C MILitaRY AViatiON £21.99 / $32.95 M V Y ICKERS K VICKERS VICKERS W WELLINGTON ELLINGTON WELLINGTON 1936 to 1953 (all marks and models) 1936 to 1953 (all marks and models) The twin-engined Vickers-Armstrongs Wellington was indicator is mounted beneath the starboard one of the outstanding RAF combat aircraft of the outer wing, 2ft 2in below the wing underside. 1936 TO 1953 Empennage Second World War, seeing use with every RAF he three empennage surfaces are of cantilevered geodetic construction covered Owners’ Workshop Manual T by fabric (except the outboard third which has a duralumin stressed skin), and have a two-tube command and in almost every theatre of operations. It main spar and built-up leading and trailing edge spars. These are attached to the main fuselage frames at stations 85 and 90 and also to partial frames at stations 81 (fin) and 82 (horizontal was widely considered to have been the best bomber to stabilisers). Control surfaces are also fabric- covered, their main structural member being ABOVE Detail of the steel horseshoe brackets an alloy tube which pivots in roller bearings with roller bearings, which carry the elevator have seen service with Bomber Command in the early on horseshoe-shaped steel brackets attached tube. (Courtesy of Flight International) ABOVE Detail of the The surface structure of each wing is to the back of the rear spar; rotation of these wing leading edge made from geodetic panels, one top and tubes moves the surfaces, and is effected by and spar with the one bottom for the inner wing section short throw arms connected by push-pull rods war period, as well as being a capable maritime patrol internal fuel tanks on and six top and six bottom for the outer to the pilot’s flight controls. Elevators are horn their wooden runners. wing section (these being divided up for balanced (mass balanced on prototypes) and (Author) manufacturing convenience). the rudder is mass balanced; all three control Wing fabric is bolted to the geodetics at the surfaces have trim tabs operated by cable from aircraft and submarine hunter with Coastal Command. BELOW The starboard leading and trailing edges and sewn to angle the cockpit, elevator trim being interlinked with wing. (Author) fittings using waxed string. The leading edge is the flap controls. The rudder incorporates the then bolted to the front spar and the joint taped tail navigation lights in its trailing edge. Mk II and BELOW RIGHT The over. Some aircraft have Martin-Baker balloon later aircraft have enlarged horizontal stabilisers, Designed in the thirties by Rex Pierson and Barnes pitot head beneath the cable cutters on the leading edges. with 12in longer chord at the root; later Mk Xs ABOVE The horizontal stabiliser and elevator. This is a broad-chord tailplane starboard wing. (Author) The heated pitot head for the airspeed have a modified horn balance shape. introduced with the Mk II. (Crown Copyright via The National Archives) ABOVE The starboard Wallis, the Wellington used one of the new technologies horizontal stabiliser. Clearly seen are the three ribs connecting of the age in its construction – geodetics. The unusual to the fuselage frames, as well as the tube mounting of the elevator. (Author) structure saw the Wellington dubbed the ‘basket-weave ( bomber’ by the press, and the ‘cloth bomber’ by the ALL M sceptical Americans. Yet, despite its strange utilisation of LEFT The fin and rudder. (Crown Copyright via The National Archives) a modern structure with a traditional fabric covering, it 62 63 VICKERS WELLINGTON MANUAL ANATOMY OF THE WELLINGTON was resilient in combat and simple to mass-produce, H5230_Wellington_Part_03.indd 62-63 26/9/12 13:49:07 becoming the most numerous multi-engine aircraft ever AR built in Great Britain. The centrepiece of this manual is Wellington Mk IA K LEFT The crowd watch as ‘R for Robert’ is Restoration – structure dismantled for transportation. (Brooklands S Museum) nce the excitement of the recovery had Odied down, a rather alarming fact became N2980, ‘R for Robert’, one of only two surviving clear to the Brooklands staff – ‘R for Robert’ including Morag Barton, civil dignitaries from was in a terrible state, and even in wartime an the local council, and many past and present aircraft in this condition would have been written examples of the Wellington anywhere in the world. A employees of Vickers/British Aerospace. off! In general, the structure that remained was In May 1987, a team including the Royal in fairly good condition, but large sections of Navy Diving Group recovered the front turret it were missing – most of the fuselage from from Loch Ness, and at the end of the year, a the trailing edge to the tail, and from the Recovered from Loch Ness in 1985, where it had ND MODEL sub-aqua group from RAF Kinloss dived at the cockpit forward to the front turret (which itself location where the wreck had first grounded, had not been recovered at this stage). Within from where they recovered the remains of the the aircraft, the condition of fittings varied pilot’s seat, throttle box, flare chute, pitot head, enormously, but it was clear that cleaning ditched 45 years earlier, ‘R for Robert’ has been and various other parts. and preservation was required, including the arresting of corrosion throughout (even though Loch Ness is fresh water). All fittings were ABOVE Before and after. Inside the rear BELOW The nacelles BELOW Detail of the smashed forward fuselage removed, with the intention of putting back as fuselage looking towards the turret just after and inner wings during painstakingly restored to display condition by the section. The nose turret had broken away and many as possible after refurbishment, including recovery, and as it appears now. (Brooklands restoration. (Brooklands was recovered later. (Brooklands Museum) hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical systems. In Museum/Author) Museum) the event, insufficient information was kept on Brooklands Museum at Weybridge in Surrey. many small parts, so it became impossible to refit some of them later. The museum had established a Wellington Preservation Policy Committee, which included Author Iain Murray gives a series of fascinating insights Morag Barton, other museum staff, Hugh Tyrer, and Bob Casbard who was in charge of the restoration project, and this committee guided the project. One key decision that into the design, construction and operation of this had to be taken right away was whether to display the aircraft as it had been found, or to attempt to return it wholly or partly to its factory condition. The RAF Museum displays historic aircraft with the help of many rarely seen Halifax W1048 (which had been recovered ABOVE The tail with from a lake in Norway in 1973) in an unrestored fin removed. Note the condition, but the Brooklands team felt that tail turret turned to the N2980 had to be recognisable as a bomber, photographs and technical illustrations. beam for the gunner’s and presented complete and standing on its S escape – sadly, he did wheels, although there was no intention to not survive. (Brooklands return it to ‘new’ condition. In autumn 1986, the Museum) restoration decision was reversed briefly, but it was reinstated after further consideration. A ) RIGHT Arriving at policy was also declared of retaining as much Brooklands Museum of the original aircraft structure and fittings as Dr Iain Murray is a lecturer at the University of Dundee. on a Queen Mary trailer, the fuselage and other parts of RIGHT Before and after. With lots of ferrous ‘R for Robert’ come metal, the rear turret is a bit of a mess after He is the author of Bouncing Bomb Man: The Science home. (Brooklands recovery, but it has been carefully restored. Museum) (Brooklands Museum/Author) of Sir Barnes Wallis (Haynes, 2009) and the Dam 126 127 VICKERS WELLINGTON MANUAL THE LOCH NESS WELLINGTON Busters Manual (Haynes, 2011). He lives in Dundee. H5230_Wellington_Part_05.indd 126-127 26/9/12 13:51:50 ISBN 978 0 85733 230 1 £21.99RRP Haynes Publishing Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ, UK Tel: 01963 442030 • Fax: 01963 440001 Int. tel: +44 1963 442030 • Int. fax: +44 1963 440001 An insight into the history, development, production and role of E-mail: [email protected] • Website: www.haynes.co.uk H5230 the Second World War RAF bomber aircraft.