TONS OF BOMBS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23830, 9 June 1939, Page 17

TONS OF BOMBS

SPEED OF THE HAMPDEN 265 MILES PER HOUR (From Our Own Correspondent) LONDON, May 4. Production lines of new British monoplane bombers, capable of carrying big military loads at high speed and over long distances, came under the close scrutiny of members of Parliament who visited the Handley Page factory at Cricklewood and the company’s assembly shops at Radlett aerodrome. Captain H. H. Balfour, Under-secretary of State for Air, revealed details of performance of the new bomber, the Hampden, which is in large production for the Royal Air Force. Maximum speed of the Hampden I, which ig powered with two Bristol Pegasus two-speed supercharged engines, is 265 m.p.h. at a height of 15,500 feet. Its service load varies with range between no less than 65871 b, earned over a distance of 870 miles, to 25871 b, which may be carried just on 2000 miles. Normal cruising speed is 217 m.p.h., and service “ ceiling ” with full load is 22.700 feet," 1 which rises by several thousands of feet after the bomber has discharged its load and is on the way home. Defensive armament consists in four machineguns, and the normal crew in three or four men, though accommodation is provided for five. Full slotted wing equipment and excellent aerodynamical qualities are largely responsible for the swift and easy manoeuvre of which the Hampden is capable. Its design is dttuned to the needs of exceptionally rapid manufacture and of simple maintenance and repair—the latter a point of vital importance m ensuring the continued “ serviceability ” of aeroplanes working with squadrons in the field. The Hampden is a mid-wing monoplane with twin rudders spaced wide put on the tail plane. Personnel, equipment for day and night flying, and all other service load are accommodated in the front portion of the fuselage. The after section is virtually a narrow boom which carries at its extremity the tail plane, tail landing wheel and tail control surfaces. Twin fins and rudders are positioned on the tail plane directly behind the two engines, thus giving the pilot sensitive control at all flying speeds. “ Stressed-skin ” Construction Streamline and strength are keynotes of the structure. The fuselage is an all-metal monocoque shell, built in three sections to facilitate repair, assembly and dismantling for transport. Wings, spreading to nearly 70 feet, taper in thickness and depth, the trailing edge sweeping sharply forward. “ Stressedskin ” metal formula has been adopted for the wing covering. Wing-tips are detachable to facilitate repair in the field and to expedite inspection of internal controlls. Retractable undercarriage units which fold up into recesses in the engine nacelles, contribute to high performance. Overall smoothness for speed is secured by sinking all external rivets flush with their surrounds. The two engines are housed in nacelles which are cleverly streamlined into the contour of the wings. Handley Page wing slots and flaps, fitted to the wings, enable this redoubtable warplane to taffe-off quickly even when loaded to its maximum weight of 9i tons. In addition to the impressive output of the parent factory, the Hampden is also being built in Lancashire by the English Electric Company. A modified version, powered with two Napier-Dagger H-shaped 24-cylinder engines and called the Hereford, is in production at the Short and Harland factory, Belfast. Hampdens are also the subject of the “educational” order placed by the British Government in Canada. They will be delivered next year by air across the Atlantic. Incidentally, though of much smaller dimensions than its forerunner in the Royal Air Force, the Hampden Has it beaten at all points, indicating that the company’s technicians have quickly seized on new ideas of development and progressively adopted them to the advantage of Royal Air Force bombing squadrons, in which between one and two hundred Hampdens are already in service.