Bill wrote:
"George Walker" wrote in message
...

Can anyone tell me about the Albemarle light bomber?

--
G Walker




Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle. WW2 bomber and glider tug. The first British
military aircraft to be fitted with a tricycle undercarriage. Made almost
exclusively of wood and steel because of wartime shortages of aluminium.
Parts manufacture very widely distrubuted - many made by furniture makers,
shopfitters etc with little or no previous aircraft manufacturing
experience. Used as light bomber, and later as a glider tug. Dimensions:
span 77ft; length 59ft 11in. Max speed 250mph; normal range 1350 miles. Poer
plant: 2 x Bristol Hercules XI engines. No pic I'm afraid, but from what I
recall, the Albemarle looked a little like the Bristol Blenheim.

Bill



A failure in its intended role - but used as a glider tug and transport
- as Bill says.

Supplied to the Soviets - and used by them as freighters were they were
very popular.

I am just reading about it - in 'British Secret Projects - Fighters &
Bombers 1935 - 1950' by Tony Buttler.

602 were delivered, but it had no advantage over current types and was
going to be outclassed by the new Stirling & Halifax.

It was mainly designed to use 'non-strategic' materials (wood, steel
tube etc), but it suffered as a result.

Ken