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Britain's Bristol Buckingham B.1 bomber1
Bristol Buckingham C.1 transport1
Bristol Buckingham second prototype1:
Bristol Buckingham:
Design
The Bristol Buckingham was designed to replace the Bristol Blenheim.1
The Buckingham was supposed to enter service in 1942 but production didn't start until 1944 due to difficulties with the Centaurus engines.1
Also the Mosquito was able to take the same payload and perform better so it was given the priority.1
Prototype
The Buckingham prototypes were first flown on February 4, 1943.1 The first prototype wasn't armed.1 The second prototype was armed.1
The 3rd and 4th prototypes had larger fins.1
Postwar
The Buckmaster T.1 prototype flew on October 27, 1944.1
Production
An order of 400 Buckinghams were ordered.1
- Prototypes: 41
- Buckingham: 1191
- Buckmasters: 1111
Postwar
The last Buckmaster was delivered in 1946.1
Variants
- Buckingham B.1: The first 54 produced were bombers.1
- Buckingham C.1: The next 65 produced were transports.1 Turrets were removed.1 A few B.1s were converted to C.1s.1
- Buckmaster T.1: Postwar trainer.1 Had dual controls.1 There was no dorsal turret or gondola.1
Usage
The Buckingham C.1 transports were primarily used on the flights to Malta and Egypt.1
Postwar
When the Buckingham's production was cancelled there was still components in the factory to build 100 more aircraft.1 These were later made into the Buckmaster T.1 trainers.1
The trainers were used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) until 1956.1
| Bristol Buckingham1 | Bristol Buckingham B.11 | Bristol Buckingham C.11 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Day bomber1 | Transport1 | |
| Crew | 41 | 31 | |
| Passengers | 41 | ||
| Engine (Type) | 2: Bristol Centaurus VII or XI1 | ||
| Cylinders | Radial 181 | ||
| Cooling | |||
| HP | 2,520 each1 | ||
| Propeller blades | 4 each1 | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Span | 71' 10"1 21.89 m1 |
||
| Length | 46' 10"1 14.27 m1 |
||
| Height | 17' 6"1 5.33 m1 |
||
| Wing area | |||
| Weight | |||
| Empty | 24,040 lb1 10,905 kg1 |
||
| Loaded | 38,050 lb1 17,260 kg1 |
||
| Performance | |||
| Speed @ 12,000' / 3,658 m |
336 mph1 541 kph1 |
||
| Cruising speed | 294 mph1 473 kph1 |
||
| Climb | 2,000'/minute1 610 m/minute1 |
||
| Service ceiling | 25,000'1 7,620 m1 |
||
| Range | 2,360 miles1 3,798 km1 |
||
| Maximum range | 3,180 miles1 5,117 km1 |
||
| Armament | |||
| Nose | 4: 0.303" MG1 | ||
| Ventral gondola | 2: 0.303" MG1 | ||
| Dorsal turret | 4: 0.303" MG1 | ||
| Bomb | 4,000 lb1 1,814 kg1 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
