Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

Transport / Tug Aircraft [ 1941 ]

The Armstrong Albemarle failed to impress as a bomber and, as such, was relegated to glider tug and transport service during World War 2.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 10/17/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

High-angled right side top view of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle in flight

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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The Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle became one of those aircraft designs that evolved into a role not initially envisioned. The system was born from an earlier Bristol-designed reconnaissance platform that went nowhere and was further evolved by Armstrong Whitworth as a bomber. When that classification failed for the Albemarle, the system was relegated to dedicated transport and glider tug, taking part in some of the major offensives and invasions of World War 2. Generally regarded as unpleasant-an-aircraft as there ever was, the Albemarle would nevertheless become an integral part of the British war effort.

The Albemarle appeared in prototype form as early as 1939 with production sending early examples to frontline forces by 1941. The system failed to shine as a dedicated bomber through the first 42 systems delivered and many were switched over to the transport role. Construction was of a mix-wood and metal, incorporating a basic fuselage with heavy glazing along the nose. The twin engines were mounted along a mid-wing monoplane arrangement. A lone, manually-operated turret was fitted in a dorsal/middle-fuselage position and could be fitted with 2 x or 4 x 7.7mm machine guns as required. Twin rudder fins were set in the tail section. Power came from 2 x Bristol Hercules XI series, 14-cylinder radial piston engines which could generate up to 1,590 horsepower apiece. One unique aspect of the Albermarle's design was in her use of a tricycle landing gear system, something no other British production aircraft had fielded up to this point.

The Albemarle took part in the invasion of Sicily to which they were used to tow support gliders into action. Additionally, the system took part in the upcoming D-Day invasion landings of June 1944 (again as glider tugs) and served with airborne elements during the airdrops over Arnhem - one of three major points controlling three major bridges in British General Bernard Law Montgomery's far-reaching "A Bridge Too Far" campaign to end the war before Christmas. In the end, the Albemarle served with some subtle distinction in her not-too-glorious - yet ultimately detrimental - transport/utility role, a role never intended for the old girl at the outset.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1941

Origin

United Kingdom

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

4

Production

600
UNITS

Armstrong Whitworth - UK

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United Kingdom; Soviet Union

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Ground Attack (Bombing, Strafing)
Ability to conduct aerial bombing of ground targets by way of (but not limited to) guns, bombs, missiles, rockets, and the like.

✓ Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.

Length

59.9 ft
(18.26 m)

Width/Span

77.0 ft
(23.47 m)

Height

15.6 ft
(4.75 m)

Empty Wgt

22,600 lb
(10,251 kg)

MTOW

36,500 lb
(16,556 kg)

Wgt Diff

+13,900 lb
(+6,305 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Mk II production variant)

Installed: 2 x Bristol Hercules XI 14-cylinder radial air-cooled piston engines developing 1,590 horsepower each.

Max Speed

256 mph
(412 kph | 222 kts)

Ceiling

17,999 ft
(5,486 m | 3 mi)

Range

1,350 mi
(2,173 km | 4,024 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle Mk II production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD:
2 OR 4 x 7.7mm Vickers machine guns in manually-operated dorsal turret

OPTIONAL:
Up to 4,500lb of ordnance held internally.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

Mk I - Initial Production Models; 42 being completed as bomber types whilst remaining 558 built to transport specifications.

Mk II - Transport Variant

Mk V - Glider Tug

Mk VI - Glider Tug

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Images Gallery

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Image of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

High-angled right side top view of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle in flight

2 / 4

Left side view of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

3 / 4

Left side profile view of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle

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Front left side view of the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle in flight

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