Vickers Wellesley British Bomber

The Vickers Wellesley was a medium bomber developed to Specification G.4/31 for the Royal Air Force. The initial Vickers submission was a biplane constructed using the geodesic structure developed by Sir Barnes Wallis. Although winning the tender process and an order for 150 aircraft, Vickers continued with an improved design, the Type 256. On evaluating this design, the RAF switched its order to the aircraft.

Considered obsolete by the start of the Second World War and thus unsuited to the European air war, the Wellesley was operated overseas in East Africa, Egypt and the Middle East. The final Wellesley-equipped unit, 47 Squadron, ended its use of the type as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft, during September 1942.

Although officially only produced in one version, the unofficial use of Mk.II was used for aircraft with the pilot’s canopy extended to the rear to cover the bomb aimer’s position.

Five aircraft were modified for long-distance flying by the RAF’s Long-Range Development Unit Flight and given the Vicker’s identification Type 292. Alterations included extensive work with a fuel dumping system to allow an emergency landing early in a long-distance flight when the weight of fuel would cause the aircraft to exceed its maximum landing weight. Visible differences included NACA-type long-chord cowlings. Three were used on the record-breaking flight.