I continue my visit to the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. Bordering to the Historic Hangars is another set of hangars, housing the “Bomber Hall”.
The Fairey Battle was introduced in 1937 but lack of speed and defensive armament made it obsolescent when the war began. Due to the lack of more modern types it however remained in front line service and was the first aircraft sent to France at the outbreak of war.
This Handley Page Halifax bomber was one of the aircraft attacking Tirpitz in April 1942. At an altitude of 60 m above water ready to drop four 450 kg mines it was hit by German anti-aircraft gunners.
This Halifax was found in water 1971 and brought to the surface the year after. It has been decided to keep it this way with the exception of one engine that has been restored.
Well, this is the “Bomber Hall”…
Bomber Command suffered the highest casualty rate of any branch of the British services in World War Two and the average age of the seven-man crew in an Avro Lancaster was only 22 years. This is an impressive aircraft made in great numbers. Six major companies built 7377 aircraft at ten factories on two continents.
The B24 Liberator was built in greater numbers than any other US military aircraft. In India it remained in service until 1968. To the right is a Percival Prentice trainer.
This is an office with a view…
…but also a very demanding place to work; the Boeing B17G Fortress. A total of 12,731 Fortresses were manufactured of which just over two-hundred were supplied to the RAF.
This is a Messerschmitt BF109G-2. More than 33000 190’s were built and it is a legend among the WWII fighters.
The Focke Wulf Fw 190 was one of the most successful combat aircraft of World War Two. This example was originally a one-seat fighter but modified as a two-seat aircraft.
The Heinkel He162 was designed as a cheap jet fighter capable of being flown by almost anyone but it came too late to have any effect on the outcome of the war. 
The Vulcan was the second of the Royal Air Force’s ‘V bombers’ and provided part of Great Britain’s nuclear deterrent force. The last Vulcans retired from operational service in 1984 and the last Vulcan flying will make its last flight this year.
