The Vickers Wellesley was one of two aircraft submitted by the Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd company to fulfill Air Ministry Specification G.4/31 of 1931 calling for a multirole/general purpose torpedo bombing platform - the second being the Type 253 biplane. The Type 253 biplane was eventually realized as a flyable prototype form and 150 of the type were ordered. Vickers then proceeded to work as a private venture on the Type 246 which was more in line with the light bomber role against no standing requirement. A first flight followed on June 19th, 1935.
Due to the promising nature of the Type 246 design, the order for the Type 253 was reduced and ended with a sole example being completed. The Type 246 managed a better return with 96 being contracted for production set to begin in March 1937. Air Ministry Specification 22/35 of 1935 was written to satisfy the Type 246's procurement.
Adopted as the "Wellesley", the finalized aircraft was a gangly creature. It featured two separate cockpits for its crew of three, creating a "double-hump" shape along the fuselage spine. A radial piston engine was fitted to the front of the fuselage with a single-finned conventional tail unit held aft. The wing mainplanes were straight appendages, mounted low along the fuselage sides. The aircraft used a "geodetic" airframe construction approach (designed by Barnes Wallis) which was intended to promote a stronger airframe. The wheeled undercarriage (in "tail dragger" configuration) was retractable but only through a manual process. The bomb load was to be carried in panniers held under the wings so as to not disrupt the special construction of the fuselage.
Power was from a Bristol Pegasus XX serial radial piston engine of 925 horsepower. Performance specifications included a maximum speed of 228 miles per hour, a range out to 1,220 miles, and a service ceiling of 25,500 feet. Cruising speeds were in the 180 miles per hour neighborhood.
Standard defensive armament was a single .303 caliber Vickers machine gun fitted to the starboard side wing in a fixed, forward-firing mount. A .303 caliber Vickers K machine gun was fitted on a trainable mount in the rear cockpit. The bomb load totaled 2,000 pounds.
The initial production models were known as Wellesley Mk I and these were delivered to the Royal Air Force's squadron No. 76 during April of 1937. By May of 1938, 177 total aircraft were delivered. Three specially-modified Wellesleys were used to set a world distance record on November 5th, 1938, traveling from Ismailia, Egypt to Darwin, Australia. The Wellesley Mk II differed only in that it had a single-piece cockpit canopy offering better streamlining.
Vickers delved into other related models that included the Type 289 serving as an engine testbed, the Type 291 as a "blind flying" model, the Type 292 which numbered three aircraft and were the ones used in the RAF's Long-Range Development Flight program mentioned above, the Type 294 for its reinforced wing elements, and the Type 402 experimental platform.
When Britain declared war on Germany in September of 1939, the Wellesley was still available in number though it was clear the aircraft was of an obsolete type. By this time, they were primarily based in the Middle East and ended up taking sorties over East Africa against Italian targets. Their range was an exceptional quality for bombing though the line was highly susceptible to Italian intercepting biplane fighters in the theater as the British bombers flew largely unescorted to this point in the war. The Wellesley maintained some value in raids and general reconnaissance work that continued into September of 1942. The line was retired in full during 1944. At least three Wellesleys were sold off to the Egyptian government to serve the local air force. Another notable operator became the South African Air Force.
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(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.
✓Special-Mission: Anti-Ship
Equipped to search, track, and engage enemy surface elements through visual acquisition, radar support, and onboard weaponry.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
Length
39.2 ft (11.95 m)
Width/Span
74.6 ft (22.75 m)
Height
15.3 ft (4.65 m)
Empty Wgt
6,757 lb (3,065 kg)
MTOW
12,500 lb (5,670 kg)
Wgt Diff
+5,743 lb (+2,605 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Vickers Wellesley production variant)
Installed:
1 x Bristol Pegasus XX radial piston engine developing 925 horsepower.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Vickers Wellesley 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:
1 x 7.7mm Vickers machine gun in fixed, forward-firing mount in starboard wing.
1 x 7.7mm Vickers K machine gun in rear cockpit position.
OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,000 lb of bombs held underwing.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 2
Wellesley - Base Series Name
Type 281 - Company model designation
Mk I (Type 287) - Initial production model with separated cockpits.
Mk II - Revised model with single-piece canopy
Type 289 - Engine test platform
Type 291 - Specialized "blind-flying" model
Type 292 - Long-range modification aircraft for record-setting.
Type 294 - Reinforced wing elements; prototype only.
Type 402 - Experimental model; three crew.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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Egypt; South Africa; United Kingdom
