Ding, ding, ding!! And we have a winner! That's the one, pd1; the last biplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force. You must admit it's one ungainly aircraft; but apparently an able performer nonetheless. And now, you are up, Sir. What is your question for us? Thanks; Ernie P.
What warbird do I describe?
Clues:
1. This aircraft was one of the most important of its time.
2. It was named for the base from which it first operated.
3. It was also the last of its type.
4. It was definitely a “different bird”.
5. It had a rather unusual configuration; although one that had been used before.
6. The pilot sat high up, more than fifteen feet from the ground.
7. It had a fixed undercarriage.
8. The fuselage utilized a partial aluminum monocoque design.
9. The wings were metal frame.
10. Both the fuselage and wings were fabric covered.
11. This aircraft was in active service well into WWII.
12. Twin engine.
13. Operational range less than 1,000 miles.
14. It was withdrawn from front line service in 1939, but continued to be used in other roles well into WWII.
15. Visibility was considered to be very good.
16. Crew of four.
17. Twin tail.
18. Less than 200 produced.
19. The gun turret was of an interesting design, with a distinctive appearance and nickname.
20. Earlier models used a two bladed propeller.
21. Later models used a four bladed propeller.
22. Designed to be a heavy bomber.
23. A night bomber.
Answer: The Handley Page Heyford
The
Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine
British biplane bomber of the 1930s. Although it had a short service life, it equipped several squadrons of the
RAF as one of the most important British bombers of the mid-1930s, and was the last
biplane heavy bomber to serve with the RAF. The aircraft was named for and first deployed at
RAF Upper Heyford, near
Bicester in
Oxfordshire.
[h=2]Design and development[/h]The Heyford was built to meet Air Ministry specification
B.19/27 for a heavy night bomber to replace the
Vickers Virginia, which required a twin-engined aircraft capable of carrying 1,546 lb (700 kg) of bombs and flying 920 miles at 115 mph (185 km/h). The specification resulted in a large number of proposals being submitted by the British aircraft industry, with designs by
Fairey (the
Fairey Hendon) and
Vickers (the
Type 150 and
Type 163 being built) as well as Handley Page's design. 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, two-
bay metal-frame wings, while the
fuselage had an
aluminium monocoque forward section with a fabric-covered frame to the rear, It had a crew of four, consisting of a pilot, a
bomb aimer/navigator/gunner, a radio operator and a dorsal/ventral gunner. Open positions were provided for the pilot and both the nose and dorsal gunners. The Heyford had a novel configuration, with the fuselage attached to the upper wing — somewhat like the 1914-designed German
Gotha G.I — and with 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.
[h=2]Operational history[/h]
A Heyford of
102 Squadron at
RAF Honington, 1938
The Heyford I entered service with
No. 99 Squadron RAF, at
RAF Upper Heyford in November 1933, 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, with two used as glider tugs until April 1941. 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 stored as late as 1944.
General characteristics
- Crew: four (pilot, co-pilot/navigator, bomb aimer/air gunner, wireless operator/air gunner
- Length: 58 ft (17.68 m)
- Wingspan: 75 ft (22.87 m)
- Height: 17 ft 6 in (5.34 m)
- Wing area: 1,470 ft² (136.6 m²)
- Empty weight: 9,200 lb (4,180 kg)
- Loaded weight: 16,900 lb (7,680 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Rolls-Royce Kestrel II-S liquid-cooled V12 engine, 525 hp (392 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 142 mph (123 knots, 229 km/h) at 13,000 ft (3,960 m)
- Range: 920 mi (800 nmi, 1481 km)
- Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
- Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 15.3 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 3 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns (nose, dorsal and ventral 'dustbin' positions)
- Bombs: 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) total