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Royal Air Force Bomber
Command 60th Anniversary
Bomber Command Aircraft
Inter-War Light/Day Bombers
Fairey Fawn
 The
Fawn was designed as a replacement for the DH9A day-bomber and was first
flown in March 1923. Fifty aircraft were ordered for three home-based
squadrons (Nos 11, 12 and 100), the first arriving for No 12 Squadron
in March 1924. The Fawn lasted operational squadrons until December
1926, but a Special Reserve Squadron (No 503) and an Auxiliary Squadron
(No 603) did fly the type until 1929.
Length: 32ft 1in (9.78m) Span: 49ft 3in (15.01m) Height: 11ft 11in
(3.63m) Max Speed: 114mph (183km/h) Engine: One 468hp Napier Lion V
Bombload: 460lb (209kg) Armament: Single synchronised Lewis gun on the
nose and either one or two Lewis guns in rear cockpit.
Hawker Horsley
 The
Horsley was one of the first aircraft to be designed by one of Britain's
great aviation pioneers, Sydney Camm. Of all-metal construction, a single
prototype was ordered in 1924 and flew in Spring 1925 and production
aircraft began to reach the first squadron, No 100, from August 1927
before eventually serving with Nos 11, 15, 33 and 504 (Auxiliary Air
Force) Squadrons in the day-bomber role until March 1934. The type was
also used as a torpedo-bomber.
Length: 38ft 10in (11.84m) Span: 56ft 6in (17.22m) Height: 13ft 73/4in
(4.16m) Max Speed: 126mph (202km/h) Engine: One 665hp Rolls Royce Condor
IIIA Bombload: 1,500lb (681kg) Armament: One forward-firing (synchronised)
and one rear-mounted Lewis machine guns.
Fairey Fox
 A
remarkably graceful aircraft, the Fox caused something of a stir when
it entered service with No 12 Squadron (the only squadron to fly the
aircraft) in June 1926 as it was faster than RAF fighters of the time
(a situation not remedied until 1929 with the introduction of the Bulldog
fighter). So that a more 'balanced' situation existed in air exercises,
No 12 was ordered not to fly its aircraft faster than 140mph to give
defending fighters some chance of interception. Persistant problems
with the original Felix engine meant that the Fox suffered from a high
rate of crashes throughout its career, and No 12 Squadron rarely held
its full complement of 12 aircraft. But when everything was working
the aircraft was a great success and No 12 took great pride in its mount.
The Fox was retired in 1931.
Length: 28ft 3in (8.61m) Span: 37ft 8in (11.48m) Height: 10ft 8in (3.25m)
Max Speed: 160mph (257km/h) Engine: One 490hp Rolls Royce Kestrel IIA
Bombload: 500lb (227kg) Armament: One synchronised Lewis gun on front
fuselage, one Lewis gun in rear cockpit.
Fairey IIIF
 In
terms of numbers built, the Fairey IIIF is second only to the Hawker
Hart for aircraft serving with the RAF between the Wars (over 560 built).
The type was originally designed for the Fleet Air Arm as a reconnaissance
aircraft, but later adapted as a 'general purpose' aircraft for the
RAF, and as such served with Nos 35 and 207 (Bomber) Squadrons between
1927 and 1932. The Fairey IIIF will be best remembered for the service
it gave overseas where it survived until the mid-1930s.
Length: 36ft 8½in (11.19m) Span: 45ft 9in (15.16m) Height: 14ft
2in (4.32m) Max Speed: 120mph (193km/h) Engine: One 455hp Napier Lion
XIA Bombload: 500lb (227kg) Armament: One Vickers and one Lewis gun.
Hawker Hart
 The
Hart was chosen as the RAF's standard day bomber in April 1929 after
a competition with two other types (the Avro Antelope and de Havilland
Hound). A total of 459 Harts were built, a testament to the adaptability
of the simple airframe, and served at home and abroad with distinction
for many years. The first aircraft arrived at No 33 Squadron in January
1930 and served until their eventual replacement by the Hind in 1936.
Length: 29ft 4in (8.94m) Span: 37ft 3in (11.35m) Height: 10ft 5in (3.18m)
Max Speed: 184mph (295km/h) Engine: One 525hp Rolls Royce Kestrel IB
Bombload: 500lb (227kg) Armament: One forward-firing (synchronised)
Vickers and one rear-mounted Lewis machine guns.
Fairey Gordon
 The
Gordon was a development of the Fairey IIIF (its original designation
was the Fairey IIIF Mk V) fitted with a Jaguar radial engine although
this was later changed to a Panther. A number of original IIIFs were
converted to Gordons and saw service with Nos 40, 35 and 207 (Bomber)
Squadrons (replacing IIIFs in the latter two units) between 1931 and
1937. In the Middle East, Gordons helped defend the RAF airfield at
Habbaniya in Iraq in May 1941 whilst serving with No 4 Flying Training
School!
Length: 36ft 8½in (11.19m) Span: 45ft 9in (15.16m) Height: 14ft
2in (4.32m) Max Speed: 145mph (233km/h) Engine: One 525mph Armstrong
Siddeley Panther IIA Bombload: 500lb (227kg) Armament: One forward-firing
(synchronised) Vickers gun and one Lewis gun in rear cockpit.
Hawker Hind
 Building
on the success of the Hart, Hawker produced a total of 527 Hinds in
2 years. Production coincided with the expansion of the RAF, and Bomber
Command in particular, and the type was used as a day-bomber and trainer
with more RAF squadrons in peacetime than any other aircraft. The Hind
employed the same fabric-covered tubular airframe as the Hart, but was
fitted with an improved engine which gave marginally better performance.
The main differences were under the skin where a prone bomb-aiming position
was provided, and it was on the Hind that virtually all of Bomber Command's
wartime crews cut their teeth before the arrival of the monoplanes such
as Battles, Blenheims and Whitleys. A total of 26 bomber squadrons flew
the Hind (plus 13 auxiliary squadron) between December 1935 and May
1939.
Length: 29ft 7in (9.02m) Span: 37ft 3in (11.35m) Height: 10ft 7in (3.23m)
Max Speed: 186mph (299km/h) Engine: One 640hp Rolls Royce Kestrel V
Bombload: 500lb (227kg) Armament: One forward-firing (synchronised)
Vickers and one rear-mounted Lewis machine guns.
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