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| For a related topic click Order of Battle * Equipment 1937-1945 |
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| Vickers Virginia |
| On the 15th March 1937 No 75 Squadron was reformed as a heavy bomber Sqn based at RAF Stataion Driffield with an initial complement of 1 officer pilot 2 NCO pilots and 47 other ranks . These airmen were posted from 218 Sqn. the inital equipment were four Vickers Virginia and two Avro Ansons |
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| Powerplant: Two 580 hp Napier Lion VB twelve cylinder W-type engines. Each driving a two blade propeller |
| Wing Span: 87 ft 8 in ( 26.72m ) Length: 62 ft 3 in (18.97m ) Wing Area: 2178 sq ft ( 202.35m ) Gross Weight: 17,600 lb ( 7,983 kg ) Max Speed: 108 mph ( 174 km/h ) at 5000 ft ( 1526 m ) Range: 985 miles (1585 k ) |
| Armaments: One 0.303 Lewis Machine Gun in the nose and one in the tail; up to 3000 lb (1360kg ) of bombs Accomodation: Crew of three The Avro Virginias first flight was on 24 November 1922. Intended as a long range successer to the famous Vickers Vimy. The Virginia served the RAF bomber Squadrons for 14 inter war years , and a few were still flying as late as 1941. Of 126 Virginias built, in various models 50 were Mk X's ( to which this data applies ) and 53 of the earlier machines were converted to the same standard. One early experiment not adopted for service aircraft, was the fitting of 'fighting tops' -- nacelles attached to the upper wings to carry to foreward-firing and two rearward-- firing machine guns |