Vickers Wellington

In September 1932 the Air Ministry issued Specification B.9/32 which required an aircraft with a range of 720 miles and a bomb load of 1,000lb. Vickers design, initially known as the Type 271, would compete with Handley Page's H.P.52 design, which would be ordered into production as the Hampden. Vickers entry would be built using the geodetic construction method, which had first been used on the Vickers Wellesley, and would be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Goshawk engines and would normally have a crew consisting of pilot, bomb-aimer, wireless operator, nose and rear gunners.

The prototype Wellington, with Captain Joseph Summers at the controls, made its maiden flight on the 15th June 1936. The aircraft featured the fin and rudder of a Supermarine Stranraer and instead of the Rolls-Royce Goshawk engines it was fitted with 915-hp Bristol Pegasus X engines. This was followed two months later on the 15th August 1936 by an order for 180 Wellington Mk Is by the Air Ministry. These aircraft would be produced under a different specification, B.29/36, which required a more angular fuselage, the tail unit to be revised and hydraulic powered turrets in the nose, ventral and tail positions.

Testing of the new aircraft was initially done by Vickers before being flown to Martlesham Heath so the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment could conduct official trials. However, as these trials concluded the prototype crashed on the 19th April 1937. The cause was found to be elevator overbalance in a high-speed dive. Despite this set back, development of the Wellington continued and before the year was out, on the 23rd December 1937, the first production Wellington Mk I flew.

The Wellington Mk I entered Royal Air Force service on the 10th October 1938 when No. 99 Squadron based at RAF Mildenhall received their first example as they began to replace their Handley Page Heyfords. Powered by the 1,050-hp Bristol Pegasus XVIII engine, its top speed was 245 mph, range 1,200 miles with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft. Armament was six 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose turret, two in a ventral turret, later replaced by Vickers 'K' guns or 0.303-in machine-guns firing from the beam positions, and two in the tail turret. Bomb load was 4,500lb. With larger main wheels and the landing gear strengthened, the Wellington Mk IA was next and the Wellington Mk IC followed and its bomb bay was strengthened so the aircraft could carry a 4,000lb bomb.

The Wellington would see action the day after the Second World War (1939 – 1945) broke out, when on the 4th September 1939 they carried out one of the first raids by Bomber Command when Wellingtons from Nos. 9 and 149 Squadron attacked German shipping at Brunsbuttel. The Wellington would operate during daylight as it was considered that by flying in tight formations its fire power would make them able to fend off attack successfully. However, early raids showed that its defensive armament was inadequate. As a result the Wellington would now operate mainly at night.

A modified Wellington Mk I would become the prototype Wellington Mk II, which made its maiden flight at Brooklands on the 3rd March 1939. The production version would be powered by the 1,145-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin X engine which gave the aircraft a top speed of 254 mph, a range of 1,540 miles and a service ceiling of 23,500 ft. Armament consisted of six 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose turret, two in the beam positions and two in the tail turret. Bomb load was 4,500lb. The Wellington Mk II began to enter Royal Air Force service on the 10th November 1940, when Nos. 12 and 142 Squadrons, both based at RAF Binbrook, received their first examples as they began to replace their Fairey Battles.

Two Wellington Mk Is would be converted to Wellington Mk III prototypes. The first was fitted with Bristol Hercules HEISM engines, which made its maiden flight on the 19th May 1939, and the second was a Wellington Mk IC designed to take the 1,425-hp Bristol Hercules III engine, which flew in January 1941. In the end neither of these two engines were used when the Wellington Mk III went into production, with the 1,400-hp Bristol Hercules XI engine used. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 255 mph, range of 1,540 miles with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft. Armament was eight 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose turret, two in the beam positions and a new rear turret was introduced to the aircraft which had four machine-guns, which was twice the existing armament. Bomb load was 4,500lb. These began to enter Royal Air Force service in June 1941 with No. 9 Squadron based at RAF Honington.

The Wellington Mk IV followed and was powered by the 1,050-hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp R-1830-S3C4-G engine. Its top speed was 255 mph, range 1,500 miles with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft. Armament consisted of eight 0.303-in machine-guns, two each in nose and beam positions and four in the rear turret. Bomb load was 4,500lb.

As a result of Vickers being asked to investigate whether a Wellington could be fitted with a pressurised cabin for use as a high altitude bomber/Pathfinder, the Wellington Mk V and Wellington Mk VI would be developed at the same time. In total three Wellington Mk V prototypes were built and had a service ceiling of 36,800 ft. It was the Wellington Mk VI that was the preferred of the two. Powered by the 1,600-hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 engine, the aircraft had a top speed of 300 mph, a range of 1,590 miles and a service ceiling of 40,000 ft. Armament was four 0.303-in machine-guns in a turret positioned in the tail that could be remotely controlled.

The next intended variant was the Wellington Mk VII which was to be powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Merlin XX engines, but this only reached the prototype stage. In the end the sole example was used by Rolls-Royce to develop their Merlin 60 engine.

Although Coastal Command had been using the type, it wasn't until the production of the Wellington GR Mk VIII that a variant of the Wellington was produced specifically for use within Coastal Command. Based on the Wellington Mk IC the aircraft was fitted with Air-to-Surface Vessel Mk II radar and some versions would have a Leigh Light installed in the ventral turret with the light operator positioned in the nose, meaning this armament was removed. Its top speed was 235 mph, range 2,500 miles with a service ceiling of 18,000 ft. Armament consisted of six 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the beam positions and four in the tail turret. Bomb load was either depth charges or torpedoes. The Wellington GR Mk VIII entered service with No. 172 Squadron based at RAF Chivenor and it was while with the squadron that the type scored its first U-boat success. This was on the 6th July 1942 when U-502 was sunk in the Bay of Biscay, with the loss of all 52 crew members.

The Wellington B Mk X would be the last bomber variant. Similar to the Wellington B Mk III, it was powered by the 1,675-hp Bristol Hercules VI engine. This gave the aircraft a top speed of 255 mph, a range of 1,885 miles and a service ceiling of 22,000 ft. Armament was eight 0.303-in machine-guns, two in the nose, two in the beam positions with four in the tail turret. Bomb load was 4,500lb. It would be with No. 431 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force based at RAF Burn that the Wellington B Mk X would enter service when they received the first deliveries on the 7th December 1942. Post-war a number would become Wellington T Mk X crew trainers after conversion work undertaken by Boulton Paul, with the last converted aircraft being delivered by Boulton Paul on the 20th March 1952.

The Wellington B Mk X would also provide the basis for the Wellington GR Mk XI which served with Coastal Command. These would have Air-to-Surface Vessel Mk II radar installed before Air-to-Surface Vessel Mk III radar replaced it and this would also equip the 1,735-hp Bristol Hercules XVII powered Wellington GR Mk XII, which also featured a Leigh Light.

The Wellington would play a big part in Bomber Command's early wartime operations. Major operations for the type saw it take part in the first raid on Berlin, Germany on the 25th August 1940 and drop the first 4,000lb 'Blockbuster' bomb on a raid over Emden, Germany on the 1st April 1941. At the height of its time with Bomber Command the Wellington made up 601 of the 1,047 aircraft for Operation Millennium when Cologne, Germany was attacked on the 30th May 1942. By the end of 1942 the Wellington's time as a frontline bomber was coming to an end as by now the four-engined heavy bombers the Avro Lancaster, Handley Page Halifax and Short Stirling were in service. The final time the Wellington would be used in major numbers by Bomber Command was on the 8th October 1943. There was still No. 300 Squadron using the type as 1944 got underway but they were only allowed to lay mines and attack minor targets. No. 192 Squadron would also keep using the aircraft for intelligence gathering into 1945.

As well as serving in Europe the Wellington would serve in the Middle East and Far East and would also be converted for transport and training duties. By the time the final Wellington, a B Mk X, was delivered on the 25th October 1945, 11,461 had been produced and the type would serve until 1953 training pilots and navigators.