World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Bristol Aeroplane Company responded to the British Air Ministry's Specification C.26/31, which called for a monoplane aircraft with 24-passenger capacity, with the Type 130 Bombay design. Once accepted with an order for 80 examples, because Bristol's own Filton factory was busy building Blenheim bombers, the production of Bombay aircraft was contracted out to Short & Harland Limited. Due to the complex wing design, the first example was not delivered until 1939. During that same year, 50 examples were built; the remaining 30 on the order was canceled. Although built as bombers, they saw more service as transport aircraft during the Europe War. In the Middle East and East Africa, they retained their role as bombers at times. Notable Bombay aircraft those of No. 216 Squadron RAF which were used to evacuate the Greek royal family from Crete to Egypt on 2 May 1941, and the Bombay aircraft that was shot down in North Africa that killed Lieutenant General William Gott. Obsolete, they were retired in 1944 before the war was over.

SPECIFICATIONS

Mk. I

Machinery	Two Bristol Pegasus XXII radial engines rated at 1,010hp
Armament	2x7.7mm Vickers K machine guns, 8x113kg bombs on under-fuselage racks, capacity for 24 troops or 10 stretchers
Crew	4
Span	29.20 m
Length	21.10 m
Height	6.10 m
Wing Area	124.50 m²
Weight, Loaded	6,260 kg
Weight, Maximum	9,173 kg
Speed, Maximum	309 km/h
Speed, Cruising	268 km/h
Rate of Climb	3.80 m/s
Service Ceiling	7,600 m
Range, Maximum	3,560 km

Photographs