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Aviation History
1937
1937 - 1583.PDF
JUNE 17, 1937. FLIGHT. a BUILDING the BATTLE High-Pressure Production of Medium Bombers at Fairey's New Stockport Factory Tho location of such items as radiator, undercarriage and landing lights are shown in this view of the nose of a Battle. The clean installation of the 990/1,050 h.p. Merlin is noteworthy. Flight photograph.) JUST over a year ago the prototype of the Fairey Battle single-engined medium bomber was completed at the Hayes factory of the Fairey Aviation Co. Shortly afterwards it was announced that the machine was the subject of a large Air Ministry contract under the Expan sion Scheme. The task of building Battles for the R.A.F. was allotted to the new Fairey factory at Heaton Chapel, Stockport, which was accordingly equipped with the most up-to-date assembly jigs, tools, etc., for the rapid large-scale pro duction of stressed-skin metal aircraft. Battles are now emerging regularly from the great Stockport works, which one was privileged to inspect last week, whence they are conveyed to Ringway aerodrome for tests prior to delivery to squadrons. The Fairey Battle is a two-three-seater categorised by the British Air Ministry as a single-engined medium bomber, but naturally suited to operate as a reconnaissance machine or fighter. Its maximum speed with the Rolls- Royce Merlin I glycol-cooled vee-twelve engine, rated at 990 h.p. at 12,000ft. (maximum output 1,050 h.p. ; weight 1,318.5 lb.), is between 250 and 300 m.p.h., but further performance data are withheld. It may be said, however, that the disposable load is 3,968 lb. and the range about 1,000 miles. The Merlin drives a three-bladed de Havilland two-position airscrew, and is fitted with the latest type of low-resistance exhaust system. Armament comprises a fixed outboard gun (Vickers or Browning) in the starboard wing, a free gun on a specially developed mounting aft of the rear cockpit, and a bomb load stowed in four cells in the wings. Additional pro jectile load may be accommodated on external racks. The internally stowed bombs are lowered hydraulically with their racks on special slides into the mouths of the cells, which are fitted with doors to preserve the wing contour. Wireless and night-flying gear are specified, the latter including two landing lights in the leading edge of the wing, which may be adjusted to point outwards and down wards until the machine touches the ground in landing, when they are directed forward. The precise nature of the construction of the Battle may not be revealed, but its main portions have a stress- !k*«»»3 ssssfl i S»l5 » jji-rmfc.^ Assembling the monocoque portions of Battle fuselages in the Stockport works. The size of the rear cockpit may be gathered from the fuselage in the foreground.
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