|
The Handley Page H.P. 57 Halifax entered service in November 1940
and was the second of the three four engine heavy bomber used by the RAF
during the war. In response to a 1935 Air Ministry requirement for a twin-engined
bomber Handley Page a design , the H.P.55, which proved to be unsuccessful.
The Air Ministry issued a new requirement for a medium/heavy bomber using
the Rolls-Royce Vulture X-Type engine which was under development. The
Handley Page H.P.56 was selected, but due to development problems with
the proposed engines it was redesigned to use four Bristol Taurus engines
and then altered for the Rolls-Royce Merlins. This was given the H.p.57
designation and resulted in a much larger aircraft 40,000 lbs instead
of the original 26,300 lbs.
Handley Page was awarded the contract for two prototypes with construction
beginning in early 1938 and first flight taking place at RAF Bicester,
Oxfordshire on 25th October 1939. The second prototype took to the air
on 17th August 1940 and the first production aircraft on 11th October
1940. The first squadron to receive the Halifax Mk.I was No.35 based
at RAF Leeming on 23rd November 1940. The first operational use of the
Halifax was by this squadron on an attack against Le Havre using six aircraft
and the first night attack was on Kiel, 30th June 1940. Due to its poor
defensive armament the Halifax was only used on night operations until
improvements had been implemented. Another initial weakness was the lack
of speed which lead to the deletion of the mid upper turret, exhaust fairings
as well as the nose turret. The mid upper turret was soon reintroduced
on the Mk.IA/II versions. New versions of the Merlin engine were fitted
which improved performance. Directional stability was problem with early
Halifaxes. With the introduction of the Mk III with a new tailplane and
the powerful Bristol Hercules engines, the Halifax became a fine very
robust bomber much loved by the crews who flew in her.
Production of the Halifax was initially at Handley Page factories
at Cricklewood and Radlett the later additional assembly was undertaken
by English Electric (Preston), Fairey Aviation (Stockport), Rootes Securities
(Speke) and the London Aircraft Production Group with a total of 6,176
aircraft being produced.
Between 1941 and 1945 the Halifax flew 75,532 sorties during which
231252 tonnes (227,610 tons) of bombs were dropped on European targets.
The Halifax was also used Middle East and Far East the only British heavy
bomber to do so.
The Handley Page Halifax B.Mk III was powered by four Bristol Hercules
XVI radial engines, rated at 1615 hp each. It could reach a top speed
of 282 mph at 13,500 ft. It had a range of 1,860 miles and a service ceiling
of 24,000 ft. Its climb rate was 850 ft per minute. The wingspan was 104
ft 2 inches, and the length 71 ft 7 inches. The Halifax bomber was manned
by a crew of 7: pilot, co-pilot, navigator/bombardier/gunner, flight engineer,
radio operator, and two gunners. It was armed with eight 7.7 mm Browning
machine guns; 4 were mounted in the dorsal turret, and the other 4 in
the tail turret; and one 7.7 mm Vickers K machine gun situated in the
nose of the plane. It could carry up to 13,000 lb of bombs.
|
|
|
|
Beer Is Best. Click on image for enlarged view.
|
Beer Is Best. Click on image for enlarged view.
|
|
|
|
Handley Pages Cricklewood site. Click on image
for enlarged view.
|
|
