Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Contents

Type Description

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.I
• Mid wing medium bomber to Specifications B.3/34 and 21/35, to meet the requirements of OR.12. A development of the Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 bomber-transport design, it featured a near flat sided semi-monocoque fuselage structure of light alloy frames and stringers, and comprised three sections: a nose section bolted to two large trames fixed to the centre-section spars, a middle section stretching from the centre-section to the tailplane spar, and a rear section containing the tailplane centre-section and the rear gun turret. The large mid-set rectangular-shaped wing was also formed from three sections, and composed a light alloy torsion box incorporating front and rear web spars corrugated vertically, upper and lower sheets corrugated spanwise and intemal bracing by steel struts instead of the conventional ribs. The forward surfaces of the wings were composed of flush-riveted, smooth and unstressed metal sheeting; the rear 2/3rds aft of the box spar to the trailing edge, as well as the Frise type ailerons and split flaps was fabric covered. The inner structure of the split flaps was composed of duralumin and ran between the ailerons and the fuselage. The wings were set at a high angle of incidence (8.5°) to confer good take-off and landing performance; as a result, the Whitley flew with a pronounced nose-down attitude when at cruising speed, resulting in considerable drag. The tailplanes employed a similar construction to that of the wings, mounted low on the rear fuselage, partly curved vertical tail surfaces being located mid-span on each tailplane and strut-braced to the upper fuselage. The elevators and rudders incorporated servo-balancing trim tabs. The Whitley had a crew of five: a pilot, co-pilot/navigator, a bomb aimer, a wireless operator and a rear gunner, the bomb aimer also operating the nose turret. For the first 12 aircraft, defensive armament was an A.W.13 nose turret and A.W.12 rear turret, both being manually operated and mounting one Vickers 0.303 machine gun. From aircraft 13 onwards, the a Nash and Thompson FN.16 was fitted in the nose, with either an A.W.15 or A.W.38 in the tail, all still mounting one Vickers 0.303 machine gun. Two 795 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX (first prototype) or medium-supercharged Tiger XI powerplants.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.II
• As Mk.I fitted with a Nash and Thompson FN.17 powered retractable twin-gun ventral "dustbin" turret with twin .303 in Browning machine guns and two 845 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VIII powerplants.
  Some Mk.II (along with Mk.III and MK.V) aircraft were modified for paratroop dropping. Two alternative exits for paratroops were provided in the Whitley, one through a circular hatch fitted with split doors and located in the fuselage floor, replacing the ventral turret, and the other from a platform at the extreme end of the fuselage which replaced the rear gun turret.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.III
• Improved Mk.II to meet Specification B.20/36, featuring increased dihedreal of the outer wing panels and an increased bomb load.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.IV
• As Mk.III fitted with two 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin IV powerplants, increased fuel capacity, and the bomb-aimer’s hinged bomb-aiming panel replaced by a plexiglass ‘chin’ extension.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.IVA
• As Mk.IV with two 1,145 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin X powerplants.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.V
• As Mk.IVA with modified straight-edged fins, leading edge de-icing and the replacement of the manually operated tail turret with a powered Nash and Thompson FN.4 (later FN.20) fitted with four .303 in Browning machine guns, requiring the aft fuselage be extended by 15 in to improve the tail gunner's field of fire.
  As well as being used for bombing and paratroop training (see Mk.II), Mk.V aircraft were also used as glider tugs, fitted with a free-floating towing yoke attached round the rear fuselage beneath the turret base, and incorporated a Mk.IVA Malcolm release hook.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.V
  (Freighter)
• Freighter conversion of the Mk.V. Turrets and other military equipment were removed, metal fairing replacing the nose and tail units. Long range tanks were fitted in the bomb bay, and the fuselage interior was adapted to take freight, typically small, high value items.

• A.W.38 Whitley Mk.VII
• Long range maritime reconnaissance variant of Mk.V for Coastal Command capable of longer-range flights 2,300 miles, having additional fuel tanks fitted in the bomb bay and fuselage, with a sixth crew member to operate the ASV Mk 2 radar system, identified by the additional four 'stickleback' dorsal radar masts and other antennae.

Production Details

Notes

1. The c/n's quoted are from Tapper [3], but only as c/n ranges per Mark and without direct tie up between serial and c/n.
   Mks I through IVA are as shown in the table above.
   For Mk.V, c/n range is given as 1509-1820, 1823-2976.
   For Mk.VII, c/n range is given as 2977-3122.
   The c/ns for civilian conversions (see table) are taken from the CAA database G-INFO and are most likely correct.
   There is some doubt as to their accuracy of the quoted c/ns, at least one historian giving the final Whitley c/n as 3134. It is interesting, however, to observe the following:
   If the c/ns for the 312 aircraft to contract 751457/38 (N1345 - P5112) follow directly from the last Mk.IVA (1508), this would culminate in c/n 1820. C/n's 1821 and 1822 are known to be Ensign Mk.IIs. If somewhere between Z6461 and BD360 there is a gap in c/n allocation of 12, then the final c/n would be 3134 (see above) and, if these c/ns are applied in serial order, would match the known c/ns of the civil registered Mk.Vs. Mere speculation on this authors part.
2. Between 1937 and 1945, Production Specifications were designated by the type and mark of aircraft, suffixed by the letter P and a sequence number identifying the individual order, i.e. "Whitley V/P2", was the 2nd Production Specification for the Whitley Mk.V. (Note the aircraft type has been omitted from the table for convenience).

Production References

1. The Whitley File, R.N. Roberts (Air Britain Publications, 1986)
2. Warpaint Series 2 #21 - AW Whitley, Ken Wixey (Alan W. Hall (Publications) Ltd, UK, 1999)
3. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Since 1913, Oliver Tapper (Putnam, 1973)
4. RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Serial Ledger (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-1 thru 5)
6. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-4)
7. RAF Air Historical Branch: Aircraft Movement Cards, Form 78 (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-125) and available at https://www.lancasterbombers.net/form-78-aircraft-movement-cards/
8. Ministry of Aircraft Production Aeroplane Price Books (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records X005-2126)