Bristol Bombay
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bristol Type 130 Bombay | |
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| A Bristol Bombay Mk.I in flight. | |
| Type | Medium bomber |
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Company |
| Maiden flight | 1935-06-23 |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force Royal Australian Air Force |
| Produced | 1939 |
| Number built | 50 |
The Bristol Bombay was a medium bomber and troop transport aircraft flown by the Royal Air Force during World War II.
Contents |
[edit] Development
The Bombay was built to the Air Ministry Specification C.26/31 for a monoplane aircraft which could carry bombs or 24 troops. Bristol's early experience with monoplanes was dismal — both the 1922 racer prototype and the 1927 Bristol Bagshot fighter suffered from lack of torsional rigidity in the wings. As the result, when a pilot tried to roll in one direction, the wings warped causing the roll to happen in the opposite direction. Based on this experience, Bristol over-engineered the Bombay's wing to include no less than seven spars made from high-strength steel. Not surprisingly, the end product was a very heavy aeroplane.
The prototype Type 130 first flew on 23 June 1935, and entered production as the Bombay. All 50 aircraft were built by Short & Harland of Belfast in 1939. The Hele-Shaw variable pitch propellers used by the Bombay were the first product of a Bristol-Rolls-Royce joint venture called Rotol.
[edit] Operational history
Despite the all-metal construction, the Bombay retained some features which were outdated at the time, such as its fixed undercarriage. Despite being outclassed for the European theatre, it saw some service ferrying supplies to the British Expeditionary Force in France in 1940; but its main service was in the Middle East, replacing the Vickers Valentia. Although the Bombay was capable of dropping 250 lb (113 kg) bombs, the smaller 20 lb (9 kg) bombs had to be thrown by hand through the cargo door. Nonetheless, the aircraft flew bombing sorties in Abyssinia, Italian Somaliland, Iraq, and Benghazi. Obsolete as a bomber, the Bombays were predominately used as transports ferrying supplies and evacuating the wounded. One Bombay crew was credited with flying out 6,000 wounded troops.[1] On 2 May 1941 Bombays of No. 216 Squadron RAF evacuated the Greek Royal Family from Crete to Egypt.[2]
Five Bombay bombers were used by the fledgling SAS in their first official operation in the Middle East to attack 5 forward German aerodromes.[3]
[edit] Variants
- Type 130 : Prototype.
- Type 130A Bombay Mk I : Twin-engined medium-bomber and troop transport aircraft. Original designation Type 130 Mark II.
[edit] Operators
Australia: Royal Australian Air Force
- No. 1 Air Ambulance Unit RAAF
United Kingdom: Royal Air Force
- No. 117 Squadron RAF
- No. 216 Squadron RAF
- No. 267 Squadron RAF
- No. 271 Squadron RAF
[edit] Specifications (Bombay Mk.I)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3-4
- Capacity: 24 armed troops or 10 stretchers
- Length: 69 ft 3 in (21.1 m)
- Wingspan: 95 ft 9 in (29.2 m)
- Height: 19 ft 6 in (5.9 m)
- Wing area: 1,340 ft² (124.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 13,800 lb (6,260 kg)
- Loaded weight: 20,000 lb (9,100 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Bristol Pegasus XXII radial engines, 1,010 hp (755 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 192 mph (167 knots, 309 km/h) at 6,500 ft (2,000 m)
- Range: 2,230 mi (1,940 nm, 3,560 km)
- Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
- Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s)
- Wing loading: 14.9 lb/ft² (72.9 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 2× 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns in powered nose and tail turrets
- Bombs: 2,000 lb (900 kg)
[edit] References
- ^ Gunston, B. (1995). Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways.. Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-526-8.
- ^ Barnes, C.H. (1964). Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. Putnam. ISBN 0 370 00015 3.
- ^ Cowles, V. (1958). The Phantom Major.. Collins. ISBN 0-7861-2148-3.
- Mondey, D. (1982). The Hamyln concise guide to British aircraft of World War II. Hamlyn/Aerospace. ISBN 0-600-34951-9.
[edit] Related content
Related development
- Bristol Type 170 Freighter — the first air ferry
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
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