WW2 aviation photos
Discussion
Found this - it'll easily burn up a couple of hours:-
http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Forums...
http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Forums...
Do you mean "Hampden" by any chance?
It was one of the quintet of main bombers in use by Bomber Command in the first two years of World war 2 - and almost wholly inadequate for the tasks it was expected to undertake.
The other four bombers were the Vickers Wellington, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, the Bristol Blenheim and the Fairey Battle. The only one that was of any real use was the Wellington.
It was one of the quintet of main bombers in use by Bomber Command in the first two years of World war 2 - and almost wholly inadequate for the tasks it was expected to undertake.
The other four bombers were the Vickers Wellington, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, the Bristol Blenheim and the Fairey Battle. The only one that was of any real use was the Wellington.
Eric Mc said:
Do you mean "Hampden" by any chance?
It was one of the quintet of main bombers in use by Bomber Command in the first two years of World war 2 - and almost wholly inadequate for the tasks it was expected to undertake.
And the war was young then; we hadn't learned how to bomb effectively. So many of the early bombers were shot down on daylight raids over well-defended targets and with no escort against fighters.It was one of the quintet of main bombers in use by Bomber Command in the first two years of World war 2 - and almost wholly inadequate for the tasks it was expected to undertake.
Gibson flew Hampdens in his early years.
As did the late newsreader Robert Key (who died last week). Indeed, he was shot down early in the war and spent most of it as a POW.
The RAF Museum is currently restoring a Hampden at its Cosford Restoration centre. Here's a few shots I took not that long ago of the fuselage interior. The tailboom is still unattached so you can get a clear view from the rear of the cockpit to the front. You can see how narrow it was -
The tail boom is sitting to one side awaiting its turn.
And a classic Charles E Brown wartime picture of one as they looked when in service -
The RAF Museum is currently restoring a Hampden at its Cosford Restoration centre. Here's a few shots I took not that long ago of the fuselage interior. The tailboom is still unattached so you can get a clear view from the rear of the cockpit to the front. You can see how narrow it was -
The tail boom is sitting to one side awaiting its turn.
And a classic Charles E Brown wartime picture of one as they looked when in service -
Simpo Two said:
And the war was young then; we hadn't learned how to bomb effectively. So many of the early bombers were shot down on daylight raids over well-defended targets and with no escort against fighters.
Gibson flew Hampdens in his early years.
As did the rather large Patrick Moore!Gibson flew Hampdens in his early years.
Eric Mc said:
As did the late newsreader Robert Key (who died last week). Indeed, he was shot down early in the war and spent most of it as a POW.
The RAF Museum is currently restoring a Hampden at its Cosford Restoration centre. Here's a few shots I took not that long ago of the fuselage interior. The tailboom is still unattached so you can get a clear view from the rear of the cockpit to the front. You can see how narrow it was -
The tail boom is sitting to one side awaiting its turn.
And a classic Charles E Brown wartime picture of one as they looked when in service -
I don't know how I've missed this plane, and I don't know why I like it so much (from a purely aesthetic view).The RAF Museum is currently restoring a Hampden at its Cosford Restoration centre. Here's a few shots I took not that long ago of the fuselage interior. The tailboom is still unattached so you can get a clear view from the rear of the cockpit to the front. You can see how narrow it was -
The tail boom is sitting to one side awaiting its turn.
And a classic Charles E Brown wartime picture of one as they looked when in service -
Are there any still flying?
Very much doubt it but you can buy an Airfix model: http://www.oocities.org/capecanaveral/4676/hampden...
http://www.atpkits.com/index.php?main_page=product...
I made one as a youth
http://www.atpkits.com/index.php?main_page=product...
I made one as a youth
None flying - and only one completely restored example on static display at the moment. It's on display in Canada but was badly damaged by a heavy snowfall a few years ago. Hopefully they are fixing it up.
The Hampden was used extensively between 1941 and 1942 but was quickly retired from serious front line duties once aircraft like the Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster entered service.
Airfix still produce their fairly ancient kit. It dates from the early 1960s and is pretty crude by modern standards.
This is the current boxing -
More recently, Czech kit makers Valom produced a more modern kit. Whilst it is far more detailed than the Airfix kit, it is more than double the cost and has some serious fit issues.
Handley Page also built a variant powered by liquid cooled Napier Dagger engines called the Hereford. They were never able to overcome engine overheating problems with the Dagger so no Herefords were ever used on actual bombing raids. They were used for a fairly short time by training units.
Valom also do a Hereford kit -
The Hampden was used extensively between 1941 and 1942 but was quickly retired from serious front line duties once aircraft like the Stirling, Halifax and Lancaster entered service.
Airfix still produce their fairly ancient kit. It dates from the early 1960s and is pretty crude by modern standards.
This is the current boxing -
More recently, Czech kit makers Valom produced a more modern kit. Whilst it is far more detailed than the Airfix kit, it is more than double the cost and has some serious fit issues.
Handley Page also built a variant powered by liquid cooled Napier Dagger engines called the Hereford. They were never able to overcome engine overheating problems with the Dagger so no Herefords were ever used on actual bombing raids. They were used for a fairly short time by training units.
Valom also do a Hereford kit -
At the time they might have tried that, they were worried about the number of aircraft already slated for the use of Merlins. In fact, they were already designing versions of the Lancaster and Halifax to use Bristol Hercules engines instead just in case Merlin production couldn't keep pace with demand.
The solution was the opening of a Merlin production line in the US - and by then the Hampden was obsolete.
The solution was the opening of a Merlin production line in the US - and by then the Hampden was obsolete.
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