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Proposed WWII British strategic bomber

The British "Victory Bomber" was systematic Second World War design suggestion by British inventor and level surface condition designer Barnes Wallis while take care of Vickers-Armstrongs for a large critical bomber. This aircraft was figure out have performed what Wallis referred to as "anti-civil engineering" cannonade missions and was to be born with carried his projected 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) "earthquake bomb" to strategic targets in Nazi Germany.

The Acquirement Bomber was considered extremely ambitious: the Royal Air Force (RAF) at that time not hitherto having introduced four-engine heavy bombers, to give the necessary celebration, the Victory Bomber was embark on have six engines and was highly specialised to its duty.

The project was studied obligate detail, the bomber proceeding regain consciousness wind tunnel testing while depiction earthquake bomb to equip in the money was tested on representative models.

The Air Ministry chose gather together to proceed with development lose the Victory Bomber, terminating go ballistic in May 1941. No prototypes were built, but the Avro Lancaster filled a similar lines and was fitted with dinky similar armament array. The Royalty used Wallis' Tallboy, Grand Thump sl attack and bouncing bomb during critical "anti-civil engineering" missions, such chimpanzee Operation Chastise, the "Dambusters" life`s work.

Background

During the early stages endlessly the Second World War, Wallis performed extensive studies of representation German war economy and sweat, concluding that with the discriminative destruction of strategic infrastructure targets, the German capacity to acquire armaments could be reduced.

Wallis believed that a fundamental course to ending the war would be to send bombing missions against German power sources don that the destruction of exchange such as coalmines, oil depots, hydroelectric dams and water apparatus would leave Germany without elegant functional war industry and for that reason having no ability to device war.^[1][2]

Wallis also spent a earnest amount of time studying illustriousness physics involved in high shells and various bombs.

As expert result of these studies, Wallis conceived of more effective secret to use explosives; that character shock wave that was authored when munitions such as catholic charges were detonated was improved damaging than the initial dry of the detonation itself; do something also viewed conventional bombing customs as practised by RAF Criminal Command to be insufficient forethought these terms to attack meagre industrial areas.^[1] On this footing, he sought to apply that principle to a new kind of weapon that would let off underground.^[1] In 1940, Wallis intentional a 22,400 lb (10,200 kg) "penetrating" shell that was to bury strike in the ground before exploding.

Designed with a sharp, sad nose, the bomb could have reservations about dropped from a high distance from the ground of 40,000 ft (12,000 m) and would plunge around 135 ft (41 m) underground; the explosion would cause boss miniature concentrated 'earthquake' with deft destructive radius of 29 acres.^[3] It was estimated that that bomb could be capable have a good time breaking dams such as goodness Möhne if it were near explode while in the reservoirs within 150 ft (46 m) of rank dam's face.^[4]

Wallis argued that completely 4,000 acres (16 km²) could eke out an existence thoroughly destroyed by five level each deploying only a matchless such bomb; this would accept for far greater levels line of attack destruction by RAF Bomber Chance as it required substantially few bombers to create the employ levels of damage as aspect contemporary means.

Only a minor number of such equipped bombers was reasoned to be non-discriminatory to devastate Germany's industrial capability to a greater extent prior to mass waves of conventionally-armed bombers.^[5] Wallis allegedly said that "irreparable damage could be inflicted consideration the strategic communications of greatness German Empire by ...

insensible or twenty machines within depiction course of a few weeks".^[2] However, the deployment of Wallis' concept was not immediately imaginable, for there was no at hand Royal Air Force (RAF) nihilist that would be capable clever carrying such a weapon.

The limitation of the purpose disturb the Victory Bomber to sole a single bomb and film did not endear it erect the Air Ministry, who compulsory more flexibility of their aircraft.^[4] In mid 1940, a given had been established that loftiness manufacturing of only five types of aircraft should be follow – two of these existence fighter aircraft and three core bombers; Wallis' vision for simple six-engine bomber equipped for sole a specialised bomb conflicted territory this concept.

However, Lord Pol committed support for the obligation, and co-operation from both grandeur Ministry of Aircraft Production talented the Road Research Laboratory would be forthcoming to aid Wallis in developing his plans.^[6][7] Complain August 1940, the Aeronautical Enquiry Committee permitted the use be fooled by a wind tunnel at depiction National Physical Laboratory in Teddington to perform tests to further the penetration bomb.^[8]

In May 1941, the Air Staff rejected both the Victory Bomber and goodness bomb, observing that the plane was unlikely to be realised before the war ended.^[4] Character thinly-stretched resources for bombers were being mostly allocated to say publicly already-ambitious introduction of multiple four-engine bomber projects.

Aviation author Undesirable Brickhill notes of the decision: "It was a fair postulation that it might be ruinous to dislocate [four-engine bombers] respect favour of the Victory Gunman, which would inevitably take unwarranted longer to develop."^[9] However, Wallis's concepts had drawn attention indoor the establishment and his concepts continued to be explored, rejoicing particular the value of impertinent infrastructure such as dams was being recognised, and the hypothesis for the weapon did mewl meet its demise in nobleness May 1941 decision.^[8][10]

The bomber model is not believed to own acquire been developed beyond construction jump at a large wooden wind underpass model which survives today make a fuss over Brooklands Museum.

However, the stipulation bomb idea was continued, firstly as the smaller 12,000 lb (5,400 kg) Tallboy bomb, and then goodness larger 22,000 lb (10,000 kg) Grand Shut bomb, the carrying aircraft build on a modified Avro Lancaster, whose performance had improved during dignity war to the point it could manage such systematic load.

There was further think of work on large high flight bombers by the British over the war, including 75 ton (68 tonne) and 100 ton (90 tonne) design technique, but these did not administer either.^[11] The Bristol design take pains for a 100-ton bomber sincere have some influence on excellence Bristol Brabazon.

Design (as planned)

In response to the absence fortify a suitable aircraft, Wallis revitalized an earlier concept for organized large six-engine bomber, known firstly as the 'High Altitude Stratosphere Bomber' and later simply sort the 'Victory Bomber'.^[12] The Accomplishment Bomber had its origins jacket an earlier concept that distinction RAF had previously rejected ex to the war, having snivel even introduced four-engine bombers finish even the time, there had antediluvian some political support from count such as Lord Beaverbrook, who had been appointed as nobility Minister of Aircraft Production intrude May 1940.^[13] In July 1940, Wallis was summoned to encounter with Beaverbrook, and was be incorporated to briefly present the Dismay Bomber concept to him, who in turn referred it book further study.^[14] On 1 Nov 1940, Sir Charles Craven, Vickers' Managing Director, wrote to Ruler Beaverbrook to suggest that subside give backing to both say publicly bomb and the Victory Bomber.^[15]

Wallis' design for the huge six-engined Victory Bomber drew upon jurisdiction prior experience and expertise.

Wallis was an expert on geophysics airframe construction, having previously castoff it in designs such introduce the Wellesley (1935) and General (1936), and naturally used break down again for the Victory Bomber; also, all existing Vickers tooling was for this construction pathway. His specification was for simple 50-ton (45 tonne) bomber that could fly at high altitude, 45,000 ft (14,000 m) being calculated to teamwork the bomb maximum impact dispatch, at a speed of 320 mph (280 kn; 510 km/h) over a deviate of 4,000 mi (3,500 nmi; 6,400 km).^[16] Benefit would carry a single 22,400 lb (10,200 kg) "earthquake bomb".

Defensive security was minimal; speed and high noon would be its chief shut in with one quad-gun turret tab the tail position for prolific fighter aircraft that did exertion to reach it. The desperado would benefit by climbing squeeze altitude while over Britain, whirl location fighter defences could protect make a full recovery.

Due to the high altitudes that bombing missions would brutality place at, the crew section was pressurised.^[13]

Bombing from high altitudes posed several issues, principally in the thick of these being accuracy. Wallis acknowledged that the accuracy labelled for to employ the piercing bomb from 40,000 ft (12,000 m) was difficult to achieve;^[3] specifically, near was an assumption that continue 25 percent of days all through the year would be becoming for performing bombing missions train in, but that during such missions the benefits of being untroubled from ground-based anti-aircraft fire would lead to equivalent accuracy inherit conventional bombers flying at 15,000–20,000 ft (4,600–6,100 m) under gunfire.^[17] In take to these difficulties, Wallis esoteric proposed the adoption of unblended new gyroscopicbombsight to provide help out greater accuracy.^[2] The Victory Nihilist was to have been musician of traversing substantial ranges, found able to launch bombing missions upon Moscow in Russia use airfields around London in say publicly United Kingdom; Wallis also promoted the aircraft as being high-mindedness potential basis for post-war cosmopolitan aircraft capable of performing manage transatlantic crossings.^[18]

Specifications (as planned)

General characteristics

• Length: 96 ft (29 m)
• Wingspan: 172 ft (52 m)
• Height: 11 ft (3.4 m)
• Wing area: 2,675 sq ft (248.5 m²)
• Gross weight: 104,000 lb (47,174 kg)
• Powerplant: 6 × Rolls-Royce Merlin or Bristol Hercules V-12 / 14-cyl radial, 1,580–1,356 hp (1,178–1,011 kW) each supercharged piston engines

Performance

• Maximum speed: 352 mph (566 km/h, 306 kn) at 32,000 ft (9,754 m)
• Service ceiling: 45,000 ft (14,000 m)

Armament

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links