Folland high-speed bomber 1939

[Schneiderman]

The route to a high-speed, unarmed or lightly armed bomber for the RAF took ten years to mature until fulfilled, with distinction, by the de Havilland Mosquito. Along the way various formulae of single or twin engine layouts, a crew of one, two or three, bomb loads from 500lb to 3,000lb and a range of up to 3000 miles were considered. Both conventional and Mayo Composite types were suggested.

One advocate for a single-seat, single-engine bomber was Henry Folland, who considered a number of such type in his last year with Gloster and then when he was MD of Follland Aircraft. One was shown in the August 1939 edition of Aeronautics and was an adaptation of a fighter design from 1938, most likely the Fo107. The engine is not specified but from context and nose shape and size it appears to best fit the Napier Sabre (the RR Vulture is less likely). The aircraft carried a single 500lb bomb that was intended to be delivered as a dive bomber. Top speed, after bomb delivery, was estimated as 470mph. One interesting feature was the extendable cockpit to improve the view over the nose when landing or dive bombing.

Here is my rendering of the project, based on the 1939 GA drawings and a 1940 Folland advertisement featuring a revised version.

 

[hesham]

Great find my dear Schneiderman,

and the advertisement was from Flightglobal or not ?.

 

[Schneiderman]

and the advertisement was from Flightglobal or not ?.

Erm.......you might find that the name of the image jpg will give you a clue

 

[Schneiderman]

Despite the concept of a long-range, single-seat bomber being judged as impractical by the RAF, for the obvious reason that the burden of a lengthy mission navigating accurately over enemy territory to reach the bomb target, evading combat and then returning to base,was excessive for one man, the idea persisted. Once again Aeronautics, or more specifically the editor, Oliver Stewart, was the main advocate and several articles were published on the subject. Sketch designs were put forward by W.O.Manning (ex-English Electric) and W.E.Hicks, both of which were intended to carry a bomb load of 500lb and had top speeds of 370mph and 430mph respectively. At the more bizarre end of ideas was one by noted fantasist Noel Pemberton Billing. His design was to carry 2000lb of bombs and fly at 560mph. A few similar ideas are described in Tony Buttler's BSP4 and no doubt there were plenty of other schemes too.