The Wellesley was the first successful bomber utilizing
the Barnes Wallis geodetic construction method. The technology was the first
wholly novel approach to aircraft construction since the First World War and
was put in practice by Vickers for several aircraft. Three long-range Wellesleys of the type shown here made the record-breaking
long distance flight to Australia. A geodesic is the short line joining
two points on a spherical surface - on a tube such as an aircraft fuselage, it
forms a spiral around the surface.
A second geodesic
wrapping in the other direction forms several
intersection points and thus a series of rigid
joints for construction of the airframe. This
method results in a very strong structure with
no internal bracing - thereby allowing plenty of
room for aircraft structures such as extra fuel
tanks, etc. Their evaluation required several
additional features for operational use,
including mounting of bombs in wing panniers,
thereby reducing the need to cut into the
geodesic fuselage construction.
A sliding cockpit
canopy was introduced and a Vickers machine gun
added. The engine used was a Pegasus X radial,
later an XX engine, and the undercarriage was
retracted by hydraulics, as opposed to the
original manual operation. Production commenced
in 1937 and peaked in 1938. 96 were delivered to
the RAF, entering service with No 76 Squadron,
and subsequently with Nos 14, 45 and 223
Squadrons in the Middle East.
Never seriously
considered for home base use, the aircraft was
adapted for the RAF Long Range Development Unit
(LRDU). The geodesic wing design gave ample room
for large fuel tanks - and was ideal for an
aircraft to set a new World Record for distance
in a straight line. Service Wellesley had only a
range of 2500 mls with a bomb load of 1000 lbs.
In the Second World War the
Wellesley formed an advanced strike force in the
Middle East with 14, 47 and 223 Sqdns - and on
June 1940 bombed the Eritean capital, Asmara.
In
the Second World War the Wellesley formed an
advanced strike force in the Middle East with
14, 47 and 223 Sqdns - and on June 1940 bombed
the Eritean capital, Asmara. Additional sorties
continued with the Wellesley pilots relying on
the aircraft height to escape Italian fighters.
A notable adversary was the Fiat CR42 biplane,
responsible for many downed Wellesleys.
Additional operations continued until April
1941, when Masswa, Addis Ababa and most of East
Africa fell to British forces.
SAAF units flying the
Wellesley continued around Gondar, culminating
with an attack of aircraft including SAAF
Mohawks, Hartebeest and Ju 86S, together with
Wellesleys. After the successful conclusion of
the operation, baring patrol activities over the
Red Sea by Wellesleys of 47 Sqdn, the career of
the Wellesley was over. Although outmoded for
action in the WWII, the Wellesley was at its
time a very remarkable aircraft. No surviving
aircraft exists today.
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