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Britain's Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Bomber^1,2,3

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley:

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley:

Design

In 1934 a requirement was given that the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley was designed to meet.^1,2

Fuselage

The box like shape was for ease of manufacturing.¹ The Whitley was distinctive in flight as it looked like it was always flying nose down because of its positive incidence.³

Wings

The wing had a small amount of dihedral on the outer wing.¹

Prototype

The prototype first flew on June 4, 1935 / March 17, 1936³.²

It flew on March 17, 1936 and was powered by Armstrong Siddeley Tiger radial engines.¹

Production

• Prototypes: 2³
• Whitley Mk I: 34³
• Whitley Mk II: 46³
• Whitley Mk III: 80³
• Whitley Mk IV: 33³, 50¹
• Whitley Mk IVA: 7³
• Whitley Mk V: 1,466³, 1939-1943: 1,500¹
• Whitley Mk VII: 146¹
• Whitley Mk VIII: 146³
• Whitley Mk I, II, III: 160¹
• Total: 1,476², 1,814³

Variants

• AW.38: Prototype.³
• Whitley Mk I: Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX radial engines (795 HP).^2,3 Entered service in March 1937.³ By September 1939 relegated to training.²
• Whitley Mk II: Tiger VIII radial engines (920 HP).^2,3 By September 1939 relegated to training.²
• Whitley Mk III: Radial engines (920 HP).^1,3 Had first power operated nose turret.³
• Whitley Mk IV: Powered turret in tail.¹ Had Merlin IV engines.³
• Whitley Mk IVA: Had Merlin X engines.³
• Whitley Mk V: Longer fuselage to extend tail gunner's field of fire.¹ Rolls-Royce Merlin X engines.² Had new vertical tail surfaces.³
• Whitley Mk VII: Used by Coastal Command with long range search radars.^1,2,3 First use was in March 1941 over the Atlantic.^1,2 A crew had the first kill on November 30, 1941.^1,2 It had ASV radar installed.³

Usage

In the early years of the war the Whitley's were used for leaflet raids.^1,2 In 1940 they joined in the night bombing.^1,2

The Whitleys were withdrawn from frontline service in the spring of 1942.¹

Whitleys were also used as paratroop trainers and glider tugs starting in 1940.¹

Twelve Mk Vs were converted to freighters and used by British Airways.¹

Beginning of War

The Whitleys equipped six squadrons when World War II started in September 1939.³

Bombing raid on Berlin

Whitley Mk Vs of the No. 51 and 78 Squadrons took part in the first raid on Berlin on the night of August 25 and August 26 1940.^1,2 The squadrons dropped leaflets.³

Airborne raids

On February 10, 1940, Whitleys were used on paratroop raids against the Italian viaduct at Tragino.²

On the night of February 27 and February 28, 1942, Whitleys were used in the Bruneval raid.²

Whitleys were also used as tugs for the Horsa glider.²

RAF Coastal Command

The No. 502 Squadron was the first to use the ASV Mk II radar equipped Whitley Mk VIIs.² They had their first success on November 30, 1941 by sinking U-206 in the Bay of Biscay.²

Last bombing raid

The last raid conducted by the Whitley was on Ostend on the night of April 29 and April 30, 1942.²

	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley3	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk I, Mk II, Mk III1	Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. V1,2,3
Type	Heavy night bomber3		Bomber1,2 Reconnaissance1 Anti-submarine1
Crew	53		52
Engine (Type)		2: Armstrong Siddeley Tiger1	2: Rolls-Royce Merlin X piston1,2,3
Cylinders		Radial1	Inline1,2 V 123
Cooling
HP			1,145 each2,3, 1,200 each1
Propeller blades			33
Dimensions
Span	84'3 25.6 m3		84'1,2 25.6 m1,2
Length	70' 6"3 21.48 m3		69' 3"2, 72' 6"1 21.112, 22.1 m1
Height	15'3 4.57 m3		15'1,2 4.57 m1,2
Wing area			1,137 ft2 1,2 105.63 m2 1,2
Weight
Empty			19,310 lb1, 19,330 lb2, 19,350 lb3 8,759 kg1, 8,768 kg2, 8,777 kg3
Loaded			28,200 lb3 12,790 kg3
Max loaded			33,431 lb1, 33,500 lb2,3 15,164 kg1, 15,195 kg3, 15,196 kg2
Performance
Speed @ 7,000 ' / 5,180 m			222 mph2 357 kph2
Speed @ 17,700' / 5,395 m		176 mph1 286 kph1	228 mph1 367 kph1
Speed @ 17,750' / 5,410 m			228 mph3 367 kph3
Cruising speed			185 mph3 298 kph3
Climb			800'/min1,2,3 244 m/min1,2,3
Service ceiling			17,600'2,3, 17,700'1 5,364 m3, 5,365 m2, 5,395 m1
Range			1,500 miles1, 1,6003 2,540 km1, 2,655 km3
Range - with 3,000 lb / 1,361 kg bombs			1,650 miles2 2,655 km2
Range with maximum load			470 miles3 756 km3
Armament	5: 0.303" MG3		5: 7.7 mm MG1
Nose turret			1: 7.7 mm MG2
Tail turret			1: 7.7 mm MG2
Bombs	7,000 lb3 3,175 kg3		6,985 lb1, 7,000 lb2 3,168 kg1, 3,175 kg2 Usually 14: 500 lb1,2 Usually 14: 227 kg1,2

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
2. Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
3. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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