aircraft, British

When war clouds gathered in the 1930s, Winston Churchill and a minority of others in the British government urged accelerated development and production of military aircraft as it became increasingly apparent that Germany, rearming in defiance of the Treaty of Versailles, was creating a large and advanced air force. The outbreak of war caught Britain with an undersized air force, and the nation consequently relied heavily on a variety of U.S.- supplied aircraft. However, the British aircraft industry also produced some of the most important planes of the war. Among British bomber aircraft, the most significant were Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V. Powered by two 1,145-horsepower RR Merlin X engines, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley entered into Royal Air Force (RAF) service in March 1937. The first of the heavy RAF night bombers, the aircraft was a mediocre performer, with a top speed of 222 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 17,600 feet. Range was 1,650 miles. After 1942, it was used by the RAF exclusively as a trainer and glider tug. A total of 1,737 (all versions) were built. The Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm operated the aircraft until 1945. Avro Lancaster I. Becoming operational in March 1942, the Avro Lancaster was powered by four 1,460-horsepower RR Merlin XX engines and had a wingspan of 102 feet, a loaded weight of 68,000 pounds, a top speed of 308 miles per hour, and a ceiling of 24,500 feet. Its effective range was 1,600 miles. This military workhorse, produced in a quantity of 7,377, could carry a maximum bomb load of 22,000 pounds and was one of the great bombers of World War II, deserving a place beside such American aircraft as the B-17, B-24, and B-29. Lancasters were the most heavily used of British bombers, flying in excess of 156,000 operations and delivering 608,612 tons of bombs on target. Reflecting the monumental cost of the Strategic Bombing of Germany, 3,249 Lancasters were lost in action. Bristol Blenheim Mark IV. This bomber was developed from the Bristol model 142 civil transport, and when it first became operational (in the Mark I version) in 1937, it was actually faster than most RAF fighters. The Mark IV version, operational by 1939, had a top speed of 266 miles per hour, a service ceiling of 22,000 feet, and a range of 1,460 miles. With a wingspan of 56 feet 4 inches, it was powered by two 920-horsepower Bristol Mercury XV engines. Maximum bomb load was 1,325 pounds. The Mark I version of the aircraft had the distinction of flying the first Allied operational mission of the war, a reconnaissance over Germany. Mark IV was used extensively as a light bomber and also as a fighter, a reconnaissance aircraft, and a close-support aircraft. The aircraft was crewed by three. A Mark V was developed, which increased the service ceiling to 31,000 feet and range to 1,600 miles. In other respects, however, its performance was disappointing, and the Mark V was used almost exclusively in the Far East. Relatively slow by 1940s standards and with only light defensive armament, the Blenheims were especially vulnerable to fighter attack. They were withdrawn from the bomber role in 1943. About 6,200 (all versions) were built. De Haviland Mosquito XVI. One of the war's great aircraft, the Mosquito was flown as a night fighter, fighter bomber, bomber, and reconnaissance plane. Crewed by two, it had a remarkable aircraft, British 7 top speed of 425 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 36,000 feet. In bomber configurations, the XVI version carried no defensive armament but relied on its speed and maneuverability, which could outperform most fighters. Maximum range was 3,500 miles. Affectionately dubbed the Mossie, the aircraft was first flown late in 1940 and became operational with the RAF in 1942. It served in Europe and Asia and proved so adaptable that it remained in service well after the war, until 1955. A total of 7,781 (all versions) were built. The Mark XVI version was driven by two 1,680- horsepower Rolls Royce engines. Wingspan was 54 feet 2 inches, and maximum bomb load was 4,000 pounds. Fairey Battle I. Introduced in 1940, the Fairey Battle I was a two-place light day bomber powered by a single Rolls-Royce Merlin II piston engine, which delivered 1,030 horsepower. With a 54-foot wingspan, it had a top speed of 241 miles per hour, a service ceiling of 23,500 feet, and a range of 1,050 miles. Armed with a forward-firing .303-inch fuselage- mounted Browning machine gun and a rearfacing .303-inch Vickers K machine gun, the aircraft could carry a 1,000-pound bomb load. Deployed in France at the outbreak of the war in 1940, the Fairey Battle quickly proved inadequate as a day bomber and was withdrawn from such service very early in the war. However, it continued to operate with the RAF as late as 1949 as a trainer, target tug, and communications aircraft. Some 2,200 were built. Handley Page Halifax VI. This four-engine bomber first flew in prototype in 1939, and the first Mark I version was delivered in 1940. The Mark VII entered production in 1944 and was powered by four 1,800-horsepower Hercules 100s and had a wingspan of 104 feet 2 inches. Maximum speed was 312 miles per hour with a service ceiling of 24,000 feet and a range of 1,260 miles. Maximum bomb load was 13,000 pounds. Although not nearly as well known as the Avro Lancaster, the Halifax was a highly successful heavy bomber, produced in a quantity of 6,176 (all versions). Handley Page Hampden I. Powered by two 1,000-horsepower Bristol Pegasus XVIII engines, this medium bomber was designed beginning in 1933 and went into production in 1938. With a wingspan of 69 feet 2 inches and a maximum bomb load of 4,000 pounds, the aircraft could make 254 miles per hour and reach a service ceiling of 19,000 feet. Slow and vulnerable to fighters, it made its last bombing raid in September 1942 and was used mainly for training purposes thereafter. A total of 1,430 were built. Short Stirling III. The Mark I version of this large four-engine bomber was delivered to the RAF in 1940. The first Mark IIIs were flying by 1942. Powered by four 1,650-horsepower Bristol Hercules XVI engines and with a wingspan of 99 feet 1 inch, this heavy bomber could deliver 14,000 pounds of bombs. However, it soon proved unpopular with aircrews because of its low ceiling (17,000 feet) and inadequate maneuverability near its maximum altitude. By 1943, the Stirling III was withdrawn from bombing missions and relegated to duty as a glider tug and transport. Some were adapted as Mark IVs and used as paratroop transports. Total production for all versions was 2,374. Vickers Wellington III. First flown in prototype in 1936, the Mark I version of this medium bomber entered RAF service in 1938. It proved successful in a variety of roles, and 11,461 were produced before production ceased in October 1945. The Mark III version was powered by two 1,375-horsepower Bristol Hercules III or two 1,425-horsepower Hercules XI engines. Top speed was 255 miles per hour, service ceiling was 19,000 feet, and range was 1,540 miles. The aircraft could deliver a bomb load of 4,500 pounds. Defensive weapons included eight .303-inch machine guns, two in the nose, four in the tail turret, and two in fuselage positions. At the beginning of World War II, the Wellington was the principal British bomber, and although it continued to fly bombing missions until the end of the war, it was largely supplanted in this role by heavier, four-engine bombers. The Wellington continued to be used very extensively for antisubmarine attacks and for transport duties. 8 aircraft, British The major British fighter aircraft of World War II included Bristol Beaufighter Mark 1. Powered by twin Bristol Hercules XVII fourteen-cylinder radial engines, rated at 1,725 horsepower each, this twoseat fighter had the advantage of long range (1,400 miles) and was used for a variety of missions, most notably as a night fighter. The prototype flew on July 17,1939, and aircraft were delivered to the RAF beginning in October 1940. Equipped with the most advanced radar available at the time, the Beaufighter was armed with four 20-millimeter cannon and six to eight rockets. It could also carry a 500-pound bomb load or be modified for torpedo attack. The aircraft saw service in Europe as well as Asia and the Pacific, where the Japanese called it the Whispering Death because of its speed (323 miles per hour) over long range. Service ceiling was 28,900 feet and wingspan 57 feet 10 inches. De Haviland Mosquito II. Whereas later versions of the Mosquito earned fame as bombers, the earlier versions were used primarily as twin-engine (two Merlin 23s at 1,635 horsepower each) fighters. Equipped with four 20-millimeter and 4 .303-inch machine guns, the Mosquito II had a top speed of 407 miles per hour and an operating radius of 800 miles. Gloster Gladiator I. First flown in 1934 and acquired by the British military in 1937, the Gloster Gladiator was an evolutionary development of the earlier Gauntlet biplane fighter. From the beginning, however, its biplane design was obsolete among the latest generation of monoplane fighters, and the aircraft was badly outclassed by German fighters when it was deployed in the earliest battles of the war. All Gladiators in the two squadrons sent to France in 1940 were destroyed in 10 days of fighting. While the RAF soon abandoned the Gladiator as a fighter, the Royal Navy used it (as the Sea Gladiator) for aircraft carrier operations. With a wingspan of 32 feet 3 inches, the Gladiator was powered by a single Bristol Mercury VIII AS engine, which developed 850 horsepower for a top speed of 257 miles per hour. Ferry range was 444 miles and service ceiling 33,500 feet. The fighter version of the aircraft was armed with four .303-inch Browning machine guns. Gloster Meteor III. During the 1930s, the British aeronautical engineer Frank Whittle developed a practical jet engine, and both the British and the Germans developed and flew jet aircraft before the war ended—although the novelty of the technology and a multitude of design and production problems kept the aircraft from being deployed in combat in significant numbers. The Meteor series has the distinction of being the only turbojet-powered aircraft flown in combat by the Allies during the war. Meteors were sent to shoot down German V-1 buzz bombs and V-2 rockets and to engage German jets. A prototype Meteor first flew in March 1943, and seven Meteor Is were first deployed in July 1944. Meteor IIIs commenced delivery in December 1944. Propelled by a pair of Derwent jets, each making 2,000 pounds of thrust, the Meteor III could reach 490 miles per hour at 30,000 feet (ceiling, 40,000 feet). Wingspan was 43 feet, range was 550 miles and armament consisted of four 20-millimeter cannon. The aircraft was not produced in great quantity during the war, but it continued to evolve afterward. By 1954, when it finally left service, 3,947 had been built. Hawker Hurricane 1. Although less celebrated than the Supermarine Spitfighter, the Hawker Hurricane, not the Spitfire, was responsible for 80 percent of the German aircraft shot down in the Battle of Britain. Designed in 1935, the Hurricane was introduced into RAF service in 1937. At the beginning of the Battle of Britain, the RAF had 32 squadrons of Hurricanes versus only 19 squadrons equipped with Spitfires. Less agile than the Spitfire and slower than Germany's premier fighter, the Messerschmidt Bf109, the Hurricane was deployed against German bomber formations, whereas the Spitfires were used against German fighters. At the start of the war, the RAF had 497 Hurricanes. Before the end of the war, the Hawker company delivered 10,030, the Gloster company 2,750, and the Canadian Car and Foundry Company 1,451. Powered by a single 1,030-horsepower Rollsaircraft, British 9 Royce Merlin III 12-cylinder engine, the Hurricane had a wingspan of 40 feet and a top speed of 328 miles per hour at 20,000 feet. It was armed with eight wing-mounted .303-inch Browning machine guns. Hawker Tempest V. Introduced in 1944, the Hawker Tempest V was a major evolutionary development from the Hawker Typhoon I. Featuring a thinner wing, a longer fuselage, and an allround vision canopy, it was powered by an improved Sabre Mk2 engine, developed 2,000 horsepower, and could reach a top speed of 428 miles per hour. Wingspan was 41 feet, and ceiling was 37,000 feet. Operating radius was 740 miles. The Tempest was armed with four 20-millimeter cannon and could carry eight rockets or nearly 2,000 pounds of bombs. Some 1,418 Tempest Vs were built, including a number after the war had ended. Although introduced late in the conflict, the Tempest, thanks to its speed and maneuverability, was considered one of the best fighters of the war. Hawker Typhoon I. This aircraft was used by the RAF mainly in a ground attack role rather than in air-to-air combat. Introduced in 1941, some 3,300 (all versions) were built before the end of the war. Powered by a single Sabre Mk2 engine developing 2,180 horsepower, the Typhoon had a top speed of 405 miles per hour and a ceiling of more than 30,000 feet. Wingspan was 41 feet 7 inches. The Typhoon was armed with four 20-millimeter cannon and could carry a bomb load of nearly 2,000 pounds or eight 127-millimeter rockets. Supermarine Spitfire. Introduced in 1938 and produced in some 40 variants, the Supermarine Spitfire became the single most celebrated fighter aircraft of World War II. Driven by a Merlin Mk III engine making 1,030 horsepower, the version that first entered service had a top speed of about 360 miles per hour and was armed with eight .303-inch machine guns. The Spitfire XIV, introduced in 1944, had a ceiling of 40,000 feet and a top speed of 440 miles per hour and was responsible for shooting down more than 300 German V-1 buzz bombs. The XIV version and several earlier versions as well also had increased armament: two 20-millimeter cannon were added either to the four .303-inch machine guns or to two .50-inch machine guns. Some versions also carried one 250- or 500-pound bomb under the fuselage and one 250-pound bomb under each wing. The Spitfire survived the end of the war and was used by the RAF for photoreconnaissance until 1954. Wingspan for all versions was 36 feet. An aesthetically beautiful aircraft, the Spitfire incorporated a light-alloy monocoque fuselage and a single-spar wing with stressed-skin covering and fabric-covered control surfaces. The aircraft proved highly maneuverable and was more than a match for the best German fighters during the Battle of Britain, where it earned its first and most enduring glory. Some 20,334 Spitfires (all versions) were produced during the war, and a naval variant, the Sea fire, was produced in a quantity of 2,556. See also Great Britain, Air Force of. Further reading: Gunston, Bill, and Chris Westhorp. The Illustrated Directory of Fighting Aircraft of World War II. St. Paul, Minn.: MBI Publishing, 2000; Jane's Information Group. Jane's All the World's Aircraft of World War II: Collector's Edition. New York: HarperCollins, 1994; Mondey, David. The Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II. London: Book Sales, 2002; Wilson, Stewart. Aircraft of World War II. Fishwyck, Australia: Australian Aviation, 1999.