Makes sense, some of the extra funding would be invested in quality as well as quantity.
I also thought that aircraft of greater range would be needed for the Imperial Air Routes, which would be based on the Handley Page V/1500.
Off the top of my head I think 160 V/1500s were ordered from more than one firm, but I don't know how many were actually built. I think the short RAF service of the four engine V/1500 had a lot to do with it being more expensive than the twin engine aircraft based on the H.P. O/400 and Vimy combined with the minimal funding of the RAF between 1919 and 1934.In OTL, the service of the V-1500 was rather quickly curtailed, and the Atlantic was crossed, rather, by a Vickers Vimy. However, you may be right in that use of the Pulverizer would more efficiently spend 4 times the money. It is curious that the Vimy's offspring, the Virginia, filled your 1924-1937 time-span as the backbone of the heavy night bomber force, in the RAF.
However, J9136 the third prototype was used for a proving flight to India in 1919. While it was there it made a bombing raid on Kabul.
The V/1500 used as the test-bed for the Napier Lion was flown by Keith Park and Sholto Douglas, whoever they were.
It does say that the V/1500 was used for 3 demonstration civil flights, but no details of the proposed civil version.
Did twice the trouble come from having twice as many engines?The bombing raid on Kabul was on the Sultan's harem. All his wives were terrified and ran out on the street. He surrendered.
A V-1500 carried 40 passengers on a half-hour hop. They weighed 6022 pounds. There weren't any windows so it wasn't a sight-seeing trip. I don't even know if they had seats. The next month, that aircraft had a forced landing in a field, with little damage. It was repaired and crashed on take-off, destroyed. There were no details of a civil version because it was too big, expensive and maintenance hoggish to even think of it, until you came along with too much money. It was roughly twice the weight of W8 or Vimy transports, and well more than twice the trouble. It didn't get folding wings because of any naval intentions.
Did twice the trouble come from having twice as many engines?
Fair enough.Compare empty weight. 8325/17000 lbs. (without termites). Plus, with engines of the era, one or more was bound to give trouble. Better engines were around the corner, but the V-1500 hadn't reached the corner yet. The significant long range flights by Fairey VLR and Wellesley single engine airplanes came somewhat later.
With my track record I doubt that this thread will get much further than the early 1930s. E.g. I didn't finish No Aircraft Carriers And More Battleships For Germany or Fleet Carriers And No Light Fleet Carriers - Effects On The Smaller Navies - Mark 2.Just curious, will there be a WWII and Post War follow up to this?
With my track record I doubt that this thread will get much further than the early 1930s. E.g. I didn't finish No Aircraft Carriers And More Battleships For Germany or Fleet Carriers And No Light Fleet Carriers - Effects On The Smaller Navies - Mark 2.
Thanks to quadrupled government funding, which included building the airports
As you seem to be the resident expert, how does the following fit in with what happened in OTL?Nice to see the airports getting a break. This is a far more significant improvement than it might seem.
As you seem to be the resident expert, how does the following fit in with what happened in OTL?
- A centrally planned network of airports in the British Isles;
- A programme of concrete runway construction in the UK and along the Imperial Air Routes in the early 1930s. This would officially be an unemployment relief measure, but unofficially be to make the airports useable in all weathers and allow for heavier aircraft to be operated.