would be 180 for this batch, not 175. So can anyone supply information of the service in the RAF of L4312,L4313,L4314, L4315 and L4316 ? This is just one item as far as I am aware that has not been examined.