The Halifax was a British Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. In 1945 a war weary country set about dismantling the vast amount of war machinery. This aircraft was re-constructed from a fuselage section of Halifax B.Mk.II HR792 and parts from other aircraft including the wings from an RAF Hastings. 433 Squadron and No. This necessitated the removal of all armament and making provision for freight, nine stretchers, or eight passengers. Halifaxes dropped more than a quarter of all bombs on Germany by the RAF. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester . Invasion stripes look good! The first flight of the second prototype, L7245 (complete with full armament and equipment), was made by Cordes from Radlett on 17 August 1940. In September 1941, a production Halifax Mk.I participated in an official naming ceremony of the type, officiated by Lord Halifax and Lady Halifax. It was salvaged from the Norwegian lake Mjsa and fully restored by 2005. In service with RAF Bomber Command, Halifaxes flew 82,773 operations and dropped 224,207 tons of bombs. 8 Group. 1,833 aircraft were lost. The Halifax was heavily used to deploy mines in the vicinity of enemy-held ports. This is my latest large scale vacform project - a 1/32nd scale Handley-Page Halifax from ID (tigger) Models. Halifax IIs were built by English Electric and Handley Page; 200 and 100 aircraft respectively. [4], Each engine drove a Rotol-built compressed wood constant-speed propeller, enabling the Halifax B.I to attain a maximum speed of 265mph at 17,500feet. The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry's Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium . The flight engineer filled in as a co-pilot, seated on a folding seat to the right of the pilot, during crucial manoeuvres such as take-off. The Yorkshire Air Museum, on the site of the Second World War airfield, RAF Elvington, has a fully restored aircraft re-constructed from a fuselage section of Halifax B.Mk.II HR792 and parts from other aircraft including the wings from an RAF Hastings. 644 Squadron RAF, then based at RAF Tarrant Rushton, is a transport/special duties version, and was retrieved from the bottom of Lake Mjsa in Norway in 1995 after being shot down in April 1945. 466 Squadron. The Merlins drove constant speed wooden-bladed Rotol propellers. Apart from the engines this was very similar to the eventual Halifax. You cannot absorb that much madness and not be influenced by it. The Germans captured the Norwegian survivors; they were executed, even though they . While four-engined bombers were considered for specification B.12/36 for a heavy bomber, wings mounting two engines were still in the experimental stage requiring testing at the RAE and the resulting increase in overall weight of stronger wing meant further strengthening of the whole aircraft structure. Handley Page produced the HP56 design to meet Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a twin-engine medium bomber for "world-wide use". 4 Group had been entirely equipped with the Halifax, and would continue to operate the aircraft until the end of the war. Handley Page Hampden Mk. Handley Page realised that the Vulture was going to be problematic so changed their design very early on to take four Merlins. [33] Other common targets were enemy communications and the launch sites for V-1 flying bombs. 1,833 aircraft were lost.[40][41]. As it was incompatible with the Messier equipment, this led to these Halifax bombers being given new designations: a Mark II built with Dowty gear was the Mark V.[16] The use of castings rather than forgings in the Dowty undercarriage had resulted in an increased production rate but had also led to a reduced landing weight of 40,000lb (18,000kg). These were followed by 25 of the Mk I Series II with increased gross weight (from 58,000lb/26,310kg to 60,000lb/27,220kg) but with maximum landing weight unchanged at 50,000lb (23,000kg). As mentioned, the charitable society is international in its scope and carries a mandate to save Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers. The Handley Page Halifax was one of the four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Halifaxes were assembled from sub-assemblies. [10] The resulting Halifax Group was established to oversee the manufacturing programme, comprising English Electric (who had previously been a valued contributor in the production of the Handley Page Hampden), various firms within the London Aircraft Production Group, Fairey Aviation, and Rootes Motors. 35 Squadron RAF. The two-gun dorsal turret was replaced by a four-gun Boulton Paul turret. There are 2 fully restored Halifax bomber version in the world. Various improved versions of the Halifax were introduced, incorporating more powerful engines, a revised defensive turret layout and increased payload. Owing to a shortage of Messier-built landing gear and hydraulics, Dowty landing gear was used. It went into voluntary liquidation and ceased to exist in 1970. The first production standard Halifax, the Mk.I, had a 22ft (6.7m) long bomb bay as well as six bomb cells in the wings, providing a bomb capacity of 13,000lb (5,900kg). Between us we will make a job of it. [10], While the early-built models of the Halifax were heavily used by Bomber Command and made valuable contributions to operations, the aircraft's performance was considered unsatisfactory for the most part, mainly due to the underpowered Merlin engine, which meant that it could not fly at the higher altitudes needed to avoid enemy fighters, which were becoming increasingly effective throughout 1943. Between us we will make a job of it.". 100 Group and to conduct special operations, such as parachuting agents and arms into occupied Europe, for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). One (LV907 Friday the 13th) has been partly built from scratch, but using parts of many aircraft, and has been placed on display at the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington. This aircraft was used to convey turkeys between Sydney and The Philippines, as well as carrying freight to the United Kingdom. In 1948, the air freight market was in decline but 41 civil aircraft were used in the Berlin Air Lift operating a total of 4,653 sorties carrying freight and 3,509 carrying bulk diesel fuel. On every street, in every town of our nation, are families whose fathers, grandfathers, and uncles flew in bombers. The introduction of the successful P.13/36 candidates was delayed by the necessity of ordering more Armstrong-Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington bombers first. [4], The first prototype was built at Handley Page's facility in Cricklewood, London, It was then dismantled and transported by road to RAF Bicester (the nearest non-operational RAF airfield with suitable facilities) for reassembly. 615-617. RM KJCPC0 - Halifax Bomber 4 ExCC The defensive armaments included power-assisted gun turrets in various positions located across the aircraft. Finally a group of pilots and ground engineers, led by Group Captain Clive Caldwell, purchased it for flights to the Far East, setting up Aircarriers of Australia. The inboard may be in 2 pieces. Due to the success of the company in Australasia, a subsidiary named LAMS (Australia) Ltd was formed. Posted January 26. And a Mk A VII (N337), recovered also from a Norwegian lake in 1995, has been restored for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Memorial Museum at Trenton in Canada. A number were converted for use as freighters, and as passenger transports, initially by the Royal Air Force (RAF), and after the war by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC). Upon its introduction to service during September 1948, the Hastings was the largest transport plane ever designed for the service. The tail gunner occupied a four-gun turret at the extreme aft end of the aircraft. The Victor had been developed as part of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent. The HANDLEY PAGE HP.57 HALIFAX heavy bomber was evolved by design team led by G R Volkert as final stage in process started in 1935 when a prototype of the twin-engined HP.55 had been ordered to Specification B.l/35 but superseded by two prototypes of the HP.56 to P.13/36, each powered by two Vultures. In the summer of 1973, it was recovered from the lake by a team of divers from the RAF and a Norwegian diving club, and was transported to the UK on a British Army Landing craft tank. [10][28] The existence of the Halifax was not officially acknowledged until July 1941, after it was used in a daylight attack on La Pallice, France, against the German battleship Scharnhorst. Data from Bingham, Halifax, Second to None, A teacher by profession and engineer by The Mark V were built by Rootes Group at Speke and Fairey at Stockport and were generally used by Coastal Command and for training. The aircraft was moved to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario where it was unveiled in 2005 after a full restoration. The 'vision is to see several of the Handley . 100 Group RAF and special operations such as parachuting agents and arms into occupied Europe for the Special Operations Executive (SOE). At the time, it was the largest transport plane ever designed for the RAF, and it replaced the Avro York as the standard long-range transport. Friday The 13th "Bringing back the Halifax! In the years to come, as we search out our holy grail of RCAF Halifax LW170 laying in the deep off of Ireland as well as all the other Halifax's we can find, we will not rest for we know the following to be a fact. Users: UK (RAF), Australia, Canada, Free-French, New Zealand. [35] During the final months of the war the improved Halifax Mk VI and Mk VII were introduced. It made a round-the-world flight commencing on 23 April 1947 from Elstree. A total of 6,176 Halifax bombers were built by Handley Page, English Electric, the London Aircraft Production Group, Fairey and Rootes, at times achieving an output of one bomber per hour. Bombing activity became increasingly brazen throughout late 1944 as the Luftwaffe became incapable of putting up effective opposition against allied air forces. [4] The slab-sided fuselage contained a 22-foot bomb bay, which contained the majority of the Halifax's payload, while the cockpit was flush with the upper fuselage. After the war Halifaxes remained in service with Coastal Command and RAF Transport Command, Royal Egyptian Air Force and the Arme de l'Air until early 1952. Mr Wikner made efforts to sell the machine to the RAAF for training purposes, and advertised it for sale generally. NA337 is a Halifax A.Mk.VII Special Duties aircraft built by Rootes Motors, at Liverpool Airport and is now preserved at the National Air Force Museum of Canada at CFB Trenton in Trenton, Ontario, near Kingston, Ontario. Effective marking greatly increased the accuracy and destructive power of Bomber Command. The crew compartment in a Handley Page Halifax consisted of an upper deck to accommodate the Pilot, 2nd Pilot and Fitter II [Flight Engineer] and a lower deck for the Wireless Operator, Observer / Navigator and Air Bomber. By 1947, the majority of Halifax bombers were deemed to be surplus and scrapped. [16] This was answered by the Halifax Mk III, which was powered by Bristol Hercules radial engines in place of the Merlins. The outboards each side is unique. item 4 Modelcraft/Matchbox 1/72 Scale Handley Page Halifax Model Kit - READ DESCRIPTION Modelcraft/Matchbox 1/72 Scale Handley Page Halifax Model Kit - READ DESCRIPTION. [61], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. [10], The bomb aimer's position was in the extreme nose with the navigator's table located behind it, both roles fulfilled by the same crew member. Handley Page built the assemblies and components at Cricklewood and the aircraft were assembled and flown from Radlett Aerodrome; the first production aircraft flew from Radlett on 11 October 1940. The B.VI Halifax's performance improved still further with a cruising speed of 265mph and a maximum speed (in 'Full Speed' supercharger mode) of 309mph at 19,500ft.[18] Halifax crews, though admittedly not unbiased, considered the MkIII Halifax to be the equal of any other bomber, including the Lancaster, and further improved versions (with more powerful Hercules engines) to be superior to all. To speak of one thing is to suppress another.Lisel Mueller (b. Harris continued to have a poor opinion of the Halifax, despite the fact that later Hercules-engined machines had lower loss rates and higher crew survival rates after abandoning the aircraft than Lancasters, and came very close to the Lancaster's speed and altitude performance. However, the Vulture encountered problems in development, and the bomber design was reworked in 1937 to take four Rolls-Royce Merlins. In 1948, 41 civil Halifax freighters were used during the Berlin Air Lift, operating a total of 4,653 sorties carrying freight and 3,509 carrying bulk diesel fuel. It was the third and final V-bomber to be operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two being the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. [29], By the end of 1943, No. ], Halifax 57 Rescue is working to recover two aircraft. But any new facilities were devoted to the Lancaster. Subtle modifications distinguished the Mk I aircraft. In December 2014, a largely intact bomber wreck was discovered in a Norwegian fjord. The Mk.I had a 22ft (6.7m) long bomb bay as well as six bomb cells in the wings, enabling it to carry 13,000lb (5,900kg) of bombs. However, these variants were produced in relatively small quantities. On arrival Wikner sought to make some exhibition flights in the aircraft but approval was denied. Handley Page developed a modern stressed-skin mid-wing monoplane, powered by Bristol Pegasus radial air cooled engines, with its first flight in 1936. [citation needed], Other candidates were submitted for the same specification, including the Avro 679, and designs from Fairey, Boulton Paul and Shorts; all submissions were designed around two-engine configurations, using the Rolls-Royce Vulture, Napier Sabre, Fairey P.24 or Bristol Hercules engines. (Video still from NTNU AUR-LAB via WarbirdsNews.com) A research team from the Marine Technology Center at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway has discovered the sunken wreck of an RAF Handley Page Halifax under roughly 180m of water on the bottom of a nearby fjord. Box contents. Avro continued working on the two engined design, while Handley Page modified their design to use four engines. The aircraft is very likely Halifax The Pakistan Air Force inherited Halifaxes from the RAF and continued to use them until 1961. It had the most advanced wings available at the time, giving it a remarkably low landing speed of 73 mph for an aircraft of its size, with a top speed of 265 mph. [citation needed]. It was shot down on the night 45 August 1944 while returning from the "air-drop-action" during the Warsaw Uprising. W1048, on display at RAF Museum Hendon, flew from Linton to RAF Kinloss,Scotland, as the advance base for their forthcoming raid on the German battleship Tirpitz which lay in Norwegian waters, on April 27, 1942. VII Name: None Status: Displayed Last info: 2016: History: Handley Page Aircraft, Radlett, 1950-1960. The Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing. Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I in Wustermark: 7 killed Date & Time: Jul 26, 1941 Type of aircraft: Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax I Operator: Registration: L9507 Flight Phase: Flight Flight Type: Bombing Survivors: No Site: Plain, Valley Schedule: Linton-on-Ouse - Linton-on-Ouse Location: Wustermark Brandenburg Country: Germany Region: Halifax survivors ; Development of the Halifax B Mk III Bomber. A two-gun BP Type C turret mounted dorsally replaced the beam guns. 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