Halifax BIII

HALIFAX BIII SPECIFICATION

Powerplants: Four Bristol Hercules XVI radial engines rated at 1,615 h.p. at 2,900 r.p.m. for take-off, 1,675 (5 min. limit) at 4,500 ft. and 1,455 h.p. at 12,000 ft.

 Dimensions: Span 99 ft. (later a/c 104 ft.2 in.); length 71 ft. 7 in.; height 20 ft. 9 in.; wing area 1,250 sq.ft. (later a/c 1.275 sq.ft.);

Weights: Tare 38,240 lb., max. t/o 65,000 lb., max. landing 55,000 lb. Max. fuel capacity 2,688 imp. gal.

 Performance: (At normal loaded weight) 278 m.p.h. at 6,000 ft., 282 m.p.h. at13,500 ft.; most economical cruising speed 215 m.p.h. at 20,000 ft.; range (with 1,150 imp. gal. and 13,000 lb. bomb load) 1,030 miles, (with 1,986 imp. gal. and 7,000 lb. bomb load) 1,985 miles; Service ceiling (normal loaded) 24,000 ft.; initial rate of climb 960 ft./min., time to 20,000 ft., 37.5 min. (max. weight) 50 min.

Armament: One flexible 0.303 Vickers “K” gas operated gun with 300 rounds in nose and four 0.303 in. Browning guns with 1,160 r.p.g. in each of Boulton Paul dorsal and tail turrets.   Some early a/c had one flexible 0.5 in. Browning gun in a ventral “blister”. Max. bomb load 13,000 lb.

Alternative fuselage bomb loads, six 1,000 lb. plus two 2,000 lb., one 8,000 lb., two 4,500 lb., four 2,000 lb., eight 1,000 lb., two 1,500 lb. (mines) plus six 500 lb., or nine 500 lb. plus six 500 lb. bombs in wing cells.

Halifax WL – C was built at English Electric, Preston in August 1944,registered as MZ920 and assigned to 434 Squadron, R.C.A.F. which was based at Croft, North Yorkshire.  It flew 17 missions before crashing in the parish of Dunchurch, due to engine failure, whilst on its way to Germany on the night of 14^th October 1944. Of the seven man crew, two managed to bale out and the remainder went down with the aircraft as they attempted to make an emergency landing at Church Lawford aerodrome.

The names of those that died are engraved on a memorial stone which can be seen at The Heath, Rugby Road, Dunchurch.  This stone was unveiled and dedicated on 6th June 2004 at a ceremony attended by veterans associations, local dignitaries and a delegation from the Canadian High Commission led by Major Alan Tassé as well as many of the residents of Dunchurch.