Handley Page Halifax

Handley Page Halifax
Country	UK
Role	Heavy bomber
First flight	25 October 1939
Built	6176

The Handley Page Halifax was a Royal Air Force (RAF) four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It was developed by Handley Page to the same specification as the contemporary twin-engine Avro Manchester. The Halifax has its origins in the twin-engine HP56 proposal of the late 1930s, produced in response to the British Air Ministry’s Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for “world-wide use.” The HP56 was ordered as a backup to the Avro 679, both aircraft being designed to use the underperforming Rolls-Royce Vulture engine. The Handley Page design was altered at the Ministry to a four-engine arrangement powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine; the rival Avro 679 was produced as the twin-engine Avro Manchester which, while regarded as unsuccessful mainly due to the Vulture engine, was a direct predecessor of the famed Avro Lancaster. Both the Lancaster and the Halifax would emerge as capable four-engined strategic bombers, thousands of which would be built and operated by the RAF and several other services during the War.

Source: Handley Page Halifax on Wikipedia

Handley Page Halifax Bomber Walk Around
Photographer	Bill Maloney
Localisation	RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force Museum
Photos	45

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 1

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 2

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 3

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 4

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 5

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 6

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 7

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 8

Handley Page Halifax Bomber 9

Click on a photo and use the mouse scroll to view all photos

Wait, Searching Handley Page Halifax…

General Characteristics and Role

The Handley Page Halifax was one of the three principal four-engined heavy bombers used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War II, alongside the Avro Lancaster and the Short Stirling. Developed from a 1936 specification for a twin-engine medium bomber, it was quickly upscaled into a heavy bomber when the war began. It formed the backbone of RAF Bomber Command’s night offensive against Germany from 1941 onward. While primarily a bomber, the Halifax proved to be an extremely versatile aircraft, serving successfully in roles including coastal command (anti-submarine warfare), glider tugging, troop transport, and electronic warfare (EW).

Property	Typical Value (Halifax B.Mk III, most numerous variant)
Role	Heavy Bomber, Maritime Reconnaissance, Transport
National Origin	United Kingdom
Manufacturer	Handley Page, English Electric, Fairey Aviation, Rootes Motors, London Aircraft Production Group
First Flight	25 October 1939
Crew	7 (Pilot, Flight Engineer, Navigator, Bomb Aimer, Radio Operator, 2 Gunners)
Length	21.82 m (71 ft 7 in)
Wingspan	31.75 m (104 ft 2 in)
Height	6.32 m (20 ft 9 in)
Empty Weight	17,340 kg (38,220 lb)
Max Takeoff Weight	29,480 kg (65,000 lb)

Powerplant and Performance

Engines: 4 x Bristol Hercules XVI 14-cylinder radial engines.
Power Output (Each): 1,200 kW (1,615 hp).
Maximum Speed: 454 km/h (282 mph; 245 kn) at 4,115 m (13,500 ft).
Cruise Speed: 346 km/h (215 mph).
Range: 3,000 km (1,860 mi; 1,620 nmi) with typical bombload.
Service Ceiling: 7,315 m (24,000 ft).

Armament and Bombload

Defensive Armament: Typically 9 x .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns spread across a nose turret, a dorsal (mid-upper) turret, and a large four-gun tail turret.
Bombload: Normal maximum load was 5,897 kg (13,000 lb).
Bomb Bay: Split bomb bays in the fuselage and smaller bomb cells in the wing center section allowed for a flexible mixture of general-purpose bombs and incendiaries.
Production: Over 6,176 Halifax aircraft were built during the war. It flew the second-highest number of sorties and dropped the second-highest tonnage of bombs among RAF heavy bombers.