Handley Page V/1500

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Handley Page V/1500 heavy bomber

The Handley Page V/1500 was an uprated design from the O/400 with the intention of bombing Berlin from East Anglian airfields. It was colloquially known within the fledgling Royal Air Force as the "Super Handley".

It had four of the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines used in the O/400, but in only two nacelles, so two engines were pulling in the conventional manner and two pushing. A forward-looking design feature was the gunner's position at the extreme rear of the fuselage, between the four fins.

1 Service
2 Operators
3 Specifications ()
4 Related content

[edit] Service

Three were delivered to No. 166 Squadron at RAF Bircham Newton (Norfolk) during October 1918. The squadron commander did not get clear orders for his mission until November 8 due to debate at high level. A mission was scheduled for that night (bomb Berlin, fly on to Prague as the Austro-Hungarian forces had surrendered by then, refuel, re-arm, bomb Düsseldorf on the way back). No mission was flown - a technical expert insisted that all the engines on one aircraft be changed. The same happened the following day (but with a different aircraft). The three aircraft were about to taxi out after the second set of engine changes when an excited ground crew member ran out to stop them — the Armistice had just been declared.

One of the original batch of aircraft (J1936, Old Carthusian) went on to record two significant 'firsts'. On 13 December 1918 the bomber, flown by Major A.C.S. Maclaren and Captain Robert Halley, accompanied by Brigadier-General N.D.K. McEwan, made the first ever 'through-flight' from England to India. Taking off from Britain the aircraft flew via Rome, Malta, Cairo, and Baghdad, finally reaching Karachi on 30 December.

The same aircraft played a pivotal role in ending the Third Anglo-Afghan War. On 24 May 1919, flying from Risalpur piloted by Captain Robert "Jock" Halley and with Lt E. Villiers as observer, the V/1500 reached Kabul in three hours. From its payload of eight 112-lb bombs and 26 20-lb bombs four bombs hit the royal palace. Although the bombing did little physical damage, it had a great psychological impact on the citizens — the ladies of the royal harem rushed onto the streets in terror, causing great scandal. A few days later King Amanullah sued for peace, bringing an end to the war after less than one month of hostilities. This could be said to be the first decisive use of strategic bombing.

Final production of the V/1500 totalled sixty aircraft. They were eventually replaced in service by the Vickers Vimy. J1936 ended its life being consumed by termites!

[edit] Operators

United Kingdom Royal Air Force.
- No. 166 Squadron RAF
- No. 167 Squadron RAF
- No. 274 Squadron RAF

[edit] Specifications ()

General characteristics

Crew: 7
Length: 64 ft 9 in (19.51 m)
Wingspan: 126 ft (31.40 m)
Height: 23 ft (7.01 m)
Wing area: 3,000 ft² (278 m²)
Empty weight: 17,600 lb (7,983 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 30,000 lb (13,608 kg)
Powerplant: 4× Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII , 375 hp (280 kW) each

Performance

Cruise speed: 159 km/h
Range: 1,300 miles (2,092 km)
Service ceiling: 11,000 ft (3,355 m)
Rate of climb: 308 ft/min (94 m/min)

Armament

1x or 2x .303 Lewis guns in nose, dorsal and tail positions
2x .303 Lewis guns in ventral position
Up to 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) of bombs carried internally or on two underfuselage hardpoints