United Kingdom's Bristol Bombay transport¹

Bristol Bombay:

Bristol Bombay:

Design

The Bristol Bombay was designed to meet a 1931 specification for a troop carrier and bomber transport.¹

The Bristol Type 130 was trialed against the Handley Page HP.51 (later it became the Harrow bomber) and Armstrong Whitworth AW.23.¹

Prototype

The Bristol Type 130 prototype first flew on June 23, 1935.¹

The first production Bristol Mk I flew in March 1939.¹

Production

Manufactured by Short and Harland at their factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland.¹ Production started in 1939 because Bristol's priority was to produce the Blenheim.¹ Production ended in June 1940.¹

• Prototype: 1¹
• Bombay Mk I: 50¹
• Total: 51¹

Variants

• Bombay Mk I:

Usage

Middle East

The Nos 117 and 216 Squadrons in the Middle East were equipped with the Bombay.¹

It was used as a night bomber along the African coast.¹

The Bombays were used in the evacuation of Crete.¹

There was a paratroop drop over Libya in November 1941 that the Bombay took part in.¹

British Islands

The Bombay equipped the No 271 Squadron in Britain.¹

The Bombays were used to take supplies to the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) in France.¹

Retired

The Bombay was retired in August 1944.¹

	Bristol Bombay1
Type	Troop carrier1 Bomber-transport1
Crew	31
Passengers	241
Engine (Type)	2: Bristol Pegasus XXII1
Cylinders	Radial 91
Cooling
HP	1,010 each1
Propeller blades	31
Dimensions
Span	95' 9"1 29.18 m1
Length	69' 3"1 21.11 m1
Height	19' 11"1 6.07 m1
Wing area
Weight
Empty	13,800 lb1 6,260 kg1
Loaded	20,000 lb1 9,072 kg1
Performance
Speed @ 6,500' / 1,982 m	192 mph1 309 kph1
Cruising speed	160 mph1 257 kph1
Climb	750'/minute1 229 m/minute1
Service ceiling	25,000'1 7,620 m1
Range	800 miles1 1,416 km1
Range with auxiliary fuel tanks	2,230 miles1 3,588 km1
Armament
Nose turret	1: 0.303" MG1
Tail turret	1: 0.303" MG1
Bombs	2,000 lb1 907 kg1

Sources:

1. Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998

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