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Aviation History
1945
1945 - 1021.PDF
MAY 24TH, 1945 FLIGHT 563 BRISTOL' Blenheim, bombers had been making steady but not rapid progress. The class consisted of single- engined biplanes. The Hawker Hart, first shown to the public at the Olympia Aero Show in 1929, was a big step forward. It was latei replaced by the Hind, which had an improved performance. But lor years the class of night- bombers could not improve on the slow ok! Vickers Virginia with its ability to carry a bomb load of only 1,500 lb. British designers are admittedly the best in the world; but during those years they seemed to have gone to sleep. The attempts to find a replacement for the Virginia were almost ludicrous, and are better forgotten. The first major step forward was not in load or range, but in armament. The power- operated gun turret was designed, but at first it was installed, not in a bomber but in a flying boat. Flying boats certainly need gun turrets, as the Sunderland has shown in many successful combats with German fighters ; but so do bombers. However, once the principle had been established, progress was rapid. A Sudden Advance The change in other respects came rather suddenly. A private order by the late Lord Rothermere to the Bristol Company produced the forerunner of the Blenheim, which was almost a marvel for its time. The Blenheim was a mid-wing monoplane with two Bristol engines, it had a top speed of 285 m.p.h. It had a power-operated turret, but only one machine-gun in it. Then, rather suddenly, improvements came thick and fast. Mr. B. N. Walls, one of the Vickers' designers, intro- duced the geodetic method of construction, which gave great strength for light weight, and so promised long range and a substantial bomb load. The long range was proved when three single-engined Wellesleys established a new non-stop record for the world. But we are more in- i^r \ S " BRITAIN FIRST. ' This was the forerunner ot the lamous Beaufort, Beaufighter, Bisley and Buckingham series which have done such good work. terested in the twin-engined Wellington, which was soon to be acclaimed by the Air Ministry as "the best bomber in the world." About the same time the Armstrong-Whit- worth firm produced the twin-engined Whitley, and the Handley-Page firm the Hampden. All these, with the ex- ception of the Hampden, were equipped with power- operated turrets, and possessed a very considerable fire power. The aim of their designers was range, bomb load and armament. Speed was not regarded as a prime con- sideration. When first produced, these three types of twin- engined bomber were regarded as heavies. They were all in the hands of the R.A.F. when war broke out, but they were still rather novelties. Before long they became trusted friends. But better things were already on the way. For some considerable time designers had been at work on four- engined bombers, and early in 1941 the Short Stirling and the Handley-Page Halifax were taking part in operations. To them was subsequently added the Avro Lancaster (after experiments with the twin-engined Manchester, which did not give satisfaction), and the Lancaster proved the grandest heavy bomber in the world. Before the war was over it was carry- ing and dropping bombs weighing ten tons (thanks again to Mr. B. N. Wallis) which had not even been dreamed of when Mr. Roy Chadwick designed the Lancaster. No other aircraft could carry such a load. During the war it became apparent that what really mattered in a bomber EARLY HEAVIES : The Armstrong.Whitworth Whitley (left) and the Handley Page Hampden and VickersWellington (below) which were Bomber Command's standard heavy aircraftat the outbreak of war.
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