[WWII] Vickers Wellington medium bomber (British)

[copeab]

Vickers Wellington medium bomber
Copyright 2012 by Brandon Cope

The Wellington was a British twin-engine bomber which entered service in 1938 and served throughout the war. It used an unusual geodesic frame structure which reduced weight but was stronger than conventional construction. It took part in the RAF's first air raid on Germany and -- in the same raid -- became the first RAF bomber to be shot down by the Germans. They also constituted the majority of the bombers used in the first thousand-plane raid. Losses in daylight bombing quickly racked up due to a poor top speed and a weak defensive armament (only five 7.7mm guns initially, with none firing to the top or sides). The Wellingtons were moved to night-bombing missions and performed well there until finally replaced in 1943 in the European Theatre. However, they continued in combat service in the CBI Theatre until the end of the war. They also served through the North Africa campaign and in anti-submarine patrols with Coastal Command around England and in the Mediterranean.

Some 11,500 of the Wimpy (as it was called by it's crews, after comic strip character J. Wellington Wimpy). were built (some 1,500 of the Mark II version). It was in production throughout the war. Apart from the British, Wellingtons were used by all Commonwealth forces. Apart from it's role as a long range bomber and ASW platform, many were converted for use as trainers and transports.

The Wellington B.Mk III has a crew of six: pilot, radio operator, navigator/bombardier, observer/nose gunner, tail gunner and waist gunner. The Wellington B.Mk III uses 101 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at routine usage.

Subassemblies: Heavy Fighter-Bomber chassis +4, Light Bomber Wings +3, 2xSmall AFV Engine Pods +2, three retractable wheels +1.
Powertrain: 2x1,119-kW aerial HP gasoline engines [Pods] with 2x1,119-kW props, and 900-gallon self-sealing fuel tanks [Wings], 8,000-kw batteries
Occupancy: 6 CS Cargo: 21 Body.

Armor
Body/Wings: 2/2 C
All: 2/3

Weaponry
2xAircraft LMG/Browning [Body:F] (*)**
4xAircraft LMG/Browning [Body:B] (*)**
Aircraft LMG/Vickers 'K' [Body:R,L] (1,920 each)
* 6,000 rounds total
** Guns in each turret linked

Equipment
Body: Large radio receiver and transmitter, navigation instruments, autopilot., bombsight, casemate/universal mounts for F and B machineguns, 4,500-lb bomb bay.

Statistics
Size: 65'x86'x17'
Payload: 5.9 tons
Lwt: 14.7 tons
Volume: 640
Maint.: 26 hours
Price: $60,300

HT: 9.
HP: 525 [body], 600 [each wing], 120 [each pod], 50 [each wheel]

aSpeed: 255
aAccel: 5
aDecel: 29
aMR: 7.25
aSR: 2
Stall: 80

Design Notes
Design speed was 273 mph. The historical speed has been used, as well as the actual wing area (840 square feet).

To simplify the design, the nose and tail turrets were built as body mounts with the casemate and universal options. GMs may instead tret them as limited rotation Small Weapon turrets with universal mounts for the guns. (with 75 HP each)

Variants
There were a large number of Wellington variants; only the more significant are covered below.

The Mark I and Mark IA had 746-kW engines (235 mph) and was armed with two LMGs in the nose, two in the tail and one in a ventral retractable 'dustbin' turret firing to the rear. 183 and 187 built. The Mark XV and Mark XVI were 18-man transport conversions.

The Mark IC was similar to the Mark I, with 2,685 built.

Some of the assorted Mark I, IA and IC versions were modified to carry a single 4,000-lb bomb. This conversion also removed the dustbin turret and added single port and starboard beam guns.

Th 400 B.Mark II used 854-kW engines.

The B.Mark IV used different engines. 220 built.

397 of the GR.Mark VIII were built, 55 with Leigh Lights (in the fuselage where the dustbin turret had been located) for anti-submarine warfare. Some were equipped to carry torpedoes.

The B.Mark X was the main production version, (3,803 built), It had very slightly more powerful engines (1,250-kW).

The GR.Mark XIII (844 built) and GR.Mark XIC (841 built) were the primary versions used by Coastal Command, based on the B.Mark X. Both mounted surface-search radar (the XIII in masts and the XIV in a chin dome). Both deleted the waist guns; the XIV added wing racks for the RP-3 ('60-pound') rocket.

[Þorkell]

Originally Posted by copeab

Vickers Wellingron medium bomber
Copyright 2012 by Brandon Cope

Can you spot the typo? And it's also in the subject line.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Þorkell

Can you spot the typo? And it's also in the subject line.

Considering I did a copy and paste from the body to subject, it's not surprising. Also, I can't change the subject that is displaying in the forum.

[Phaelen Bleux]

Thanks!! (This is a design I've considered doing, but secretly hoped you'd beat me to it :)

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Phaelen Bleux

Thanks!! (This is a design I've considered doing, but secretly hoped you'd beat me to it :)

Like the B-24, I think this was another vehicle slotted for a book that was cancelled after Motor Pool was sent to the printers.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

One added note -- the Wellington was one of a very small number of aircraft that remained in production through the war -- last production aircraft was, IIRC, in October 1945.

It was used as a target tug into the early 1950s. So, even postwar and early Cold War PCs can run into a Wellington.

A good source for atmosphere and crew responsibilities is "Out of the Italian Night," by veteran Wimpy pilot Maurice Lihou.