British Fighters of World War 2 9781907426230

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COLLECTORS’ ARCHIVE

British Fighters of World War 2

£7.95

Contemporary cutaways and archive images

INTRODUCTION

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OLLOWING OUR FIRST edition of Aeroplane Collectors’ Archive, British Bombers of World War Two, we now focus on the fighters, bringing you some of The Aeroplane’s finest images from the war years along with period cutaway drawings. It must be emphasised that it is not the intention to give full details of every type, these have been covered in many books, so only basic data for early models of each type is given. Most of the images come from our archive of over 40,000 five-inch glass-plate negatives, others are from 50,000 35mm strips, taken by Flight and The Aeroplane photographers, sister magazines during the 1970s and 1980s, and to supplement these we have added others from the files which are interesting. A large proportion of the archive dating from 1909 to the 1960s was gifted from Flight to The Aeroplane. The final pages contain a selection of fighters which were under development and had flown between 1939 and 1945 but for various reasons did not enter service. It is interesting to see that the first aircraft covered, the Gloster Gladiator, was the RAF’s last biplane fighter while the last, also from Gloster, was the Meteor, the RAF’s first jet fighter.

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARTISTS The Aeroplane had a very talented staff of photographers including Charles Sims, Alf Long and Maurice Rowe to name a few. Their standard equipment in the early days was the First World War vintage Van Neck VN Press camera, and Maurice Rowe recalls his memories. Starting at the bottom, he learned to make up chemicals, dry photographic prints on rotary glazing drums and how to operate a large camera on rails. Eventually becoming a photographer for Temple Press, he says it was very much a do-it-yourself operation, as if a large number of photographs were needed slides had to be reloaded, so on an overnight assignment one struggled in a wardrobe in the bedroom to do this, ensuring the door was tightly closed!

The most challenging photography was air-to-air, easy from the back end of a Beverley or side door of a Lancaster, but very difficult in the confines of a Hunter while wearing heavy clothing, and oxygen mask etc and with plates crammed into the pockets, the left for exposed and right for unexposed.

CUTAWAY ARTWORK Much of the artwork featured here was painstakingly drawn by one artist, James (Jimmy) Clark, who began producing cutaways in the mid-1930s and continued into the 1960s. At first, they were small and relatively uncomplicated, but as aircraft and engine design developed the cutaway became ever more detailed. Rivalry between Clark and Flight’s artist Max Millar may have helped produce ever more complicated and thorough cutaways! Production of a cutaway could involve hundreds of hours. Clark would often spend a week in a factory sketching detail drawings of aircraft parts, with reference to engineering drawings, sometimes emerging with a completed drawing, others needing weeks of additional work to bring everything together. Although sometimes criticised for lack of perspective in his work, it could be said that Clark often used it to accentuate a key part, and maybe his work, in some cases with minor faults, should be viewed as aviation art. Some of the illustrations here have been produced by other artists including Roy Cross, Frank Munger and Mike Badrocke, and we are grateful to Flight Global for the use of some of the cutaways from the Flight International archive. Together, these sources have enabled us to produce a more complete selection of aircraft.

Mike Hooks Editor

These two aircraft from the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight illustrate one of the oldest Spitfire survivors, P7350, and also the last Hurricane built, PZ865 Aeroplane Collectors’ Archive

British Fighters of WW2 Editor Mike Hooks • Researcher John Donaldson • Editorial Consultant Philip Garrett • Production Editor Steve Wright • Advertising Sue Keiley Digital Image Manager Rebecca Gibbs • Scanning assitant Ellis Fergar • Image restoration Paul Sanderson Published by Kelsey Publishing Group, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG. Telephone 01959 541444 Fax 01959 541400 www.kelsey.co.uk Printed by William Gibbons & Sons Ltd., Willenhall, West Midlands. © 2012 all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is forbidden except with prior permission in writing from the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in articles or advertisements. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher. ISBN 978-1-907426-23-0

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British Fighters of World War 2 6 GLOSTER GLADIATOR Last of the RAF’s biplane fighters

12 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE Iconic Merlin and Griffon-powered fighter

24 ROLLS-ROYCE GRIFFON ENGINE 26 HAWKER HURRICANE

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The RAF’s first monoplane fighter

36 HAWKER TYPHOON Ground-attack fighter

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41 HAWKER TEMPEST

The logical development of the Typhoon

46 NAPIER SABRE ENGINE 50 CENTRE PAGE SPREAD

Airfix artwork illustration by Adam Tooby showing de Havilland Mosquitos during the Amiens raid

52 BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT Day and night-fighter and target-tug

58 BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER Night-fighter, torpedo and strike aircraft

65 BRISTOL HERCULES ENGINE 70 DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO

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Versatile, fast fighter/night-fighter/strike aircraft

81 WESTLAND WHIRLWIND

The RAF’s first single-seat twin-engined fighter

88 GLOSTER METEOR Britain’s first jet fighter

91 ROLLS-ROYCE DERWENT ENGINE

Contents

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WAITING IN THE WINGS

Many more fighters under development failed to see active service for one reason or another. We highlight some of them here

94 BOULTON PAUL P.92/2

Half-scale flying model of a proposed three-seat twinengined fighter which was not built

94 HAWKER TORNADO

Rolls-Royce Vulture-powered single-seat fighter, similar to the Typhoon

95 WESTLAND WELKIN

Twin-engined two-seat high-altitude fighter, later night-fighter

95 GLOSTER F.9/37

Twin-engined single-seat fighter which lost out to the Bristol Beaufighter

96 SUPERMARINE SPITEFUL

Single-seat fighter to succeed the Spitfire, but which arrived too late – the jets were coming

96 VICKERS 432

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High-altitude fighter with pressure cabin, but had engine and handling problems

97 MARTIN-BAKER M.B.5

A superb single-seat fighter not rdered because of the imminent arrival of jets

97 MILES M.20/2

Cleverly-designed wooden single-seat fighter with excellent view for the pilot, no orders

98 SURVIVORS

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Gloster Gladiator

THE GLADIATOR PROTOTYPE, designated SS.37, was constructed using a modified Gauntlet fuselage and flew on September 12, 1934, becoming K5200. Named Gladiator on July 1, 1935 it was soon in production and deliveries to the RAF began on February 16, 1937, with No 72 Squadron at Tangmere being the first recipient. The type eventually served with 19 RAF squadrons in the UK and 15 overseas, while others of the 490 delivered equipped various Flights. Two squadrons were with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France in 1940, and during the Battle of Britain No 247 Squadron’s Gladiators defended Plymouth dockyards while others operated from frozen lakes in Norway. The Fleet Air Arm received 60 specially-built Sea Gladiators and 38 converted from RAF stocks. These served in 15 squadrons and four became famous in the defence of Malta. The last operational Gladiators were withdrawn in September 1941, but others served in RAF roles, notably Meteorological Reconnaissance, until 1945.

The fourth production Gladiator, K6132, had the more powerful 830 hp Mercury IX engine giving an increase in speed of 17 mph to 253 mph and a ceiling up from 10,000 ft to 14,500 ft. The cantilever undercarriage featured Dowty internally-sprung wheels

The Gloster SS.37 K5200 to Specification F.7/30 for a four-gun fighter taxies out at the SBAC Flying Display on July 1, 1935, when the name Gladiator was bestowed. It had a 530 hp Bristol Mercury IV engine initially, later a 830 hp Mercury and was the RAF’s last biplane fighter

gloster gladiator

Above: another view of the fourth production Gladiator, K6132, which was delivered to No 72 Squadron at Tangmere on February 22, 1937, while pictured below is a Gladiator cockpit

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Early Gladiators were fitted with a two-bladed wooden propeller, while later models had three-bladed metal props. Clearly visible here are the flaps on top and bottom wings

Port wingtip navigation light Faired exhaust collector ring

Two-bladed Watts wooden propeller

Reflector gunsight

Drop-down cockpit door

Pitot head

Whip aerial

First aid compartment

Carburettor air intake

Machine-gun blast trough

Port fuselage-mounted 0.303in Browning Underwing housing machine-gun for 0.303in Browning machine-gun Dowty internallysprung wheels

Pilot’s access step Squadron markings of 73 Sqn, RAF

gloster gladiator

Reproduced with kind permission from Flight Global

Formation light Fabric-covered rear fuselage

Horn-balanced rudder Rudder cables emerging from fuselage

gloster gladiator

Castoring tailwheel and shock-absorbing strut

Rear navigation light

ENGINE: One 830hp Bristol Mercury IX WING SPAN: 32ft 3in LENGTH: 27ft 5in HEIGHT: 10ft 4in LOADED WEIGHT: 4,750 lb MAX SPEED: 253 mph

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The Royal Navy received several ex-RAF Gladiators before two batches of Sea Gladiators totalling 110. This is N5525, delivered to No 36 MU in March 1939 and sent to Malta the following month. Serving with No 802 Squadron on HMS Glorious, it was lost when the carrier was sunk by the Scharnhorst and Gniesnau on June 8, 1940 and the squadron ceased to exist

A fully-equipped pilot must have had difficulty in entering a Gladiator cockpit, as shown here with a No 72 Squadron aircraft. Note the underwing Browning guns Gladiators of No 54 Squadron, Hornchurch, delivered in May 1937, two having their pilot’s gear on the tailplane. The dark coloured fin on K7923 implies this has just been painted in a flight leader’s colour

GLOSTER GLADIATOR Gladiators of No 87 Squadron, Debden, formation-keeping while linked together. No 87 received its first aircraft in June 1937 and re-equipped with Hurricanes in July 1938

In early 1939, seven Gladiators (N5590-5594, 5620-5621) were delivered to the Air Ministry’s Meteorological Flight, Aldergrove. This example in camouflage, N5592, later passed to No 3 Bombing and Gunnery School and 402 Flight (a renaming of the Met Flight) – all based at Aldergrove –before crashing in a forced-landing in fog at Lady Hill, Co Antrim on September 6, 1941

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Supermarine Spitfire THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE began as a private venture replacing an earlier unsuccessful design to Specification F.7/30, and emerged to fill a new one, F.37/34, the prototype flying on March 5, 1936. An initial production order covered 310 for completion by March

1939, and production began in 1937. The first unit to be equipped was No 19 Squadron, Duxford in August 1938, a big step up from its Gloster Gauntlets. By the outbreak of World War Two, nine full squadrons had been equipped, and Spitfires of No 602 Squadron claimed the first victories of the war on October 16, 1939, destroying two Ju 88s and a He 111. Further large orders were placed as the type was developed, and its role in the Battle of Britain alongside the Hurricane is history. Various marks emerged and a total of 20,351 were built for the RAF, while the Navy received Seafires, some converted from Spitfires, others new-build. Various marks of Spitfire served with 111 squadrons during World War Two, others continued post-war. With such a wide variety, it is possible to cover only a few Spitfires, but we offer a selection of interesting illustrations, and have included basic data on the Mks I and XIV.

Pilots of No 19 Squadron, Duxford, the first to receive Spitfires, sprint to their early aircraft in a practice scramble. Note the two-bladed fixed-pitch propellers and flat-sided canopies compared with the Mk VIII

An undercarriage retraction test on an early but rather wornlooking Spitfire

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

A pair of Spitfire IXEs of No 443 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force in March 1945 when they were based in Belgium; the lead aircraft has clipped wings of the LF.IX. No 443 was one of the first fighter squadrons to be based in Normandy after D-Day

A Spitfire VIII of 92 Squadron in summer 1943 being serviced in sunshine at Taranto, with what appears to be a damaged airship shed in the background

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SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

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Spitfire VCs of No 154 Squadron at Djedjelli, Algeria, showing their desert camouflage and tropical filters beneath the noses of the two facing aircraft. While the fate of the nearest, ES187, is not known, ES191 ahead of it later went to the South African Air Force

16 Soon after D-Day, some enterprising units carried beer to Normandy, either in kegs beneath the wings of Spitfires or as in this case transferring the “joy juice” to a converted (and hopefully fully cleaned out) long-range tank. A Norwegian pilot watches from the wing while RAF mess steward LAC W. Hoskins turns on the tap

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

Spitfire VBs of No 243 Squadron, Ouston in 1942. Nearest is EN821 which later passed to No 65 Squadron before going to the RN in February 1944. It is interesting to note the other two aircraft have very small serial presentations

A Spitfire IXB of No 126 Squadron being rearmed and serviced in December 1944, the month in which the squadron moved from Bradwell Way to Bentwaters and began to re-equip with Mustang IIIs

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Early Spitfire production at the Vickers Supermarine factory, Eastleigh, Southampton, with RollsRoyce Merlin engines in the foreground

BLANK

Supermarine Spitfire I

A Spitfire advert from The Aeroplane dated November 23, 1939, showing Mk Is of No 65 Squadron, Hornchurch. The nearest, FZ-L, was being flown by Robert Stanford Tuck, soon after to become a Battle of Britain ace

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE I ENGINE: One 1,030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin II WING SPAN: 36ft 10in LENGTH: 29ft 11in HEIGHT: 11ft 5in LOADED WEIGHT: 5,782 lb MAX SPEED: 364 mph

The Spitfire prototype, K5054, in a night scene after being camouflaged

Spitfire Prototype, K5054, in its original pale blue overall scheme

Supermarine Spitfi

20mm HISPANO CANNON

OIL TANK

TOP FUEL TANK

COOLANT HEADER TANK

ROLLS ROYCE GRIFFON 65 ENGINE

ENGINE MOUNTING BEAM

AIR INTAKE BOTTOM FUEL TANK WING FUEL TANK

0.5 BROWNING

Spitfire FR.XIV N Chakeri, Cawn and many oth

Spitfire XIV

Spitfire FR.XIV NH927 at No.322 Maintenance Unit, Chakeri, Cawnpore, India during 1947 where it and many others were flown to be scrapped.

OXYGEN CYLINDER WHIP AERIAL

GP RADIO

IFF RADIO

ACCUMULATOR AIR CYLINDERS

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE XIV ENGINE: One 2,050 hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 65 WING SPAN: 36ft 10in LENGTH: 32ft 8in HEIGHT: 12ft 8in LOADED WEIGHT: 8,500 lb MAX SPEED: 448 mph 20mm HISPANO AMMUNITION TANK

0.5 BROWNING AMMUNITION TANK

BLANK

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

Monsoon conditions in Burma in 1945 made servicing difficult, as can be seen with ground crew of No 607 Squadron arming Spitfire VIII MT941/K-AF on a forward airstrip while a 500lb bomb on a trolley will be loaded on a Spitfire. This Spitfire later served with the Royal Indian Air Force Spitfire wings in production at Eastleigh. Around top centre appear to be three managerial staff checking a trailing edge while the strange uncovered office was presumably the foreman’s

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An anonymous Spitfire FR.XIV featuring a large long-range belly tank. The inboard stubs next to the cannons house 0.5 Browning machine-guns

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Key to engine diagram 1 Two exhaust valves per cylinder 2 Two inlet valves per cylinder 3 Twin exhaust cams 4 Twin inlet cams 5 Airscrew shaft 6 Vertical drive to camshaft from airscrew reduction gear 7 Cylinder head holding down stud 8 Front scavenge oil duct 9 Cylinder block holding down stud 10 Anti-surge oil baffle 11 Transverse bearing cap bolts 12 Main coolant pump 13 Four bank gear type oil pump unit 14 Scavenge oil filters 15 Fuel pump drive 16 Intercooler coolant pump 17 Supercharger change speed unit

18 Rolls-Royce BendixStromberg injector type carburettor 19 Three-barrel throttle entry 20 Supercharger Impellers 21 Turbulence spider 22 Injector fuel nozzles 23 Accelerator pump injector nozzle 24 Inter-stage cooling passage 25 Inter-stage coolant connections to aircraft radiators 26 Honeycomb block 27 Intercooler 28 Tachometer drive 29 Auxiliary gearbox drive 30 Constant speed unit mountingface 31 Induction trunk delivering to cylinder blocks 32 Wet cylinder liners

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Spitfire FR.XIVs were being delivered between February 1944 and May 1945 from Vickers’s Castle Bromwich factory. This is NH903 of No 2 Squadron which operated this version from November 1944 to January 1951

SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

Rolls-Royce Griffon Engine 3

4 2

7

1

6 5

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10 13 12

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Post-war, No 2 Squadron shed its camouflage in favour of an all-silver scheme. Camera ports are very obvious; NM821/0I-F belly-landed at Utersen on August 20, 1949, NH783/0I-H was struck off charge in September 1953 and TZ164/0I-A followed three months later

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Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane was a private venture to meet Specification F.5/34, revised to F.36/34, and the prototype, K5083, flew on November 6, 1935. An initial contract for 600 was increased to 1,000 in November 1938 and the first production aircraft, L1547, flew on October 12, 1937, incorporating some revisions. Early versions had two-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propellers and fabric-covered fuselage and wings, later superseded by three-bladed metal props and metal-stressedskin wings. First deliveries went to No 111 Squadron, Northolt in December 1937, while in March 1938 No 3 Squadron, Kenley began to re-equip, Hurricanes replacing Gauntlets and Gladiators respectively. The Hurricane and Spitfire Battle of Britain roles are of course legendary, and both went on to be developed into various versions. Each type had its advantages, the Hurricane proving to be quicker to repair when battle-damaged, while the Spitfire had performance edge.

Hurricanes, originally with eight machine-guns, were later fitted with 12, then four-cannon versions, a tank-buster, nightfighter and fighter-bomber. Production reached 12,711 in Britain and more than 1,400 in Canada and the type served with nearly 150 RAF and Commonwealth squadrons, while Sea Hurricanes equipped 19 Fleet Air Arm squadrons. For full details see Hurricane in the Aeroplane Icons series at £7.95.

Hurricane Z4791/H-33, Spitfire Is P7882 and P7926/3 of the Empire Central Flying School (EFCS) Hullavington in October 1942, all with canopies open. The Hurricane was struck off charge in November 1944, Spitfire P7882 crashed at Hibaldstow on May 9, 1944 and P7926 was struck off charge in October 1944. The EFCS was re-designated Empire Flying School (EFS) in May 1946

HAWKER HURRICANE Hurricanes of No 111 Squadron being shown to the Press in March 1938. The squadron, which had operated Gloster Gauntlets from June 1936, became the first unit to be equipped with high-performance monoplanes and became a showpiece for the Press, MPs and other officials

ADS

The first production Hurricane, L1547, flew on October 12, 1937, with some modifications from the prototype, the most obvious being removal of the tailplane bracing struts, but early deliveries lacked the ventral fairing around the tailwheel

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28 H.M.King George VI inspecting a No 111 Squadron Hurricane at Northolt in May 1938 while the CO, Sqn Ldr J.W. Gillan, AFC, explains the finer points. On February 10, Gillan had flown a Hurricane from Edinburgh to Northolt in 48 minutes at more than 400mph – there was a tail wind!

HAWKER HURRICANE

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The prototype Hurricane K5083 during an early test flight. Following flight trials during which it flew just over 153 hours it became maintenance airframe 1211M in January 1939.

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KEY TO LETTERING

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O

Tailplane spar fixing Elevator control Undercarriage well Glycol radiator and oil cooler Flap jack Gun bay heating tube from radiator Glycol thermostat Undercarriage sliding joint Trough for radius rod Wing fixings Main fuel tank (one each side, 33 gallons each) Diagonal wing bracing in gun bay Downwards identification light Formation-keeping light

HAWKER HAWKERHURRICANE HURRICANE

HAWKER HURRICANE ENGINE: One 1,030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin II WING SPAN: 40ft 0in LENGTH: 31ft 5in HEIGHT: 13ft 1in LOADED WEIGHT: 6,600 lb MAX SPEED: 316 mph

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32 Pilots and dogs with the Hurricanes of No 3 Squadron, Kenley in 1938. The Hurricanes were only operated for a short time as Kenley was deemed to be too small for them, and No 3 returned to Gladiators. However, Hurricanes were seen again at Kenley during the Battle of Britain!

Hurricane P3582 and others under repair in July 1940. It had a short life, serving with Nos 605 and 501 Squadrons before being abandoned near Folkestone on August 15, 1940 after being damaged by return fire from a Junkers Ju 87

HAWKER HURRICANE

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Presentation Hurricane IIC KW924 British Prudence complete with pilot and 44-gallon long-range tanks ready to go. It had no RAF service, going to No 3 Squadron, South African Air Force, and was struck off charge on July 26, 1945

Canadian-built Hurricane XII RCAF 5624 was one of two fitted with streamlined skis developed by Noorduyn Aviation for the Harvard. The skis were fitted by Canadian Car & Foundry, Fort William, the wheel wells were covered and the undercarriage hydraulic system connected to ski trimming jacks. Although satisfactory, no further fittings were undertaken

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Just about to re-equip with Typhoons in summer 1942, No 1 Squadron at Tangmere put up this flight of Hurricane IICs with a mixture of large and small serials. The nearest (and oldest) is Z3778, which crashed while overshooting at Acklington on August 14, 1942

HAWKER HURRICANE

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An armourer loads ammunition belts into a Hurricane I’s machineguns in December 1939

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Hawker Typhoon The HAWKER TYPHOON was designed to Specification F.18/37 as a high-performance interceptor but its early days were dogged with problems affecting the big Napier Sabre engine. Two prototypes were ordered, plus two similar Tornadoes (see details at the end of this book), and the prototype Typhoon, P2512, flew on February 24, 1940. It was badly damaged in May, and the second, P5216, did not fly until May 1941, since Hawker was busy with Hurricane production.

While 15 development Typhoons were built by Hawker at Langley, an initial 500 production aircraft were built by Gloster, which flew its first on May 27, 1941. First operational aircraft went to 56 Squadron, Duxford and suffered many problems, but the Typhoon came into its own as a ground-attack aircraft and eventually equipped 30 squadrons. Total Gloster production reached 3,315. It was the RAF’s first 400mph fighter and was replaced by the Tempest from 1945.

The second production Typhoon R7577 served only with the makers and the A&AEE, Boscombe Down before being struck off charge on December 2, 1943 Main image: Typhoon EK266 of No 182 Squadron displays the unique recognition markings of four black and three white stripes, adopted to distinguish it from the Fw 190, which, to the AA gunners, it resembled. They should not be confused with the ‘invasion stripes’ worn from D-Day – three white and two black – see the Mosquito on page 71

HAWKER TYPHOON Six of No56 Squadron’s early Typhoons, the squadron operated the type from September 1941 to May 1944. Note the white recognition band from the inboard cannon

More early Typhoons with what appears to be the whole of No 181 Squadron wanting to be in the picture

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38 Engine fitters at work on the Napier Sabre engine of Typhoon R8220 of No 56 Squadron. Early Typhoons had the ‘car door’ type entry to the cockpit

A Typhoon waits to be bombedup, the bomb racks just visible beneath the inboard cannon

BLANK

The Hawker Ty

KEY 1. Filler cap 2. Pressure relief valve 3. Thermostats (coolant by-pass) 4. Access door to radiator 5. Engine front mounting 6. Cross-member 7. Radiator strap mounting spring shock absorber 8. Shutter jack 9. Engine ’cutaway’ reveals one of two back mountings 10. Hot air to gun heating trunk 11. Gun heating trunk, each side 12. Undercarriage wheel cover operating jack 13. Compass 14. Rudder pedal 15. Foot-boards 16. Seat-raising lever 17. Armour 18. Rudder tab control 19. Elevator tab control 20. Instrument board 21. Gun reflector sight 22. Retracting step 23. Wheel well 24. Wing fuel tank space 25. Line of nose fuel tank 26. Ammunition feed 27. Electro-pneumatic firing valve 28. Side-stay 29. Hydraulic jack 30. Assisting spring

31. Hinge (side stay) 31A. Latch gear strut 32. Inner stiff rib 33. Undercarriage side-stay rib 34. Pneumatic system air bottle 35. Elevator trim tab worm 36. Middle hinge of gun compartment two-piece doors 37. Tail-joint strap 38. Elevator mass balance

39. Tailplane spar fix 40. Elevator connection 41. Flap interconnecting shaft A. Four wing fixes B. Fixings (members D of monocoque fuselage to front tubular structure C) X. Cooling air through coolant radiator Y. Cooling air through oil radiator Z. Air intake to supercharger

HAWKER TYPHOON IB ENGINE: One 2,200 hp Napier Sabre WING SPAN: 41ft 7in LENGTH: 31ft 11in HEIGHT: 15ft 3in LOADED WEIGHT: 13,250 lb MAX SPEED :412 mph

er Typhoon IB

The Hawker Tempe

KEY 1. Coolant header tank filler cap 2. Pressure relief valve 3. Thermostats (coolant by-pass) 4. Access door to radiator 5. Engine front mounting 6. Cross-member 7. Radiator strap mounting spring shock absorber 8. Shutter jack 9. Engine rear mounting 10. Gun and cockpit hot-air trunks 11. Carburettor air trunk 12. Additional fuel tank and consequent lengthened (redesigned) front fuselage 13. Front fuselage 14. Warm air to cockpit 15. Drop-down accumulator case, and rubber cord 16. Oil-petrol engine priming tank (de-icing tank on pot side) 17. Hydraulic system reservoir 18. Front fuselage rear wing cross-bracket 19. Compass 20. Undercarriage control 21. Throttle 22. Oxygen control valve 23. Rudder trim tab control 24. Supercharger lever 25. Cockpit hood operating lever 26. Gun reflector sight 27. Elevator tab control 28. Hydraulic system hand pump 29. Footboard 30. Seat-raising lever 31. Seat sprung-support 32. Armour

33. Jettisonable side panel 34. Instrument board 35. Firewall 35A. Armoured firewall 36. Oil separator 37. Undercarriage jack 38. Hinge point 39. Side stay 40. Assisting spring 41. Undercarriage hinge-plate 42. Undercarriage shock leg ram 43. Wing fuel tank (each side) 44. Leading edge (fuel tank on port side) 45. Under carriage wheel covertop jack 46. Magazines 47. Magazine armour

48. Ammunition feed blister(s) 49. Flap shaft and universal joint 50. Aileron control and cables, and hoo alongside rear wing fix 51. Radio 52. Pneumatic system reservoir 53. Oxygen cylinder

mpest V

blister(s) ersal joint cables, and hook

reservoir

HAWKER TEMPEST ENGINE: One 2,400 hp Napier Sabre IIB WING SPAN: 41ft 0in LENGTH: 33ft 8in HEIGHT: 16ft 1in LOADED WEIGHT: 12,820 lb MAX SPEED: 442 mph

54. Retracting step 55. Elevator control 56. Elevator mass balance 57. Rudder cables 58. Redesigned transport joint 59. Tail-wheel door operating link 60. Jacking pad 61. Tail wheel operating jack 62. Tail navigation light 63. Tailplane spar fix 64. Rudder mass balance 65. Rudder trim tab and operating rod 66. Fabric-covered rudder

A. Four wing fixes B. Fixings (members D of monocoque fuselage to front of tubular structure C) E. Main spar joint between centre and outer wing X. Engine airflow cooling Y. Oil cooling airflow Z. Supercharger airflow with filter

BLANK

HAWKER TEMPEST

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Hawker Tempest The HAWKER TEMPEST was a logical development of the Typhoon, replacing the latter’s thick wing, originally designed to house six cannon, with a new elliptical wing and, after early trials, a larger curved fin and rudder and a 2,200hp Napier Sabre engine. The prototype, HM595, flew on September 2, 1942, achieving 430mph at 20,300ft a month later, while the second aircraft, HM599, later reached 472mph but did not have the deep chin radiator and could not provide reliability. The first production Tempest V was JN329, and first deliveries went to No 486 (New Zealand) Squadron at Beaulieu in January 1944, then to No 3 Squadron, Manston,

A trio of Tempest Vs of No 501 Squadron at Bradwell Bay in 1944, shortly after they had replaced Spitfire XVIs

while these, and No 56 formed a Tempest Wing commanded by Wg Cdr R,P Beamont at Newchurch to counter V1 flying bombs. They destroyed 638 and were involved in offensive sweeps over the Continent, eventually claiming some 20 Me 262 jets. The Tempest II with a 2,520hp Bristol Centaurus engine was just being delivered when the Pacific War ended in September 1945, but 452 were built and served with ten squadrons, while the Tempest V and VI, the latter a tropicalised development, served with seventeen, the last operational aircraft being replaced by Vampires from 1950.

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Tempest V NV778 awaiting completion was used by Napier for a time before being converted to a target-tug for No 233 Operational Conversion Unit. It is preserved in the RAF Museum, Hendon in its target-towing colours

A batch of Tempest Vs on the Hawker production line, a few of the 201 serialled between SN102 and ‘355 delivered between April and October 1945

HAWKER TEMPEST

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Tempest II PR747 in final assembly. It went to No152 Squadron at Risalpur, India, later being among a batch sold to the Indian Air Force in September 1947

Work on a Tempest V Sabre engine, checking the long-range tank attachments and cleaning the windscreen

Armourers loading a No 501 Squadron Tempest V with belts of Hispano 20mm cannon ammunition

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2,400 hp Napier Sabre IIA engine

Key to engine diagram 1. Cylinder block studs 2. Cylinder and crankcase 3. Crankcase bolts 4. Backlash balance-arm and anchorage 5. Spring buffer 6. Airscrew thrust shaft and roller races 7 and 9. Two idler gears driven by crankshaft pinions 8. Top crankshaft and pinion

10. Helical gears (solid with 7 and 9) drive 16. Bottom joint of crankshaft halves airscrew shaft gear 11 12. Front carrier plate for reduction gears front 17. Sleeve operating cranks driven off worms 18 17A. Pedestal-bearing housings bolted to cylinder roller races block 13. Intermediate idler off 8 14. Driving gear off 8 and 13 for all auxiliaries 18. Worm gears on hollow shaft 19 (repeat on port side) in top cover 19. Hollow sleeve drive shafts coupled together and 15. Similar drive off boom crankshaft with supercharger torsion shaft 22 right through for all auxiliaries

NAPIER SABRE ENGINE

20. Worm shaft driving gear through train, off 7 21. Driving gear to supercharger pinions through 23 wheels 24. Repeat on port side (port gears 24A just seen) 25. Gear drive from starter gear to crankshaft 26. Supercharger volutes 27. Double entry impeller 28. Two shafts from two-speed wheels 23, to two clutches 29 30. Induction manifold



31. Ports in cylinder block 32. Coolant delivery passages 33. Junkhead coolant space 34. Coolant outlet space 35. Oil supply to worm boxes 17A 36. Oil grooves in sleeves 37. Low-pressure oil to auxiliaries in top cover 38. High-pressure oil to airscrew 39. Bevel drive to compresssor 40. Starboard magneto drive 41. Starboard distributor drive 42. Differential gear for ignition timing change through servo unit

47

43. Arm makes I.S.U. rock differential gear 42 through slotted cam 44 to change ignition timing. Arm 43 is operated by same arm as operates airscrew C.S.U. fitted in place of transport blank 45 46. Bevel drive to vacuum pump and airscrew C.S.U. 47. Coffman unit and exhaust pipes 48. Oil pipes to supercharger intermediate ball races 49. Front and rear mounting feet 50. Top joint crankshaft halves 51. Sleeves X. Crankcase halves and cylinders register on bolts 1, 2 and 3 at X

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50 Mosquito FB VI, HX922, of Group Captain Pickard and his navigator F/Lt ‘Bill’ Broadley, skims low over Amiens prison on 18 February 1944. Operation Jerico was a very low-level attack in poor weather by 18 Mosquitos of 140 Wing that breached the prison buildings and walls to allow the escape of over 200 imprisoned French people and resistance fighters. Two of the Mosquitos were lost, one being Pickard’s. Kind permission of this Adam Tooby illustration courtesy of Hornby Hobbies Ltd 2012 – www.airfix.co.uk

51

52

Boulton Paul Defiant THE BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT was designed to Specification F.9/35 as the RAF’s first (and only) single-engined fighter with a four-gun turret to enter service. Prototype K8310 flew on August 11, 1937 and the first production aircraft, L6950 (to revised Specification F.3/37), followed on July 30, 1939. First deliveries were in December 1939 to No 264 Squadron, Sutton Bridge, which saw action over Dunkirk in May 1940, but lack of forward-firing armament soon led to heavy losses. Comparing loaded weights of the Defiant I (8,350lb) with two crew and a heavy turret and the single-seat

Key 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Three-blade Rotol propeller Coolant header tank Rolls-Royce Merlin III 1,030hp 12 cylinder Vee engine Exhaust manifold Handle for engine cranking Oil cooler intake Hydraulic reservoir 10 Imp gal oil tank Engine bearer Instrument panel Compass Pilot’s seat Throttle quadrant Pitot head

Hurricane I (6,600lb), both with the same 1,030hp Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, one can see why the Defiant suffered, but it began to make its mark when transferred to night-fighting. No 141 Squadron claimed the first victim, with Nos 255, 256 and 264 following, but Defiant night-fighters were finally withdrawn in September 1942, being replaced by Mosquitoes and Beaufighters. They continued in support roles with air-sea rescue and anti-aircraft cooperation units and gunnery schools, a number being used as target-tugs until final retirement in April 1945. Total production reached 1,060.

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28 Main fuel tank, 52 Imp gal (both 29 30 sides) Auxiliary fuel tank (both sides) 27 31 32 Imp gal 33 Navigation light (both sides) 34 Undercarriage oleo leg 35 Mainplane front spar 36 Mainplane rear spar 37 Aileron Split flaps, outboard (both sides) 38 39 Split flaps, inboard (both sides) 40 Aileron control rods 41 Flap control rods Forward ventral aerial mast

Radiator fairing Coolant pipes Retractable forward fairing Forward fairing actuation ram Wireless transmitter/receiver Power-operated turret Four .303 Browning machine guns Forward/aft fuselage construction join Corrugated decking Access hatch and emergency exit for gunner Flare chutes Retractable rear fairing Ballast weight hatch Dorsal navigation light Rear ventral aerial in flight position (retracts upwards when undercarriage is lowered)

BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT 42 43 44 45 46

Tailwheel (non-retractable) Elevator Elevator mass balance Elevator trim tab Rudder

47 48 49 50

53

Rudder mass balance Fin Rudder trim tab Rear navigation light

BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT ENGINE: One 1,030 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin III WING SPAN: 39ft 4in LENGTH: 35ft 4in HEIGHT: 12ft 2in LOADED WEIGHT: 8,350 lb MAX SPEED: 303 mph

This Defiant target-tug in the markings of No 286 Squadron shows the winch operator’s clear-vision canopy in place of the turret, and the drogue storage container beneath the fuselage. Many Defiants were used by the RAF and RN in this role in the UK and overseas, although operations in the tropics suffered with the plywood retractable fairings delaminating

54

BOULTON PAUL DEfiant

Defiant II AA436/DZ-V of No 151 Squadron, Wittering in 1941 with the pilot’s canopy open, turret guns pointing skyward and the rear fairing behind the turret retracted. Note the large forward ventral mast. This Defiant served with No 515 Squadron and No 1692 Radar Development Flight before being scrapped in June 1948

A Defiant gunner of No 264 Squadron prepares to enter his turret – no easy task when wearing his parachute and protective clothing!

55 Defiant I N1550 was converted to the prototype Mk II and first flew on June 20, 1940, ignominiously taxying into N1639 a week later. Following repair, it was fitted with this large tropical air cooler and went to the Armament & Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) Boscombe Down for trials.

Later converted to a TT.III, it went to the RN and is believed to have been struck off charge in January 1947

In night-fighter black, Defiant I T4037/JT-T belonged to No 256 Squadron which had re-formed at Catterick in November 1940. The fairings between cockpit and turret, and between turret and fin are retracted to allow a wide field of fire. Subsequently serving with No 287 Squadron at Croydon, an anti-aircraft co-operation unit, it was struck off charge on December 21, 1944

The gunner is seen here doing his pre-flight checks, prior to entering the turret

56

Main Image: the Defiant production line at the Boulton Paul factory, Wolverhampton, February 1942. The lead aircraft already has its Rolls-Royce Merlin engine installed and main undercarriage fitted Left: one of the turrets prior to fitting to the aircraft

BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT

57

58

Bristol Beaufighter The bristol beaufighter was a private venture development of the Beaufort torpedo-bomber using the latter’s wings, tail and undercarriage mated to a new fuselage and more powerful engines. Designed as a long-range escort fighter, it first served as a night-fighter with considerable success and later excelled in the anti-shipping role equipped with torpedoes and rockets in addition to its four 20mm cannon and six machine-guns. The prototype, R2052, flew on July 12, 1939 and full production followed, early examples reaching Nos 25 and 604 Squadrons at North Weald and Middle Wallop respectively, with others following including long-range coastal patrol fighters for Coastal Command. Tropicalised Beaufighters operated in the Mediterranean and Middle East theatres, and when production ended in September 1945 a total of 5,564 had been built in England and 364 in Australia. In wartime, 46 squadrons used the type, post-war it continued in service with several units, its final use being as a target-tug in Singapore where the last flight was operated by TT.X RD761 on May 12, 1960.

Above: The Beaufighter’s cockpit was larger than that of single-seat fighters, but still compact Below: The navigator’s position had a few basic instruments – this view faces towards the rear

BLANK

Bristol Beaufighter

Beaufighter 1F X7543 was not delivered to the RAF but remained with Bristol for development flying until April 1944 when it became instructional airframe 4755M

was not

ntil April

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER ENGINES: Two 1,600 hp Bristol Hercules (Mk VI) WING SPAN: 57ft 10in LENGTH: 41ft 8in HEIGHT: 15ft 10in LOADED WEIGHT: 21,600 lb MAX SPEED: 333 mph

KEY A. Fixing points for nose unit to centre plane B. Fixing point for centre unit to fuselage C. Seat-raising gear D. Rudder pedals E. Reinforcing longerons for centre plane attachment F. Warm air for cannon heating G. Wells for entry and emergency exit

H. Fuel jettison pipes under wing K. Operating ram for undercarriage L. Exhaust manifold (air from inlet in oil cooler is heated in manifold) M. Engine mounting ring N. Tip-up floor acts as entrance ladder and emergency exit chute P. Jack(s) operating N R. Longeron

BLANK

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER

63

Early production of Beaufighters reveals the aircraft’s size in comparison to Bristol’s factory workers. In the foreground are four radar scanners awaiting installation

Preparations for the installation of the Hercules engines

64 A Beaufighter TF.X at the moment of landing – note flaps and the puff of smoke from the port undercarriage wheel and the dihedral tailplane added to later production aircraft

Production Beaufighter II T3177 was fitted with 1,720hp Rolls-Royce Griffon IIB engines for trials but nothing came of these and it became 4539M on February 13, 1944

Beaufighter IIF T3019 at Filton in 1940 fitted with AI Mk IV radar. It served with No 307 Squadron at Exeter for a time but was written-off in a crash-landing in Berwickshire on June 11, 1942

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER

65

A peaceful scene among the olive trees in Cassibile, Sicily, 1943 with a Beaufighter VIF of No 600 Squadron receiving attention. The engines and area behind the cockpit are covered to resist the sun.

A typical Bristol Hercules 14-cylinder air-cooled engine KEY TO LETTERING A B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R S

Exhaust manifold tripod Airscrew governor unit Piston assembly Cylinder sleeve Redn. gear bevel pinions Sleeve drive mechanism Master connecting rod Crankshaft Articulated rod Front cover scavenge pump Oil sump Supercharger impeller Supercharger outlet Two speed supercharger unit Engine mounting ring Induction pipes Controllable gills and support rings

T U V W X Y Z

Carburettor Magneto (port) Oil dilution valve Electric starter Oil pump unit R.P.M. indicator generator Main electrical junction box

Reproduced with kind permission from Flight Global

66 Loading a torpedo on to a Beaufighter. The Monoplane Air Tail (MAT) attachment was designed to stabilise it on release

A posed June 1943 photograph of a crew waiting for orders on their torpedo-equipped Beaufighter, this time without the MAT tail

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER Ground crew loading 20mm cannon shells in ammunition boxes

Loading one of eight 60lb rockets, carried on rails beneath each wing

67

68

Unleashing eight 60lb rockets in a demonstration over The Wash is Beaufighter TF.X NE543 of 455 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force based at Langham, Norfolk

Bristol’s Wings for Victory Week in April 1943 was celebrated with Beaufighter VIF JL581 which had served with No 235 Squadron at Leuchars. It was lost after an engine failure on take-off and crashed near Gifford, East Lothian on May 5, 1944 while with No 131 Operational Training Unit

BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER

69

In its role as a target-tug, Beaufighter TT.X RD761 ended the type’s RAF service on May 12, 1960 with a flight over Singapore from its base at Seletar, and was finally struck off charge eight days later

70

De Havilland Mosquito

The pilot signing off a Mosquito FB.VI for the ground crew

THE DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO, prototype flew on November 25, 1940 as mentioned in our British Bombers of World War 2 which described the bomber versions of this all-wooden aircraft. Here we cover the night fighter and fighter-bomber versions. The first night fighter prototype, W4076, flew on May 15, 1941, and the NF.II with AI Mk IV radar entered service with No 23 Squadron Ford in May 1942 and No 157 Squadron, Castle Camps in August 1942. Most widely used in the fighter-bomber role was the FB.VI, of which 2,718 were built by de Havilland, Standard Motors and Airspeed. It had four nose-mounted machine guns and four 20mm Hispano cannon, while later deliveries carried eight 60lb rockets mounted on rails beneath the wings. They equipped a large number of Fighter and Coastal Command squadrons in the UK and overseas, and total Mosquito production of all marks reached 7,781, including those built in Canada and Australia.

View from the cockpit during a formation. The relector gun sight (in centre) was used to line up with the target

De Havilland mosquito

71

Mosquito FB.VI HR405 of No 143 Squadron displays its underwing 25lb rockets and nose armament. The squadron’s operational area was the Norwegian coast with strikes against shipping for which 25lb rockets were found more effective than the heavier 60lb version

Emblazoned with “invasion stripes”, FB.VI NT225’s nose armament was reduced to two .303 machine-guns used for sighting the Molins six-pounder 57mm cannon visible beneath the nose. Two 100 gallon drop-tanks were necessary for long-range anti-shipping patrols

72 Housing for navigation light

Structural details The colour key (far right) shows the different materials used in production of the aircraft. Metal structures are shown in shades of blue, of which there were very few. The unladen weight of this FB.VI was 14,344lb. Key to the low weight and greater speed of the aircraft was that so much was made from wood, including the very lightweight balsa.

Propeller spinner

One-piece stressed-skin wing built around box-spar structure Bulkhead formers

Trailing-edge flaps

Muzzles of four 0.303in Browning machine-guns

Flap jack and crank

Laminated plywood and balsa fuselage built in two halves

Main ribs Aileron trim tab

Engine bearers

Aileron Undercarriage retracts into rear of engine nacelle

Undercarraige compression legs

The Mosquito prototype W4050 was soon painted in a camouflage scheme and fitted with Merlin 61 engines, seen here in September 1942

Nose ribs Wing stringers

Housing for navigation light

De Havilland mosquito

73

An airbrush illustration by Frank Munger of the D.H.98 Mosquito prototype W4050, preserved at the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre, Salisbury Hall, Hertfordshire

Hornbalanced rudder Tailcone Elevator

Elevator mass balance

The D.H.production line at Leavesden showing part of a batch of 299 Mk FB.XVIIs delivered between June and September 1943

74

Production of fighter-bomber versions, showing the stages from nine to one on the white boards along the assembly hall walls. Insets above: wing manufacture and the cockpit. The flat windscreens distinguish these from the bomber and PR versions

De Havilland mosquito

75

76

Servicing the armament of a Mosquito FB.VI showing the ease of access

De Havilland mosquito

Mosquito F.IIs of No 264 Squadron at Predannack in April1943. Formerly at Colerne, it had re-equipped from Defiants in 1942, and began to receive Mosquito FB.VIs in August 1943

77

78

Above: the cockpit of a Mosquito fighter-bomber, note the open access door on the starboard side Factory mechanics work on installing the port Merlin engine

BLANK

de Havilland

nd Mosquito

DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO F.II ENGINE: Two 1,460 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 21 WING SPAN: 54ft 2in LENGTH: 40ft 6in HEIGHT: 12ft 6in LOADED WEIGHT: 22,300 lb MAX SPEED: 380 mph

Westland Whirlwin KEY 1. Position light 2. Starboard navigation light 3. Starboard leading edge slat, normally deactivated in service 4. Starboard outer wing panel 5. Aluminium skinned starboard aileron 6. Aileron tab 7. Aileron hinge control linkage 8. Retractable landing Iight 9. Leading edge fuel tank, capacity 109 lit (24 Imp gal) 10. Main fuel tank, capacity 195 lit (43 Imp gal) 11. Starboard Fowler-type flap, down position

12. Fuel filler 13. Starboard radiator bay 14. Engine bearer attachment fitting 15. CooIant header tank 16. Exhaust collector 17. Exhaust manifold 18. Starboard spinner 19. De Havilland DH4/4 constant-speed three-bladed propeller 20. Starboard mainwheel 21. Cannon muzzles 22. Cannon barrel mountings 23. Recoil springs 24. Compressed air bottle, cannon charging 25. One·piece detachable nose cowling 26. Cannon mounting support structure 27. Ventral gun camera, starboard side 28. Cartridge case collector 29. Ammunition drum protective armour plate 30. Ammunition drums, 60 rounds per gun 31. British Hispano Mk 1 20mm cannon 32. Cannon bay rear bulkhead 33. Rudder pedals 34. Windscreen de-icing fluid tank 35. Electrical connectors 36. Aerial mast 37. Bullet proof windscreen 38. Rear view mirror 39. Starboard side direct vision panel 40. Reflector sight

41. Control column handgrip 42. Engine throttle levers 43. Propeller control levers 44. Rudder trim controller 45. Elevator trim handwheel 46. Armoured seat mounting bulkhead 47. Pilot’s adjustable seat 48. Camera control box 49. Radio remote controller 50. Seat safety harness 51. Rearward-sliding cockpit canopy 52. Upper Identification light 53. Roll-over crash pylon 54. Battery stowage 55. Rear fuselage joint frame 56. Radio transmitter / receiver TR1133A 57. Aerial lead·in 58. Tailcone frames 59. Magnesium tailcone skinning

60. Sloping fin spar bulkhead 61. Elevator push-pull control rod 62. Two·spar fin structure 63. Tailplane attachment joint 64. Rear aerial attachment panel, perspex 65. Fin/tailplane ‘bullet’ fairing, wood 66. HF aerial cable 67. Starboard tailplane 68. Aluminium-skinned starboard elevator 69. Pitot head

70. Fixed upper fin segment 71. Upper rudder segment and horn balance 72. Fin/tailplane aft fairing 73. Tail navigation light 74. Elevator trim tab 75. Port elevator rib construction 76. Two·spar, continuous tip-to-tip tailplane structure 77. Rudder trim tab 78. Hollow section rudder 79. Rudder rib construction 80. Tailwheel doors 81. Aft retracting tailwheel 82. Tailwheel hydraulic jack point 83. Tailplane trim control cables 84. Large diameter elevator ‘push-pull’ control 85. Large diameter rudder ‘push-pull’ control 86. Radio mounting shell, access door on starboard side 87. Oxygen bottle

WESTLAND WHIRL

ENGINES: Two 885 hp Ro WING SPAN: 45ft 0in LENGTH: 32ft 9in HEIGHT: 11ft 7in LOADED WEIGHT: 19,356 MAX SPEED: 360 mph

wind

AND WHIRLWIND

Two 885 hp Rolls-Royce Peregrine N: 45ft 0in

WEIGHT: 19,356 lb D: 360 mph

88. Flare chute 89. Pull·out boarding steps 90. Port radiator shutter, open 91. Twin boom rear spar with aerodynamic V-strut radiator air ductlng 92. Coolant radiators 93. Oil radiator 94. Oil / filler 95. Port engine oil tank, capacity 22.7 lit ( 5 Imp gal) 96. Nacelle tail fairing 97. Flap shroud ribs 98. Flap rib construction 99. Port Fowler-type fIap segment, down position 100. Outboard flap guide rail

101. Port aileron tab 102. Aileron rib construction 103. Aileron aerodynamic seal and balance 104. Wing tip fairing 105. Position light

106. Port navigation light 107. Leading edge slat, open position, sIat normally de·activated 108. Slat rib construction 109. Outer wing panel rib construction 110. Port aileron hinge control link 111. Retractable landing light 112. Slat guide rail 113. 250lb HE bomb 114. 5O0lb HE bomb 115. Ventral universal bomb carrier 116. Outer wing panel spar joint 117. Port leading edge fuel tank 116. Port main fuel tank 119. Fuel filler cap 120. Main undercarriage hydraulic retraction jack 121. Nacelle frame construction 122. Carburettor air intake duct 123. Coolant header tank 124. Engine bay sloping bulkhead 125. Main undercarriage retractor/ breaker struts 126. Port main wheel 127. Shock absorber undercarriage leg struts 126. Engine supercharger section 129. Engine priming panel 130.Engine bearer struts 131. Detachable cowling panels 132. Forward engine mounting 133. Exhaust manifold cooling air intake 134. Propeller hub pitch change mechanism 135. Port propeller spinner 136. Port de Havilland constant-speed propeller 137. Rolls·Royce Peregrine I, V-12 engine 138. Engine-driven Koltman generator 139. Radiator air intake 140. Inboard leading-edge slat linked to flap operation 141. Machined main spar booms with aerodynamic V-strut bracing 142. Lower identification light

BLANK

WESTLAND WHIRLWIND

83

Westland Whirlwind The westland whirlwind was the RAF’s first single-seat twin-engine fighter, and two prototypes, L6844 and L6845 were ordered, the first flying, on October 11, 1938. Although 340 had been ordered, production was limited to 114, first deliveries for brief trials at Martlesham Heath and Northolt being undertaken by P6966 and P6967 in June 1940. The Whirlwind was the only user of the RollsRoyce Peregrine engine which was to prove troublesome, but in early tests the Whirlwind was faster than the Spitfire below 10,000ft, had an excellent field of view and a heavy armament of four 20mm Hispano cannon. Although originally intended as a day and night fighter, the latter role had been adopted by the radar-equipped Blenheim

1F which required a two-man crew so the Whirlwind was confined to daylight operations. The first began in December 1940 with No 263 Squadron, Exeter, while offensive sweeps followed in June 1941, while the only other Whirlwind squadron, No 137, was formed in September 1941 at Charmy Down. Shortly after, modifications were made to adopt the fighterbomber role, with underwing provision for two 250lb or 500lb bombs and in this role the aircraft was very successful in offensive sweeps across the Channel. In June 1943, No 137 Squadron re-equipped with Hurricane IVs, No 263 Squadron following with Typhoons in December that year.

84

Armourers loading the 20mm cannon ammunition boxes, an easy job with the removable nose cover

WESTLAND WHIRLWIND A Whirlwind of No 137 Squadron about to receive its bomb load, with delivery made easier by the use of an industrial Standard Fordson Tractor

85

86

Although initially delivered to No 137 Squadron, Whirlwind P7062 later went to No 263 in whose marks it is seen. It was lost during a practice attack when it hit trees and spun into the ground near Wroughton on February 19, 1943

P6967 was the second of two pre-production aircraft and had small intakes above the engines not fitted on succeeding aircraft

The Whirlwind prototype L6844 flew in October 1938. During its life it was flown by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE), the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) and the Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) before becoming maintenance airframe 3063M in March 1941

WESTLAND WHIRLWIND

Left: eight Whirlwinds in a neat formation and, main image, P7110, the 102nd Whirlwind built, seen prior to delivery to No 263 Squadron which unfortunately lost it when an engine cut on approach to Warmwell on July 13, 1943

87

88

Gloster Meteor The gloster meteor stemmed from eight aircraft designated Gloster Whittle F.9/40 ordered in February 1941. The first, DG202/G, began taxy trials in July 1942, but delays in production of the original engine led to the first flight being made by the fifth aircraft, DG206/G, with de Havilland engines on March 5, 1943, by which time the name Meteor had been adopted. Twenty Meteor F.Is were ordered, first deliveries on July 12, 1944 being to No 616 Squadron, Culmhead, which soon moved to Manston to combat the V1 flying-bombs. One flight later moved to Belgium, making their first operational sortie on April 17, 1945, being used in the ground attack role. Their aircraft were given an overall white wash to avoid confusion with Messerschmitt Me 262s, but there were no jet-on-jet encounters. Total production of Meteor F.Is reached 210, some 30 being used on development work such as ejector-seat trials. Meteor F.Is and IIIs served with 17 squadrons, continuing into the post-war period but were soon replaced by Mk 4s featuring more powerful engines and other improvements.

Meteor F.IIIs of No 257 Squadron, Horsham-St-Faith being pushed out of the hangar for the day’s flying. The squadron began to re-equip from Typhoons in September 1946, and EE253/A6-E had previously served with 616 Squadron, subsequently returning to that unit. It was scrapped in 1956

GLOSTER METEOR

A neat line-up of Meteor F.IIIs of No 74 Squadron, Colerne in September 1945 when it formed the RAF’s first jet fighter wing with Nos 616 and 504 Squadrons.

For those who like details, those identifiable are EE346/4D-Z, EE306/4D-N, EE343/4D-X, EE333/4D-R and EE340/4D-T. The nearest, EE346, crashed near Chippenham on July 19, 1946, EE306 became 6966M, EE343 was lost in the North Sea in November 1946, EE333 crash-landed at Lubeck on July 8, 1947 and EE340, the longest-lived of these, was scrapped in June 1956

89

90

Meteor F.IIIs of No 245 Squadron, Colerne, one of the early squadrons to receive jets, converting from Typhoons in 1945. It continued to operate this mark until beginning to re-equip with Meteor F.8s in August 1950

The Meteor F.III had a clear instrument panel with easy-toread instruments

The port side cannon installation in an early Meteor, identified by the original type canopy

Note the undercarriage locks on the left and gunsight at top centre. The jettison hood lever is very obvious at the right of the main panel

GLOSTER METEOR

91

This unusual overwash white scheme on F.III EE240 was used by a flight from No 616 Squadron transferred to operate on the Continent with No 84 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force and based at Nijmegen. The colour scheme was designed to inform trigger-happy Allied gunners that the Meteors were not Me 262s. This Meteor had a short life, becoming instructional airframe 5782M in January 1946

Rolls-Royce RB 37 Derwent 1 Turbo-jet FUEL: fuel passes through: 1 Filter, to 2 pump, then branches between 3 throttle valve, 4 accumulator, and 5A pipe, to 5 barostat. 6 Fuel governor on pump. 7 Fuel manifold. 8 Fuel nozzle. 9 Igniter plug. 10 Shut-off cock. LUBRICATION: oil passes from: 11 Oil tank, through oil pump 12 and interior channels, to 13 external piping (to centre and rear bearings). Returns via oil pump to oil filter, thence

13A Up oil pipe to cooler and returns to oil tank (11) 14 Oil tank breather pipes (one each for normal and inverted flying) COMBUSTION: Air flows past: 15A Front air intake guide vane, 15B and rear air intake guide vane, 16 through impeller and

17 diffuser to 18 air connecting pipes, which have 19 leads to the cabin pressurising system. Air passes into air casings and flame tubes, all connected by 20 balance pipes. 21 Air enters the combustion chamber, 22 past swirl vanes. At discharge nozzle it passes the 23 nozzle guide vanes, and passing the 24 labyrinth seal, it operates the 25 turbine blades, passing the 26 inner (exhaust cone) and into 27 the jet pipe.

COOLING SYSTEM: Air enters through: 28 Inlet pipes, past 29 air guide vane, into 30 fan, through 31 diffuser, and through 32 centre bearing housing into 33 rear bearing housing past 34 helical webs (giving differential cooling) 35 against turbine disc, through 36 deflector and past labyrinth seal (24) 37 to collecting ring and then into 38 cooling air manifold.

IMPORTANT MECHANICAL COMPONENTS 40 Engine bearer (two) transmits thrust. 41. Wheel cage. 42 Front bearing plate. 43 Wheel cage pinion. 44 Front bearing. 45 Front shaft and 47 rear shaft. 46 Centre (split) bearing. 48 Rear bearing. 49. Nozzle guide vane sockets. 50 Exhaust cone locating bolts. 51 Locating bolt fairings.

92

GLOSTER METEOR

Gloster Meteor IV

KEY 1. Cold air to cabin 2. Camera opening 3. Camera access door 4. Retractable nose wheel 5. Tension shock absorber 6. Pad hits link 7 to raise door 8 on retraction 9. Jack 10. Armoured bulkhead 11. Rubber-cushioned ‘staples’ for snap catch in fuselage nose 12. De-icing spray pipe 13. Cabin pressure and heating pipe 14. Three glass wedges locked by drawboard 14. No frame. Clear view windscreen 15. Throttle and air brake controls 16. Lamp 17. Fuel balance winch 18. Elevator trim 19. Seat-raising lever 20. Elevator control runs 21. Hydraulic hand pump 22. Aileron control runs 23. Nose-wheel housing 24. Sliding rudder-pedals 25. Two 20mm cannons each side 26. Longeron 27. Front fuselage cut to reveal main fore-andaft web 28 cut away to reveal front spar bulkhead 29 30. Hydraulic fluid reservoir 31. Magazine bay door with full release 32. Bullet-proof glass rear-view windows 33. Pilot’s bulkhead (armoured on back) 34. Dryer crystals in container (drys the air between glass layers of cellular tops)

35. Screw-down clamp for top cover 36. Fuel pipes to engines 37. Vent pipes 38. Rear tank door 39. Rear spar centre fuselage 40. Inter-coupler cables (air brake to air brake) 41. Tank bearers 42. Cabin pressure supply pipe 43. Pneumatic system air containers (2)

44. Manhole door and downward identification lamp 45. Rear fuselage longerons 46. Rudder controls 47. Rudder trim controls 48. Elevator trim controls 49. Tailplane spar fix 50. Rear fairing 51. Rudder mass balance 52. Centre section nosing locating pegs 53. Undercarriage operating jack 54. Undercarriage side stay 56. Engine mounting frame (top part detachable) 57. Air brake hydraulic jack, spring loaded 58. Rear spar opens out 59. Rear engine mounting stabiliser 60. Outer plane root rib 61. Fire extinguisher ring from extinguisher 62

93 A pre-prototype cutway drawing dating from early in 1942

63. Auxiliary gearbox drives vacuum pump and Dowty live-line pump (starboard) vacuum pump and generator (port) 64. Undercarriage door linkage 65. Internal leading edges shroud auxiliary gearboxes 66. Propelling nozzle 67. Automatic servo tabs tailerons 68. Aileron tab operating mechanism 69. Aileron mass balance 70. Aileron master hinge 71. Outer-wing fix A. Fuselage fixings

GLOSTER METEOR IV ENGINES: Two 3,500 lb Rolls-Royce Derwent WING SPAN: 43ft 0in LENGTH: 41ft 4in HEIGHT: 13ft 0in LOADED WEIGHT: 15,545 lb MAX SPEED: 585 mph

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Waiting in the wings

World War Two, but which, for various reasons explained here, did not achieve quantity This final section illustrates a selection of production or reach the RAF for active service aircraft which were under development during during the war.

Boulton Paul P.92/2 Two 130hp D.H. Gipsy Major II engines

design which would permit quick build at dispersed sites. Boulton Paul tendered against Armstrong Whitworth, Bristol, Hawker, Short and Supermarine, winning an order for three prototypes, two with Rolls-Royce Vulture engines and one with Napier Sabres. Work began on the first two in mid-1937, but to

boulton paul was building the Defiant prototype in 1936 with its turret containing four 0.303 machineguns when Specification F.18/36 was issued for a twin-engine three-seat fighter with a four-cannon turret to deal with the all-metal bombers being built. The Air Ministry subsequently amended the requirement to Specification F.11/37 and invited tenders which stipulated an excellent view, a speed of 370mph at 35,000ft, ability to maintain height on one engine and a

Hawker Tornado

One 1,760hp Rolls-Royce Vulture II engine developed alongside the Typhoon, the Tornado was Vulturepowered but had a similar airframe to the Typhoon, and the prototype, P5219, flew on October 6, 1939, a second, P5224,

WING SPAN 41ft 11in

LENGTH 32ft 10in

examine dynamics a half-scale wooden flying model (the P.92/2) with130hp engines was built by Heston Aircraft,

but in May 1940 the P.92 was cancelled. Nevertheless, Boulton Paul decided to complete the

WING SPAN: 33ft 1in LENGTH: 27ft 6in HEIGHT: 7ft 7in LOADED WEIGHT: 2,778 lb MAX SPEED: 152 mph

P.92/2, V3142, which flew at Heston in Spring 1941 but after testing the aircraft was broken up.

following in December 1940. An order for 200, to be built by Avro, was placed and the first, R7936, flew in August 1941, later being used as a test-bed for various propellers. Continuing problems with the Vulture and Rolls-Royce’s heavy involvement with Merlin production led to the cancellation of the Avro contract but one more Tornado, HG641, was assembled by Hawker at Langley with a Bristol Centaurus radial engine and flew on October 23, 1941. Although no orders followed it proved to be a useful introduction for the engine later used in the Tempest II.

HEIGHT 14ft 8in LOADED WEIGHT 10,668 lb

MAX SPEED 398 mph

waiting in the wings

Westland Welkin

Two 1,530hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engines originally designed to Specification F.4/40, later amended to F.7/41, for a two-seat high-altitude fighter, the Welkin prototype DG558/G flew on November 1, 1942, with the second, DG562/G, following in March 1943. Despite problems with the engines causing forced-landings, an order was placed for 100, with a further 100 to follow. During tests at the Armament and Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down (A&AEE), there WING SPAN 70ft 0in LOADED WEIGHT 19,775 lb

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were a number of accidents including engine problems and propeller failures, but with the expected German high-altitude bomber threat failing to materialise the need for the Welkin disappeared. Although 75 production aircraft plus 25 airframes were built none were delivered to the RAF and were stored for eventual breaking-up, but a few Welkin Is were removed from store and trialled by Service units. The requirement for a two-seat night-fighter lead to DX386 being taken out of store and converted to the Welkin NF.II PF370 which flew

on October 23, 1944, but it had a poor performance and no more were built.

LENGTH 41ft 6in HEIGHT 15ft 3in MAX SPEED 387 mph

Gloster F.9/37

Two 1,000hp Bristol Taurus engines FAILING to attract much attention in spite of its performance, Gloster’s twin-engine fighter to Specification F.9/37 drew on an earlier Folland design which had been dropped when the Defiant was ordered. The new aircraft was a single-seater of metal stressed-skin construction with fabric-covered control surfaces

and the prototype, L7999 with Taurus engines, flew on April 3, 1939 with two 20mm cannon in the nose, although six had been specified. Favourable comments had been made at the A&AEE where it had reached 360mph, the highest speed reached by a British military aircraft, but following an accident it was re-engined with 900hp Taurus engines, reducing its speed by 28mph. The second prototype, L8002, flew on February 22, 1940 with two 885hp Rolls-Royce Peregrine engines (as used in the Whirlwind), but production orders were placed for the Beaufighter.

WING SPAN 50ft 0in HEIGHT 11ft 7in MAX SPEED 360 mph

LENGTH 37ft 0in LOADED WEIGHT 11,615 lb

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Supermarine Spiteful One 2,350hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 69 engine

built and undertook trials but by then the Navy was committed to its first jet, the Supermarine Attacker which, ironically, used a version of the Spiteful and Seafang’s laminar flow wing!

IN AN effort to increase speeds at which an aircraft could be flown, a series of high-speed aerofoil sections were needed, and Supermarine in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory designed a new laminar flow wing for an aircraft designed to Specification F.1/43 which emerged as the Spiteful, and 21 were ordered. The prototype, NN660, was a Spitfire XIV fitted with a laminar flow wing and flew on June 30, 1944, but was lost two weeks later, while the second, NN664, flew on June 30, 1944 but exhibited handling and stability problems. Delays in incorporating modifications to production aircraft and the approach of jets led to production being cut to 17, and the first production Spiteful was RB515, flown in April 1945. The single Mk XVI, RB518, achieved a speed of 494mph, but no Spitefuls entered RAF service although 16 of a naval version, the Seafang, were

Vickers 432

Two 1,565hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 61 engines intended to meet Specification F.7/41 for a high-altitude fighter, the Vickers 432’s design was helped by the company’s experience with the high-altitude Wellington V which incorporated a pressure

WING SPAN 56ft 10in LOADED WEIGHT 20,168 lb

LENGTH 40ft 7in MAX SPEED 435 mph

WING SPAN 35ft 0in LENGTH 32ft 11in HEIGHT 13ft 5in LOADED WEIGHT 9,950 lb MAX SPEED 483 mph cabin. The 432 was to have six 20mm Hispano cannon mounted in a large ventral fairing, but these were not fitted in the only prototype, DZ217, which flew at Farnborough on December 24, 1942. Handling problems and failure of satisfactory engine operation above 23,000ft resulted in cancellation of the programme at the end of 1943, by which time threats of German high-altitude bombing had gone.

HEIGHT 13ft 9in

waiting in the wings

Martin Baker M.B.5

One 2,340hp Rolls-Royce Griffon 85 engine the martin-baker company had flown its M.B.3 fighter built to Specification F.18/39 in 1942 but had lost it in a take-off crash in September that year. Undeterred, the company built a much improved version, the M.B.5, to the same specification but with a much larger engine driving contra-rotating propellers (originally

de Havilland, later Rotol). The first flight of the only M.B.5, R2496, was at Harwell on May 23, 1944 and it was soon obvious that it was an outstanding design with excellent performance and ease of accessibility to the cockpit with its sliding one-piece canopy’. Plans in 1945 to attack the world’s speed record with the engine de-rated to 2,480hp recorded a speed of 484mph on a course near Gloucester. Unfortunately this came to nothing, for the day of the jet had arrived and so no production orders were received.

WING SPAN 35ft 0in HEIGHT 15ft 0in MAX SPEED 460 mph

Miles M.20/2

One 1,260hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engine with production of the Hurricane and Spitfire going ahead in 1938, there were fears that rates could not be stepped up in time to fully equip the RAF if a European war materialised. The Miles company, builders of a range of light aircraft and the RAF’s first monoplane trainer, the Master 1, submitted the design of a WING SPAN 34ft 7in LOADED WEIGHT 8,000 lb

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LENGTH 37ft 9in LOADED WEIGHT 11,500 lb

wooden fighter with a fixed, spatted undercarriage, originally to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Peregrine engine, but as these were in demand for the Whirlwind it was re-designed to be Merlinpowered as the M.20/2 whose thick wings carried eight 0.303 Browning machine-guns and had space for a further four. The clear view cockpit canopy provided the best view of any fighter and the prototype, AX834, flew on September 15, 1940, only 65 days after design had begun. A speed of 333 mph was slightly better than the Hurricane but no orders were placed for this or a proposed naval version.

LENGTH 30ft 8in HEIGHT 12ft 6in MAX SPEED 333 mph

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Survivors

WE illustrate here a selection of surviving British World War Two fighters, additional to the Hurricane and Spitfire shown on page three.

The prototype Gloster F.9/40 DG202/G which became the Meteor fortunately survived the war and disappeared for several years before its historic value was realised. Repainted without the G suffix, it became a gate guardian at RAF Yatesbury Camp where it is shown in June 1958. Rescued and restored again it is now safely housed in the RAF Museum, Cosford in its original colours as DG202/G

The Shuttleworth Collection’s Gloster Gladiator G-AMRK/L8032 has appeared in a number of silver colour schemes. Here at Old Warden in September 1991 in camouflage, it represents N2308 of No 263 Squadron which operated the type from October 1939 to June 1940. Several other restored Gladiators are now in the UK

Bristol Beaufighter TF.X RD867 in No 600 Squadron colours at the Queen’s Review of the RAF at Abingdon in June 1968. Now with the Canadian Aviation & Space Museum at Rockcliffe, Ottawa it was exchanged for a Bristol Bolingbroke which became the RAF Museum’s Blenheim IV ‘L8756’

The only surviving Hawker Typhoon, MN235 at the RAF Museum, Hendon, was formerly with the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, with whom it was exchanged for Hurricane LF686. A spinner could not be found, this one was from a Hastings!

Another rarity is Hawker Tempest NV778, illustrated on page 44 awaiting completion, and now in the RAF Museum’s Milestones of Flight Hall, Hendon restored to its final colours as a target-tug, something of a come down for a first-line fighter!

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