Vickers Windsor

The Vickers Windsor was a Second World War British four-engine heavy bomber, designed by Barnes Wallis and Rex Pierson at the Vickers-Armstrongs factory at Brooklands.

Only three examples (the original plus successive prototypes known as Type 457 and Type 461) were built.

This was due to refinements in the existing Lancaster bomber, rendering it suitable for the role for which the Windsor had been designed.

The first prototype flew on 23 October 1943, the second on 15 February 1944, and the third on 11 July 1944.

All three were built at Vickers’ secret dispersed Foxwarren Experimental Department between Brooklands and nearby Cobham.

The two latter prototypes were tested until the end of the Second World War, when further development and production were cancelled.

Variants

Type 447

First prototype, serial DW506, powered by four 1,315 horsepower (981 kW) Rolls-Royce Merlin 65 engines.

Type 457

Second prototype, serial DW512, powered by four 1,635 horsepower (1,219 kW) Merlin 85 engines.

Type 461

Third prototype, serial NK136, powered by four 1,635 horsepower (1,219 kW) Merlin 85 engines, armed with a pair of 20mm guns in each remote-controlled barbette in rear of outer engine nacelles, aimed from the unarmed tail position.

Specifications

Crew

Six – Seven

Length

76 ft 10 in (23.42 m)

Wingspan

117 ft 2 in (35.71 m)

Height

23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)

Wing area

1,248 sq ft (115.9 m2)

Empty weight

38,606 lb (17,511 kg)

Gross weight

54,000 lb (24,494 kg)

Powerplant

4 × Rolls-Royce Merlin 65 liquid-cooled V12 engine

Performance

Maximum speed

317 mph (510 km/h, 275 kn) at 23,000 ft (7,000 m)

Range

2,890 mi (4,650 km, 2,510 nmi) with 8,000 lb (3,600 kg) bombload

Service ceiling

27,250 ft (8,310 m)

Rate of climb

1,250 ft/min (6.4 m/s)

Armament

Guns

4 × 20 mm cannon in remote controlled barbettes firing to rear

Bombs

Approximately 15,000 lb (6,800 kg) of bombs.