Jump to content

Type 423 modification for the Wellington


Scott Hemsley

Recommended Posts

I'm currently contemplating on doing a 1/72 RCAF Wellington Mk.III and looking through my references, I've got a question based on a photo in the 4+ Publication on the Wellington - pg.27 to be exact.

It's a photo of a 4000lb (HC) Cookie Mk.I being rolled up to a waiting aircraft (only identified as a RCAF Wellington Mk.III) It goes onto mention that to carry the Cookie, the Wellington had to undergo 'Type 423 modifications' that essentially allowed the aircraft to carry a single bomb.

My question is can any of the Wellington 'experts' on the forum shed light on these modifications ... at least from a modelling perspective as well as possibly what squadrons may have had aircraft with this modification? Were these modifications of a temporary nature - something ground crews could do based on mission requirement's or were these permanent once done? The 4+ has next to no information about this other than the single photo. According to the same publication, there were 1,927 of these dropped so the aircraft that recieved these modifications must have be rather widespread.

I've got the excellent resin set '1/72 RAF Cookies and Blockbusters' from Belcher's Bits (#BL2) with a 4000lb (HC) Cookie Mk.I just begging to be used.

Thanks for any help.

Scott

Edited by Scott Hemsley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As no-one else has produced a better answer, I'll contribute a little.

The mods will have included strengthening ot the bombbay "ceiling" to take a heavy duty store carrier, as the carriers present in the usual production Wellington would not carry the weight of a 4000lb bomb. This will have been coupled to some changes to the bombbay doors, as they could not close over the deeper shape of the bomb. I don't know whether the appropriate part of the doors was simply removed, or closed partway to rest against the side of the bomb, closing normally once the bomb was gone. That's the way it was done on the Halifax, with a tarpaulin fairing to reduce the drag. The Halifax could carry two of these bombs, which I don't think the Wellington did, so with the Wellington there could have been a long length of bombbay open. I doubt that this was acceptable because of the drag penalty, and perhaps the doors were split to close normally fore and aft of the bomb?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Graham...

On pg.68 of the 4+ Publication, they have a chart showing possible bomb loads for the Wellington. In the case of the Cookie, there is a side view sketch showing a single bomb in the centre of the bombay, while a front view (x-section) suggests the doors were completely left off. However, the photo I mentioned on pg.27 defenitely shows the stbd outter bomb door open. Not sure if this was a PR photo with 'just another Wellington' or one that was going to actually take the Cookie, but your theory of retaining the outter bombay doors to close in around the Cookie as an effort to reduce drag would explain the photo.

...So, your theory of the bomb doors may be correct and I think that I'll likely be going with this whenever I get to that point of my build, unlesss I turn up some additional (conclusive) referances of this modification that says otherwise.

Thanks for your insight.

Scott

Edited by Scott Hemsley
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another example was the Hampden torpedo bomber, where the open doors rested on the sides of the torpedo, until dropped. Merrick's book has a good view of the Halifax with the open doors around the bomb - I think there's another showing a fairing but didn't find it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is a 1/48 conversion set by Alley cat #48004C that shows the Wellington bay without doors installed but there is this pic with doors:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Loading_4000_lb_Cookie_onto_Wellington_Tunisia_WWII_IWM_CNA_4071.jpg

you can see the cut out for the bomb.

edit: here is a site for 429 Squadron RCAF:

http://www.429sqn.ca/429ops.htm

click on any of the 1943 months for info on missions including which a/c carried the 4000lb Cookie.

Jari

Edited by Finn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks guys! This has been a great help & has possibly booted a Wimpy (Mk.III) up to the top or very near the top, of the to-do list.

I found Finn's link to 429 Squadron very interesting. Now, any ideas how or if I can make the link between s/n of a specific 429 Sqn. Wellington & the individual code letter - maybe even some photos of 429's Wellington's? In looking through the 'Squadron's 'Operation Logs' for '43, it always seems to be the same few a/c that flew missions with a 4000lb load. I know the Squadron's codes were 'AL'.

Scott

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Checking the 429 Squadron site, Wellington DF622 on 26 Feb43 was loaded with 1 x 4000lb Cookie and on 28 Feb it had a load of 2 x 1000lb and 3 x 500 lb bombs. It could be a typo or the a/c could have been converted back to a standard bomber by adding the 2 bomb bay bulkheads and inner bomb bay doors. To convert it back remove the items and put on a Cookie.

From 420 Snowy Owl Squadron:

http://www.aquatax.ca/Wellingtons.html

March 12: Ten on ops to attack Essen. Seven were successful. Two returned early and one is missing. Primary target Essen "C". Take off 19:25. Bomb load included 2x500, 2 SBC (30x8), 4 SBC (90x4) and four carried single 4,000 lb cookies.

So 4 of 10 a/c were configured for Cookies. The squadron also used Wellingtons in North Africa, click on the link to the left at the above site and they used Cookies there as well.

edit: here is pic from the 420 Squadron site in North Africa:

http://www.aquatax.ca/snowyowls/wellington/wellington02A.JPG

Jari

Edited by Finn
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found a listing for 429 Squadron Wellingtons codes of those that carried 4000lb Cookies:

HE803 AL-W

HZ517 AL-M

HZ519 AL-L

HZ520 AL-Z

HZ521 AL-W

HZ471 AL-M

LN439 AL-N

MS487 AL-B/C

Note these a/c were all listed as lost during various operations, some were replacements for lost a/c and got their codes ie AL-M and AL-W.

Jari

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's an interesting one, it only has the rear doors open on the bomb bay. The front side bay doors are shut, unable to see what is done with the centre ones. Was this possible mechanically or were the front ones strapped shut ?

I would suggest that they could be operated seperately on the ground, on the basis that they would not be able to load that bomb in front of the aircraft without opening them!

Selwyn

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Scott

Thanks for this starting this thread

I happened to be reading "Unwanted hero" about the flying career of Squadron leader Donald Barnard and decided to pull the Trumpeter Wellington from the stash and have a crack at building DF550 in which he was shot down and commenced a long evade and return to the UK. The book has some very useful photos of the downed Wimpey.

While reading I came across this and while not a photo might be of passing interest?

"Another opportunity to carry a 4,000 HC bomb took place on 16 September [1942] with a return to the difficult target of Essen. Albert Bucknell [wireless operator and POW] noted that, to accommodate the bomb, a section of the fuselage floor had to be cut away. What was not fully appreciated at the time was the effect that this would have on the Wellington's aerodynamics once the bomb had been dropped. Though Donald makes no mention of it, the downward suction caused by the air rushing through the hole in the floor prevented the bomber from maintaining, or gaining, height. Unaware of this problem, Donald and crew [crew listed here with air force numbers] climbed aboard their new Wellington, DF550 'N'.

Though it does not say so in the narrative I wonder - if this is correct - does it indicate that part of the fix was to remove bomb bay doors thereby allowing the effect described in the text? I am guessing that if doors were fitted and able to close after the bomb had been dropped then no such reported aerodynamic effect would be created once the doors close?? More questions than answers I am afraid and precedes on the basis that the report is accurate. Not the sort of error one might make I would have thought though - a hole in the fuselage floor is the sort of thing that would stick in the mind.

Barnards Wellington was subsequently attacked that night after dropping their bomb in the target area by an Me 110. Their starboard engine was damaged and other damage caused. They then encountered heavy flak near St Omer but losing height and with the aircraft becoming increasingly uncontrollable at 3,000 feet Barnard ordered a bail out. He attempted one himself but required to return to his seat to avoid the aircraft crashing and then, now down to 600 feet executed a pretty good forced landing near Alquines, North France.

The most probable victor was Oberfeldwebel Heinz Struning of 7./NJG2 (56 victories) who in turn was shot down and killed by a Mosquito of 157 Sqn on 24 December 1944

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...