Does anyone have an image of the Wellington with a Whittle engine positioned in the tail? The reason is that my dad recalls seeing such an aircraft during the war, with fire from its tail! It regularly flew over the Dunstable area, followed by a Lysander chase plane. Only during the later stages of WW2 did my dad realise that it was a jet engine such were the media restrictions.
A bit of quick research indicates that the Wellington was carrying out jet engine trials, but from where and what year?
By: dhfan - 20th September 2007 at 06:52
Leavesden was de Havilland, originally Mosquitos then DH Engines, later Bristol-Siddeley and didn’t end up in Rolls-Royce mitts until they took over Bristol in 1966 or thereabouts.
By: Buster The Bear - 19th September 2007 at 19:55
I visited Brooklands today and found out more.
4 Wellingtons were converted, flights mainly from Hucknall during 1942-44 with various development engines culminating in the Welland.
516 hours of flight testing time on 389 missions. Pictures and a lot more located behind the Wellington on display there.
Now did Rolls Royce have an aero engine plant during this period at Leavesden?
By: Buster The Bear - 17th September 2007 at 17:05
On further questioning, it would appear that it flew over several days maneuvering to the north of the Chiltern Hills around the Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard areas. Low enough for a teenage lad to identify the types and the uniqueness of the third engine emitting “fire from the tail”!
I will pour him another large glass of red tonight and see if he can remember more!
By: RPSmith - 17th September 2007 at 08:59
I don’t think Napiers were involved in jet engines were they? – at least in the early stages of development.
Maybe the Wellington was on it’s way to/from Bruntingthorpe/Bitteswell to Farnborough?
Roger Smith.
By: Buster The Bear - 17th September 2007 at 08:53
That thought did cross our minds, but I have no idea if Napier were developing such an engine. It certainly would make sense?
By: T-21 - 17th September 2007 at 08:39
Power Jets used Bruntingthorpe from 11.09.44 to 14.05.46 when they moved to Bitteswell . They used Wellington IIs W5389 and W5518 which served from 22.11.44 till 25.11.48.
As your father saw the aircraft in the Dunstable area i wonder if it was a Napiers of Luton test bed ??
By: Buster The Bear - 16th September 2007 at 23:18
Fascinating and thanks for the info, but why was it flying over Bedfordshire with a Lysander chase plane?
Magazine on order, thanks for the lead.
By: T-21 - 16th September 2007 at 23:04
Hybrid Wellington II Z8570 fitted with Merlin 62 main engines and Whittle jet tail installation at Bruntingthorpe 1944.
By: antoni - 16th September 2007 at 23:02
The photogrpah is in the July issue of Britain at War Magazine. Bruntingthorpe 1944. You can also find it at the ww2images website but you have to pay to see it.
By: victor45 - 16th September 2007 at 22:28
whittle wellington
theres a photo of a Vickers wellington in the ian Allan Book” Wellington at War” with a whittle jet engine mounted in the tail this aircraft was used as the whittle test bed cant remember the serial number im afraid.::cool: 😎 😎
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September 16, 2007 at 10:22 pm