By: Vicbitter - 8th January 2006 at 11:02
Interesting reading here:
http://www.pilotfriend.freeola.com/century-of-flight/Aviation%20history/WW2/new%20aircraft6/Vickers%20WELLINGTON.htm
By: JDK - 8th January 2006 at 08:34
Yessss…. Read post 1 again 😉
However I’d be interested if you can come up with alts of these versions…
By: Eric Mc - 8th January 2006 at 08:31
There were those specil pressurised Wellingtons too, weren’t there?
By: JDK - 8th January 2006 at 00:39
Hi Steve,
Many thanks in advance, glad the CD got there!
Melv, if you can take off from a mountain, doesn’t that give you a head start on max alt? 😀
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 8th January 2006 at 00:36
But doesn’t it depend on how big your feet actually are?
By: Merlinmagic - 7th January 2006 at 23:45
Melv.
You had better bring yer notebook on Monday and I’ll borrow a whiteboard for 20mins! :rolleyes:
By: Melvyn Hiscock - 7th January 2006 at 23:21
Wouldn’t also depend on local pressure? Take off on a hot day with high pressure and you won’t get as high as on a cold one with low pressure.
Or is it the other way around?
Or the other way?
Anyway, service ceilings are when a standard rate of climb is reached, so when it gets down to 100ft per minute or something, it is not an absolute, just what can be guaranteed.
I remember seeing a letter in an old Airfix magazine when an ex-Stirling crew member claimed to have got them to 20,000 +.
By: steve_p - 7th January 2006 at 23:16
Hi James,
That info is in line with the stuff that I have. The Wellington that 161 Squadron briefly used was a Wellington DWI (presumably minus the de-gauzing ring and associated generator), so would have been pretty clean. It was used to make contact with French agents prior to the introduction of the Havoc, and later the Hudson, into this role. Still, 22,000ft seems to me, a tad high to be operating a Wellington, but the flight reports say that this was the case.
BTW, thanks for the cd. I was finally able to go through it over the Christmas holidays, it will be very helpful. I’ve got some more Hudson material for you in the midst of about 1,500 jpegs from Kew. 😮 It will probably take me a week or so to sort it all out.
Best wishes
Steve P
By: JDK - 7th January 2006 at 22:32
Hi Steve.
According to Weale’s Combat A/C of W.W.II, the Ic had a service ceiling of 18,000ft (5,486m) and the GR.VIII 19,000 ft (5,790m).
Both of these are service ceiling – a stripped out aircraft with bombs, racks, armament, radios, and armour removed would be able to reach higher. Also a service ceiling was a realistic target for a good average aircraft – some could fly higher in normal use, some never got there.
Of course the manufacturer’s ‘service ceiling’ was always optimistic, while the Air Force’s ‘service ceiling’ was usually more reliable.
There will be people who can make a better estimate than this – at that height I’ve no idea how much extra height can be gained by weight loss and clean up. Engine supercharging or tweaking will have an effect too, plus wing extensions – neither of which would be likely in 161’s hand, I’d guess.
In short I’d estimate it’s possible with a bit of work for a few special flights, but probably a struggle.
What’s the story? I’m interested in 161 and there’s a lot to be told of their non-Lysander ops even now.
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January 7, 2006 at 10:11 pm