Although not as famous as some other British aircraft, the Handley Page Halifax played a major role towards securing an Allied victory during the Second World War. Along with the Lancaster, the Halifax shared the major burden of Bomber Command's prolonged night offensive over Germany. Unlike the Lancaster, however, which was used solely as a bomber during the war, the Halifax earned fame in other fields, both as glider-tug with Airborne Forces and as a general reconnaisssance aircraft with Coastal Command.
The first Halifax took to the air on 25 October 1939 from the RAF airfield at Bicester but it was to be almost a year before the second aircraft flew (August 1940). Within two months however, the first production aircraft had flown and barely five weeks later the first squadron to form on the Halifax, No 35, was receiving its initial aircraft at Leeming. The Aircraft was the second of the RAF's new four-engined 'heavies', being preceded by the Stirling by three months into service.
The first Halifax took to the air on 25 October 1939 from the RAF airfield at Bicester but it was to be almost a year before the second aircraft flew (August 1940). Within two months however, the first production aircraft had flown and barely five weeks later the first squadron to form on the Halifax, No 35, was receiving its initial aircraft at Leeming. The Aircraft was the second of the RAF's new four-engined 'heavies', being preceded by the Stirling by three months into service.
The most numerous Halifax variant was the B Mk III of which 2,091 were built. First appearing in 1943, the Mk III featured the Perspex nose and modified tail of the Mk II Series IA but replaced the Merlin with the more powerful 1,650 hp Bristol Hercules XVI radial engine. Other changes included de Havilland Hydromatic propellers and rounded wing tips. The definitive version of the Halifax was the B Mk VI, powered by the 1,800 hp Hercules 100 which gave it a top speed of 325 mph.
There are only two restored Halifax bombers in the world. One is located at the Yorkshire Air Museum, on the site of the WWII airfield RAF Elvington. The other, RCAF NA337 was retrieved from the bottom of Lake Mjøsa in Norway in 1995 after being shot down in April 1945. It was brought back to Canada and restoration was completed in 2005. NA337 is a Halifax A. Mk VII, Special Duties, aircraft and resides at RCAF Memorial Museum at CFB Trenton in Trenton,Ontario, near Kingston, Ontario. The third Halifax, the Mk II, Serial Number W 1048 which was recovered from Lake Hoklingen in Norway where it crashed after being damaged in an attack on the Tirpitz, was recovered by a 'sub aqua' team from the RAF in 1973 and it is displayed in its recovered condition in the Royal Air Force Bomber Command Museum at Hendon in London.
Artist Paul Howard.
Available as a A3 or 20x16 inch print.
