Nakajima Ki-27 Nate

The Nakajima Ki-27 Type 97 Fighter, was the main fighter aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force up until 1940. Its Allied nickname was "Nate", Allied Intelligence had reserved that name for the nonexistent Mitsubishi Navy Type 97 fighter, expected to be the successor to the Type 96 carrier-borne A5M with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit.




The Ki-27 was the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force's main fighter until the start of World War II. When placed into combat service over northern China in March 1938, the Ki-27 enjoyed air superiority until the introduction of the faster Soviet-built Polikarpov I-16 fighters by the Chinese.




The preference of Japanese fighter pilots of the Ki-27's high rate of turn caused the Army to focus almost exclusively on maneuverability, a decision which came back to haunt them later as it handicapped the development of faster and more heavily-armed fighters. The Ki-27 served until the beginning of World War II in the Pacific, escorting bombers attacking Malaya, Singapore, Netherlands East Indies, Burma and the Philippines

The type also saw extensive action against the American Volunteer Group in the early months of the war. Soon outclassed by the American Curtiss P-40s, the Ki-27 was replaced in front line service by the Nakajima Ki-43, with surviving examples continued to serve as a trainer. Near the end of World War II, a few Ki-27s were equipped with up to 500 kg (1,100 lb) of explosives for a Kamikaze role.


General characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 7.53 m (24 ft 8 in)
• Wingspan: 11.31 m (37 ft 1¼ in)
• Height: 3.28 m (10 ft 8 in)
• Wing area: 18.56 m² (199.777 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,110 kg (2,588 lb)
• Loaded weight: 1,547 kg (3,523 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,790 kg (3,946 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Nakajima Ha-1 Otsu air-cooled radial engine, 485 kW (650 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 470 km/h (275 mph)
• Cruise speed: 350 km/h (218 mph)
• Range: 627 km (390 mi)
• Service ceiling: 12,250 m (32,940 ft)
• Rate of climb: 15.3 m/s (3,010 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 83.35 kg/m² (18 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.30 kW/kg (0.18 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2 × 7.7 mm Type 89 machine guns
• 100 kg (220 lbs)

** Nakajima Ki-27 Nate - Warbird Fare

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Grumman F8F Bearcat

The Grumman F8F Bearcat (affectionately called "Bear") was an American single-engine naval fighter aircraft of the 1940s. It went on to serve into the mid-20th century in the United States Navy and other air forces, and would be the company's final piston engined fighter aircraft.

The Bearcat concept was inspired by the early 1943 evaluation of a captured Focke-Wulf Fw 190 by Grumman test pilots and engineering staff. After flying the Fw 190, Grumman test pilot Bob Hall wrote a report directed to President Leroy Grumman, who then personally laid out the specifications for Design 58, the successor to the Hellcat. Design 58 closely emulated the design philosophy of the German fighter, although no part of the Fw 190 was copied. The F8F Bearcat stemmed from Design 58 with the primary missions of outperforming highly maneuverable late-model Japanese fighter aircraft such as the A6M5 Zero. A role which later developed was that defending the fleet against incoming airborne suicide attacks (kamikaze).

Work on the Grumman G-58 Bearcat began in 1943 with the intention to provide the U.S. Navy with a high performance derivative of the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The specifications called for an aircraft able to operate from the smallest carrier, primarily in the interceptor role. The F6F's Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine was retained but compared to the Hellcat, the Bearcat was 20% lighter, had a 30% better rate of climb and was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster. To achieve this, the range was necessarily sacrificed.

In comparison with the Vought F4U Corsair, the initial Bearcat (F8F-1) was marginally slower but was more maneuverable and climbed more quickly. Its huge 12 ft 4 in Aero Products four-bladed propeller required a long landing gear (made even longer by the mid-fuselage position of the wing), giving the Bearcat an easily-recognized, "nose-up" profile. The hydraulically operated undercarriage used an articulated trunnion which extended the length of the oleo legs to lengthen when down; as the undercarriage retracted the legs were shortened, enabling them to fit into a wheel well which was entirely in the wing. An additional benefit of the inward retracting units was a wide track, which helped counter propeller torque on takeoff and gave the F8F good ground and carrier deck handling. For the first time in a production Navy fighter, a bubble canopy offered 360° visibility.

The target loaded weight of 8,750 lb/3,969 kg (derived from the land-based German aircraft) was essentially impossible to achieve as the structure of the new fighter had to be made strong enough for aircraft carrier landings. Structurally the fuselage used flush riveting as well as spot welding, with a heavy gauge 302W aluminum alloy skin. Armor protection was provided for the pilot, engine and oil cooler; weight saving measures include restricting the internal fuel capacity to 160 gal (606 l) and limiting the fixed armament to four .50 cal Browning M2/AN machine guns, two in each wing.

As a weight-saving concept the designers came up with detachable wingtips; if the g-force exceeded 7.5 g then the tips would be allowed to snap off, leaving a perfectly flyable aircraft still capable of carrier landing. While this worked very well under carefully controlled conditions in flight and on the ground, in the field, where aircraft were repetitively stressed by landing on carriers and since the wings were slightly less carefully made in the factories, there was a possibility that only one wingtip would break away with the possibility of the aircraft crashing. This was replaced with an explosives system to blow the wings off together, which also worked well, however this ended when a ground technician died due to accidental triggering. In the end the wings were reinforced and the aircraft limited to 7.5 g.


General characteristics

• Length: 28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
• Wingspan: 35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)
• Height: 13 ft 10 in (4.21 m)
• Empty weight: 7,650 lb (3,207 kg)
• Loaded weight: 10,200 lb (4,627 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 13,460 lb (6,105 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-30W two-row radial engine, 2,250 hp (1,678 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 455 mph (405 kn, 730 km/h)
• Range: 1,105 mi (1,778 km)
• Service ceiling: 40,800 ft (12,436 m)
• Rate of climb: 6,300 ft/min (32.0 m/s)
• Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (360 W/kg)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) M3 cannon
• 4× 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets
• 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs

** Grumman F8F Bearcat - Warbird Fare

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Hawker Sea Fury

The Hawker Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft developed for the Royal Navy by Hawker during the Second World War. The last propeller-driven fighter to serve with the Royal Navy, it was also one of the fastest production single piston-engined aircraft ever built.

The Hawker Fury was an evolutionary successor to the successful Hawker Typhoon and Tempest fighters and fighter-bombers of World War II. The Fury was designed in 1942 by Sydney Camm, the famous Hawker designer, to meet the Royal Air Force’s requirement for a lightweight Tempest Mk.II replacement. Developed as the "Tempest Light Fighter", it used modified Tempest semi-elliptical outer wing panels, bolted and riveted together on the fuselage centerline. The fuselage itself was similar to the Tempest, but fully monocoque with a higher cockpit for better visibility.

In 1943, the design was modified to meet a Royal Navy request (N.7/43) for a carrier-based fighter. Boulton-Paul Aircraft were to make the conversion while Hawker continued work on the Air Force design. The first Sea Fury prototype, SR661, first flew at Langley, Berks, on 21 February 1945, powered by a Centaurus XII engine. This prototype had a "stinger"-type tailhook for arrested carrier landings, but lacked folding wings for storage. SR666, the second prototype, which flew on 12 October 1945, was powered by a Centaurus XV turning a new, five-bladed Rotol propeller and was built with folding wings. Specification N.7/43 was modified to N.22/43, now representing an order for 200 aircraft. Of these, 100 were to be built at Boulton-Paul.



The Royal Navy’s earlier Supermarine Seafire had never been completely suitable for carrier use, having a poor view for landing and a narrow-track undercarriage that made landings and takeoffs "tricky". Consequently, the Sea Fury F X (later F 10) replaced it on most carriers. Sea Furies were issued to Nos. 736, 738, 759 and 778 Squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm.

The F 10 was followed by the Sea Fury FB 11 fighter-bomber variant, which eventually reached a production total of 650 aircraft. The Sea Fury remained the Fleet Air Arm’s primary fighter-bomber until 1953 and the introduction of the Hawker Sea Hawk and Supermarine Attacker.


General characteristics

• Crew: One
• Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.6 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 4¾ in (11.7 m)
• Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.9 m)
• Wing area: 280 ft² (26 m²)
• Empty weight: 9,240 lb (4,190 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Bristol Centaurus XVIIC 18-cylinder twin-row radial engine, 2,480 hp (1,850 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 460 mph (740 km/h) at 18,000 ft (5,500 m)
• Cruise speed: 390 mph (625 km/h)
• Range: 700 mi (1,127 km) with internal fuel; 1,040 mi (1,675 km) with two drop tanks
• Service ceiling: 35,800 ft (10,900 m)
• Rate of climb: 30,000 ft (9,200 m) in 10.8 minutes
• Wing loading: 44.6 lb/ft² (161.2 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.198 hp/lb (441 W/kg)

Armament

• 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano Mk V cannon
• 12× 3 in (76.2 mm) rockets or
• 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs

** Hawker Sea Fury - Warbird Fare

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Grumman F6F Hellcat

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was a carrier-based fighter aircraft developed to replace the earlier F4F Wildcat in United States Navy (USN) service. Although the F6F bore a family resemblance to the Wildcat, it was a completely new design powered by a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800. Some tagged it as the "Wildcat's big brother". The Hellcat and the Vought F4U Corsair were the primary USN fighters during the second half of World War II.

The Hellcat was the first USN fighter for which the design took into account lessons from combat with the Japanese Zero. The Hellcat proved to be the most successful aircraft in naval history, destroying 5,271 aircraft while in service with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (5,163 in the Pacific and eight more during the invasion of Southern France, plus 52 with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm during World War II). Postwar, the Hellcat aircraft was systematically phased out of front line service, but remained in service as late as 1954 as a night-fighter in composite squadrons.

Grumman was working on a successor to the F4F Wildcat well before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. While the F4F was a capable fighter, early air battles revealed the Japanese A6M Zero was more maneuverable and possessed a better rate of climb than the F4F. The F4F did have some advantages over the Zero. Wildcats were able to absorb a tremendous amount of damage compared to the Zero, and had better armament. The F4F was also much faster in a dive than the Zero, an advantage Wildcat pilots used frequently to elude attacking Zeros.

Like the Wildcat, the Hellcat was designed for ease of manufacture and ability to withstand significant damage. A total of 212 lb (96 kg) of cockpit armor was fitted to aid pilot survival, as well as a bullet-resistant windshield and armor around the engine oil tank and oil cooler. Self-sealing fuel tanks further reduced susceptibility to fire and often allowed damaged aircraft to return home. The U.S. Navy's all-time leading ace, Captain David McCampbell USN (Ret) scored all his 34 victories in the Hellcat.

Instead of the Wildcat's narrow-track undercarriage retracting into the fuselage requiring awkward hand-cranking by the pilot, the Hellcat had hydraulically-actuated undercarriage struts set wider and retracting backward, twisting through 90° into the wings, exactly as the Chance Vought F4U Corsair's landing gear did. The wing was low-mounted instead of mid-mounted and folded the same way as the later versions of the Wildcat, allowing the Hellcat to take on a compact, tucked-in appearance on a flight deck.

The last Hellcat rolled out in November 1945, the total production figure being 12,275, of which 11,000 had been built in just two years. This impressive production rate was credited to the sound original design, which required little modification once production was underway.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
• Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
• Wing area: 334 ft² (31 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 23015.6 mod root; NACA 23009 tip
• Empty weight: 9,238 lb (4,190 kg)
• Loaded weight: 12,598 lb (5,714 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 15,415 lb (6,990 kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp 2,000 hp (1,491 kW
• Propellers: 13 ft 1 in (4.0 m) 3-blade Hamilton Standard

Performance

• Maximum speed: 330 kn (380 mph, 610 km/h)
• Stall speed: 73 kn (84 mph, 135 km/h)
• Combat radius: 820 nmi (945 mi, 1,520 km)
• Ferry range: 1,330 nmi (1,530 mi, 2,460 km)
• Service ceiling: 37,300 ft (11,370 m)
• Rate of climb: 3,500 ft/min (17.8 m/s)
• Wing loading: 37.7 lb/ft² (184 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (260 W/kg)
• Time-to-altitude: 7.7 min to 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
• Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.2

Armament

• 2 × 20 mm (.79 in) cannon, with 225 rpg
• 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns with 400 rpg
• 6 × 5 in (127 mm) HVARs or
• 2 × 11¾ in (298 mm) Tiny Tim unguided rockets
• 1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) bomb or
• 1 × Mk.13-3 torpedo

** Grumman F6F Hellcat - Warbird Fare

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Macchi C.200 Saetta

The Macchi C.200 Saetta (also variously identified as the MC.200) was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force). As with practically every Italian fighter of the period, the design was excellent and the manoeuvrability and general flying characteristics left little to be desired, but it was underpowered and underarmed for a modern fighter.

From the time Italy entered war on 10 June 1940, until her surrender on 8 September 1943, the Macchi C. 200 flew more operational sorties than any Italian aircraft. The Saetta ranged over Greece, North Africa, Yugoslavia, across the Mediterranean and Russia (where it obtained an excellent kill to loss ratio of 88 to 15). Its very strong all-metal construction and air-cooled engine made the aircraft ideal for ground attack and several units flew it as a fighter-bomber. Over 1,000 were built by the time the war ended.

In August 1939 about 30 C.200s, by then nicknamed Saetta ("Arrow"), were delivered to 10 Gruppo of 4 Stormo, stationed in North Africa. Pilots of this "'elite" unit of the Regia Aeronautica opposed the adoption of the C.200, preferring the more manouvrable Fiat CR.42. These Saettas were then transferred to 6 Gruppo of 1 Stormo in Sicily and Gruppo 152 of 54 Stormo in Vergiate. When Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940, 144 Macchis were operational, half of which serviceable. Although the first 240 aircraft had fully-enclosed cockpits, the subsequent variants were given open cockpits at the request of the Italian pilots.

The first Macchi C.200s to make their combat debut were those of the 6° Gruppo Autonomo C.T. led by Tenente Colonnello (Wing Commander) Armando Francois. This Squadron was based at the Sicilian airport of Catania Fontanarossa. A Saetta from this unit was the first C.200 to be lost in combat when on 23 June 1940 14 Macchis (eight from 88a Squadriglia, five from 79a Squadriglia and one from 81a Squadriglia) that were escorting 10 SM.79s from 11 Stormo were intercepted by two Gloster Gladiators. Gladiator N5519, piloted by Flt Lt George Burges, attacked the bombers but was in turn attacked by a C.200 flown by Sergente Maggiore Lamberto Molinelli of 71a Squadriglia over the sea off Sliema. The Macchi overshot four or five times the more agile Gladiator which eventually shot down the Saetta.

Only on 1 November were the C.200s credited with their first kill. A Sunderland on a reconnaissance mission was sighted and attacked just outside Augusta by a flight of Saettas on patrol. With the arrival towards the end of December 1940 of X Fliegerkorps in Sicily, the C.200s were assigned escort duty for I/StG.1 and II/StG.2 Ju 87 bombers attacking Malta, as the Stukas did not have adequate fighter cover until the arrival of 7./JG26's Bf 109s.

On 6 February 1941, the elite unit 4 Stormo received C.200s from 54 Stormo. With the autorotation problems solved, the Macchis were regarded as “very good machines, fast, manoeuvrable and strong” by Italian pilots. After intense training, on 1 April 1941, the 10 Gruppo (4 Stormo) moved to the Ronchi dei Legionari airport and started active service. In combat with the less manoueverable Hurricane, it proved effective, with outstanding dogfight performance and no vices.


General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 8.25 m (27 ft 1 in)
• Wingspan: 10.58 m (34 ft 8 in)
• Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
• Wing area: 16.82 m² (181.00 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,964 kg (4,330 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,200 kg (4,840 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,395 kg (5,280 lb)
• Powerplant: 1× Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 650 kW (870 hp) at 2,520 rpm for takeoff

Performance

• Maximum speed: 504 km/h (313 mph) at 4,500 m (14,765 ft)
• Range: 570 km (354 mi)
• Service ceiling: 8,900 m (29,200 ft)
• Rate of climb: 15.3 m/s (3,030 ft/min)
• Wing loading: 131.7 kg/m² (26.9 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.286 kW/kg (0.176 hp/lb)

Armament

• 2× 12.7 mm (.5 in) Breda-SAFAT machine guns, 370 rpg
• 8× 15 kg (33 lb) or 2× 50, 100, or 150 kg (110, 220, or 330 lb) bombs

** Macchi C.200 - Warbird Fare

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Handley Page Hampden

The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden was a British twin-engine medium bomber of the Royal Air Force serving in the Second World War. With the Whitley and Wellington, the Hampden bore the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe, taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-plane raid on Cologne. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden, known as the "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions, after operating mainly at night, it was retired from Bomber Command service in late 1942.

A total of 1,430 Hampdens were built: 500 by Handley Page, 770 by English Electric at Samlesbury in Lancashire; and in 1940–41, 160 in Canada by the Canadian Associated Aircraft consortium. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with eight squadrons by the start of the Second World War.

Despite its speed and agility, in operational use the Hampden was no match for Luftwaffe fighters. Consequently, its career as a day bomber was brief, but Hampdens continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany, and mine-laying (code-named "gardening") in the North Sea and the French Atlantic ports.

After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with Coastal Command through 1943 as a long-range torpedo bomber and as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

General characteristics

• Crew: 4
• Length: 53 ft 7 in (16.33 m)
• Wingspan: 69 ft 2 in (21.08 m)
• Height: 14 ft 4 in (4.37 m)
• Wing area: 688 ft² (63.9 m²)
• Empty weight: 11,780 lb (5,344 kg)
• Loaded weight: 18,756 lb (8,508 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus XVIII 9-cylinder radial engine, 980 hp (730 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 265 mph (410 km/h) at 15,500 ft (4,724 m)
• Range: 1,095 mi (1,762 km)
• Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,790 m)
• Rate of climb: 980 ft/min (300 m/min)
• Wing loading: 27.3 lb/ft² (133 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.104 hp/lb (0.172 kW/kg)

Armament

• 4-6 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns: one flexible and one fixed in the nose
• 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) bombs or 1 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo or mines

** Handley Page Hampden - Warbird Fare

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Vickers Wellington

The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a bomber by the larger four-engine "heavies" such as the Avro Lancaster. The Wellington continued to serve throughout the war in other duties, particularly as an anti-submarine aircraft. It was the only British bomber to be produced for the entire duration of the war. The Wellington was popularly known as the Wimpy by service personnel, after J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons and a Wellington "B for Bertie" had a starring role in the 1942 Oscar-nominated Powell and Pressburger film One of Our Aircraft Is Missing. The Wellington was one of two bombers named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, the other being the Vickers Wellesley.

The Wellington used a geodesic construction method, which had been devised by Barnes Wallis inspired by his work on airships, and had previously been used to build the single-engine Wellesley light bomber. The fuselage was built up from 1650 elements, consisting of aluminium alloy (duralumin) W-beams that were formed into a large framework. The geodesic structure also gave a very strong but light structure for its large size, which gave the Wellington a load and range to power ratio advantage over similar aircraft, without sacrificing robustness or protective devices such as armour plate or self-sealing fuel tanks.

The Wellington was initially out-numbered by its twin-engine contemporaries, the Handley Page Hampden and the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, but would ultimately outlast them in productive service. The number of Wellingtons built totalled 11,461 of all versions, the last of which rolled out on 13 October 1945.

General characteristics

• Crew: six
• Length: 64 ft 7 in (19.69 m)
• Wingspan: 86 ft 2 in (26.27 m)
• Height: 17 ft 5 in (5.31 m)
• Wing area: 840 ft² (78.1 m²)
• Empty weight: 18,556 lb (8,435 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 28,500 lb (12,955 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus Mark XVIII radial engines, 1,050 hp (783 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 235 mph (378 km/h) at 15,500 ft (4,730 m)
• Range: 2,550 mi (2,217 nmi, 4,106 km)
• Service ceiling: 18,000 ft (5,490 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,120 ft/min (5.7 m/s)
• Wing loading: 34 lb/ft² (168 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.08 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)

Armament

• 6-8× .303 Browning machine guns:
• 4,500 lb (2,041 kg) bombs

** Vickers Wellington - Warbird Fare

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Armstrong Whitworth

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engine, front line medium bomber types in service with the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War while the others were the Vickers Wellington and the Handley Page Hampden. It took part in the first RAF bombing raid on German territory, and remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive until the introduction of four-engined "heavies". Its front line service included performing maritime reconnaissance duties with Coastal Command, while also being employed in the second line roles of glider-tug, trainer and transport aircraft.

Designed by John Lloyd, the Chief Designer of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft to meet Air Ministry Specification issued in 1934 for a heavy night bomber. The AW.38 design was a development of the Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 bomber-transport design that had lost out to the Bristol Bombay for specification C.26/31 partly due to its Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engines.

As Lloyd was unfamiliar with the use of flaps on a large heavy monoplane, they were initially omitted. To compensate, the mid-set wings were set at a high angle of incidence (8.5°) to confer good takeoff and landing performance. Although flaps were included late in the design stage, the wing remained unaltered. As a result, the Whitley flew with a pronounced nose-down attitude, resulting in considerable drag. This "nose down" attitude was also seen in the design of the Armstrong Whitworth Ensign pre-war airliner.

The Mk.III introduced hydraulically actuated doors which greatly improved bombing accuracy. To aim bombs, the bombardier ("Bomb Aimer" in RAF terminology) opened a hatch in the nose of the aircraft which extended the bombsight out of the fuselage, but to everyone's comfort, the Mk IV replaced this hatch with a slightly extended transparency.

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.

With Bomber Command, Whitleys flew 8,996 operations, dropped 9,845 tons 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.


General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Length: 70 ft 6 in (21.49 m)
• Wingspan: 84 ft (25.60 m)
• Height: 15 ft (4.57 m)
• Wing area: 1,137 ft² (106 m²)
• Empty weight: 19,300 lb (8,768 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 33,500 lb (15,196 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Merlin X liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,145 hp (855 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 200 kn (230 mph, 370 km/h) at 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
• Range: 1,430 nmi (1,650 mi, 2,650 km)
• Ferry range: 2,100 nmi (2,400 mi, 3,900 km)
• Service ceiling: 26,000 ft (7,900 m)
• Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)
• Max wing loading: 29.5 lb/ft² (143 kg/m²)
• Minimum power/mass: 0.684 hp/lb (112 W/kg)

Armament

• 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in nose turret
• 4 × .303 in Browning machine guns in tail turret
• 12 × 250 lb (113 kg) bombs and
• 2 × 500 lb (227 kg) bombs or
• 1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) bomb could be carried
  

** Armstrong Whitworth - Warbird Fare

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