Great Britain Bombers

Type: Avro Vulcan B.Mk 2A five crew heavy bomber.

Max Speed: 645 mph at 36,000 ft.

Climb Rate:

Service Ceiling: 50,000 ft.

Range: 3,450 miles on a lo-lo-lo mission.

Armament: up to 21,000 lb of disposable stores.

Photo: B Thouanel

During the Falklands war, Vulcans operated from Ascension Island on very long range mission against the runway of port Stanley airfield, and against Argentine air defense radars.

Type: Vickers Valiant B.Mk1 five crew heavy bomber.

Max Speed: 567 mph at 30,000 ft.

Climb Rate: 4,000 ft per min.

Service Ceiling: 54,000 ft.

Range: 195 miles.

Armament: up to 21,000 lb of disposable stores.

Photo: RAF Museum

The Valiant B.Mk 1 was the first strategic nuclear bomber placed into operational service by the British.

Type: Handley Page Halifax B.Mk II Series 1A seven crew heavy bomber.

Max Speed: 280 mph at 17,500 ft.

Climb Rate:

Service Ceiling: 22,800 ft.

Range: 2,140 miles.

Armament: nine 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns, and up to 13,000 lb of bombs.

Photo: Imperial War Museum.

The Halifax B.Mk II Series 1 introduced a twin gun dorsal turret whose drag did much to reduce performance.

Type: Avro Lancaster Mk I seven seat heavy bomber.

Max Speed: 287 mph at 11,500 ft.

Climb Rate: 20,000 ft in 41 minutes 0 seconds.

Service Ceiling: 24,500 ft.

Range: 2,530 miles.

Armament: eight 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns in nose, dorsal, and tail turrets and up to 14,000 lb of bombs.

Photo: M. Rostaing

The Lancaster was Great Britain's most important bomber of the Second World War and, in addition to its standard night bombing role, flew several specialized roles.

Type: Handley Page 0/400 four seat heavy bomber.

Max Speed: 97.5 mph at sea level.

Climb Rate:

Service Ceiling: 8,500 ft.

Range: endurance 8 hours.

Armament: five 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns and up to 2,000 lb of bombs.

Photo: Salamander

The Royal Air Force's answer to attacks on London by German Gotha bombers was to strike Germany in 1918 with the Handley Page 0/400 was ungainly but very effective and was used as a transport after the war.

Type: Handley Page Hampaden Mk I four seat medium bomber.

Max Speed: 254 mph at 13,800 ft..

Climb Rate: 980 ft per minute.

Service Ceiling: 19,000 ft.

Range: 1,885 miles with a 2,000 bomb load.

Armament: six 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns, one fixed and
one trainable in nose, and two trainable in dorsal and ventral
positions, and up to 4,000 lb of bombs.

Photo: RAF Museum

The Hampden Mk I's lines which were advanced in 1936, but obsolete against day fighters opposition in 1939. The fuselage's extreme narrowness made it impossible for another of the crew to reach and change place with the pilot should the latter be wounded or killed.

Type: Avro Manchester Mk IA seven seat medium bomber.

Max Speed: 265 mph at 17,000 ft.

Climb Rate:

Service Ceiling: 19,200 ft.

Range: 1,630 miles with an 8,100 lb bomb load.

Armament: eight 0.303 in &.7 mm machine guns in the four gun
tail turret and two gun dorsal and nose turrets, an up to 10,350 lb of bombs.

Photo: Musee de 1' Air

In itself the Manchester was a total failure, but it did pave the way for the superlative Lancaster, which had been planned in a parallel development as a four-engine heavy bomber.

Type: Boulton Paul Overstrand five seat medium bomber.

Max Speed: 153 mph at 6,500 ft.

Climb Rate: 1,100 ft per minute.

Service Ceiling: 22,500 ft.

Range: 545 miles.

Armament: three 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns, nose turret, ventral and dorsal positions, and up to 1,600 lb of bombs.

Photo: Musee de 1' Air

J9186 was built as a Sidestrand, but is seen after its conversion as a Overstrand prototype.

Type: Vickers Wellington Mk IC six seat medium bomber.

Max Speed: 235 mph at 15,500 ft.

Climb Rate: 1,120 ft in per minute.

Service Ceiling: 33,000 ft.

Range: 2,550 miles.

Armament: six 0.303 in 7.7 mm machine guns in nose and tail turrets, and two beam positions, and up to 4,500 lb of bombs.

Photo: Salamander

After sterling service as a bomber up to 1942, the Wellington was diverted increasingly to alternative roles such as gunnery training as seen in this 1943 photograph.