Avro 694 Lincoln

The Avro Lincoln was a development of the iconic Avro Lancaster, indeed the aircraft was originally called the Lancaster Mark 4 and 5. Compared to the Lancaster, the Lincoln had higher aspect ratio wings, more powerful engines and increased fuel and bomb load. The Lincoln first flew in 1944 and entered RAF service in the final weeks of the Second World War though did not see service. It replaced the Lancaster in RAF service after the war and was the RAF's last piston-engined bomber.

Lincoln II at RAF Cosford

Information
Manufacturer:	Avro
First flight:	1944
Propulsion:	Rolls-Royce Merlin 85 or Packard-Merlin 68 (4)
Withdrawn:	1967
Number built:	604

Although it was too late for the Second World War, the Lincoln saw action in the 1950s in various end of the empire operations including the Malaya Emergency. The Lincoln remained in RAF service until 1963, its last operator the Argentinian Air Force kept it in service until 1967. 

As well as military service the Lincoln was used as an engine test bed for the early turbojets and turboprops developed after the war including the Rolls-Royce Tyne and Derwent. Some were also used as freighters (Avro 695 Lincolnian). The Lincoln was developed into the Avro 696 Shackleton maritime patrol aircraft which remained in service until 1991! Four Lincolns have been preserved plus the nose section of a fifth.

Another view of the Cosford Lincoln, RF398

Bristol 177 Sycamore

The Bristol Type 177 Sycamore was one of the first British built helicopters and the first to gain an air worthiness certificate in 1949. It was also the first British designed helicopter to be operated by the Royal Air Force.

Sycamore at RAF Museum, London

Information
Manufacturer:	Bristol Aeroplane Company
First flight:	1947
Propulsion:	Alvis Leonidas piston engine
Withdrawn:	1972 (RAF)
Number built:	180

The Sycamore was used as a cargo/passenger transport (it could carry up to three passengers) and for air/sea rescue. As well as being used by the British and other militaries it also had success selling to civilian operators including British European Airways.

The Sycamore saw action in the Malaya Emergency with the RAF proving the worth of rotorcraft in being able to deploy soldiers directly to a position in the jungle. It also saw action in Cyrus, Aden and in the Congo (operated by the Belgian government). The Sycamores reached the end of their fatigue life and were withdrawn by the RAF in early 1970s.

Preserved Sycamore at RAF Cosford Museum

Martinsyde Buzzard

The Martinsyde Buzzard was one of the fastest aircraft developed during World War 1, being able to reach 146 mp/h / 235 kp/h.

Information
Manufacturer:	Martinsyde
First flight:	1918
Propulsion:	Hispano-Suiza 8Fb piston engine
Withdrawn:	1938
Number built:	370

The F.4 Buzzard was based on the earlier F.3 which had a superb performance but the Rolls Royce Falcon engines it needed were all earmarked for the Bristol F.2. The F.4 was instead powered by a Hispano-Suiza engine but again was fast and manoeuvrable.

Large numbers were ordered for the Royal Air Force and also for export to the French and United States. Unfortunately for Martinsyde the end of the war meant most of these orders were cancelled. Instead of the thousands expected only around 370 were built instead. No fighters entered RAF service, who instead opted for the Sopwith Snipe as their postwar fighter though some were sold to other airforces including Ireland and Spain [2]. Two were used by the RAF for carrying despatches between London and Paris in 1919 during the peace conference.

Martinsyde bought back many aircraft for resale. Two seater (the F.6 which also had revised wings and different engines) and floatplane versions were built but it wasn't enough to prevent Martinsyde going bankrupt in 1922. Some continued to be used for many years, both in overseas air forces and for civil owners often as racing aircraft. The last Buzzards to be used are thought to have been a small number in Latvia in 1938.

Martinsyde F.6 [1]

[1] "The King's Cup Race", Flight Magazine, September 7 1922 p. 514
[2] Martin J.H. Taylor, Warplanes of the world 1918-1939 (Ian Allan, 1981) p. 178

Handley Page HP52 Hampden

The Handley Page Hampden was one of the medium bombers with which the Royal Air Force entered the Second World War. The Hampden was designed in response to an Air Ministry specification for a twin bomber which was faster than earlier bombers. The Hampden had a narrow fuselage which gained it the name the "Flying Suitcase"! The Hampden first flew in 1936 and entered service with the RAF in 1938.

SDASM Archive image [2]

Information
Manufacturer:	Handley Page
First flight:	1936
Propulsion:	Bristol Pegasus XVIII radial engine (2)
Withdrawn:	1943
Number built:	1,430

By the start of the war the Hampden equipped ten squadrons. Unfortunately the Hampden did not fare well in the daylight bombing role though was used in the earliest raids against the German mainland. The Hamnpden easy meat for the Luftwaffe despite it's still good performance. The Hampden was switched quickly to nighttime operations and proved useful in bombing, propaganda leaflet dropping and mine laying. Hampdens were later used for torpedo bombing to protect Arctic convoys. It remained in this role until being withdrawn by the RAF in 1943. A version of the Hampden with in-line engines was also produced called the Handley Page Hereford.

The Hampden also served in notable numbers with the Australian, Canadian and Soviet air forces. Two Hampdens survive though neither in a flyable condition.

SDASM Archive image [2]

[1] Handley Page Hampden https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/15650368358

[2] Handley Page Hampden https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/15650369808

Vickers Vanguard

The Vickers Viscount had been a great success in the early 1950s. Vickers developed the Vanguard as a larger follow-up, it was designed to match a specification issued by BEA for a hundred seat airliner. With more powerful turboprops, the Vanguard was not only larger than the Viscount but faster and could fly higher too. So, it was destined to be a sure fire success surely?

G-APEP. the last in service, now preserved at Brooklands

Information
Manufacturer:	Vickers-Armstrongs
First flight:	1959
Propulsion:	Rolls Royce Tyne Mk 512 turboprops (4)
Withdrawn:	1996
Number built:	44

Unfortunately it was not, only 44 were built mainly for BEA and Trans-Canada Airlines. The Vanguard's problem was timing. By the time it entered production in the early 1960s it was up against the first generation of jet airliners. 

However, the Vanguard ended up having a long service life. Conversions to a freighter known as the Merchantman began in the 1970s and in this configuation the aircraft remained in service until 1996. 

Another view of G-APEP

Supermarine PB 31E Night Hawk

The PE 31E Nighthawk was first aircraft to bear the illustrious Supermarine name though unfortunately that was probably the only good thing going for it. The company had changed had it's name from Pemberton Billing in 1916 (after Mr Pemberton Billing sold his interests to the company's other directors). One of the last aircraft Pemberton Billing had been working on had been the PB 29E, a large quadruplane for anti-airship defence. Unfortunately the sole PB 29E crashed during flight testing but the Admiralty decided to continue pursuing Pemberton Billing's ideas for combating the zeppelin menace and so sponsored a further aircraft.

Public domain image

Information
Manufacturer:	Supermarine
First flight:	1917
Propulsion:	Azani radial engine (2)
Withdrawn:	1917
Number built:	1

This was the Supermarine PB 31E, like the 29E it was a large quadruplane 11.27m long and with a wing span of 18.28m. It was made more sturdy than the 29E with a planned crew of 5 and heavily armed with a 1½-pdr recoiless gun and twin Lewis machine guns. It was intended to be able to stay aloft for up to 18 hours and carried a searchlight that was powered by a separate engine and thus was probably one of the first aircraft to carry an auxiliary power unit. Because of the long planned duration it was fitted with some basic comforts for the crew including a heated cabin. The aircraft also carried armour in some key areas and the cockpit was bound with fabric to avoid wood splinters in the event of a crash to protect the crew.

The problem with all of these innovative and advanced features was that they weighted a lot! The PB 31E weighed over 2787kg when loaded and there simply wasn't the engine technology at the time to adequately power such a plane. Two 100hp Anzani engines powered the PB 31E and were enough to get it airborne but not enough to give it sufficient performance to perform in the anti-zeppelin role. The PB 31E took an hour to climb to over 3,000 metres which meant that zeppelins could easily escape it by ditching ballast and climbing rapidly. The design speed had been 75mph (120kph) which was considered fast enough to catch zeppelins (though some zeppelins could go faster than that in favourable conditions) but it is reported the PB 31E struggled to pass 60mph (97kph).

The PB 31E first flew in February 1917 but by then it was apparent there were serious flaws in the concept, highlighted by the PB 31E's poor performance. Unable to pursue a zeppelin it's only chance of success would have been the sheer luck of being in the right place at the right time and firing on the zeppelin before it got out of range. It's main armament, a 1½ pounder Davis non-recoil gun, was also rather unwieldy.

The sole PB 31E was scrapped in the Summer of 1917, the second planned example never being built. The PB 31E, which was given the name Night Hawk, was technically innovative and it's concept could maybe have worked with more powerful engines and better performance. In the event the zeppelin was near the end of it's time as a military weapon in any case.

de Havilland DH89 Dragon Rapide

The de Havilland Dragon Rapide was a successful short range British airliner of the Interwar Period.

Three views of G-ADAH preserved at MOSI Manchester

Information
Manufacturer:	de Havilland
First flight:	1934
Propulsion:	de Havilland Gypsy 6 piston engine (2)
Number built:	727

The DH89 Dragon Rapide was a development of the earlier DH84 Dragon and the DH86 Express. The Dragon Rapide was a scaled down version of the Express and used the same Gypsy 6 engines, tapered biplane wings and fuselage design largely made from plywood. Although a fairly simple aircraft it had few vices and was durable and reliable.

The prototype, which was known as the Dragon 6, first flew in early 1934 with customer deliveries commencing in the Summer. At the commencement of the Second World War the type was accepted into RAF service in a number of roles including communications and wireless training, the type being known as the Dominie in military service.

After the war hundreds of war surplus Dragon Rapides were supplied to rebuilding allied air forces and air lines. It was also used by British European Airlines and other British airlines on domestic services in the 1950s. A number of Dragon Rapides are still airworthy.

Eurofighter Typhoon

The Eurofighter Typoon is a fourth generation fighter which is the front-line fighter of the Royal Air Force and a number of other airforces. Like other modern European combat aeroplanes it was a collaboration between the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. France was also a member of the programme in it's early days but later left to pursue it's rival design, the Rafale, instead.

Pre-production aircraft ZH588 at RAF Museum London

Information
Manufacturer:	Eurofighter
First flight:	1994
Propulsion:	Eurojet EJ200 turbofan (2)
Number built:	623

The Typhoon first flew in 1994 and is built by a multi-national organisation which includes Airbus and BAE Systems. The Typhoon entered service in 2003 and has also sold to a number of other countries as well as the four builder nations, especially in the Middle East.

The Typhoon is a highly agile canard delta winged fighter designed initially for air superiority but later updates have added an air-to-ground capability. The Typhoon in RAF service has seen combat use over Libya.

The Typhoon has twin afterburning turbofans

Another view of ZH588