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72-701: The Handley Page HP.52 Hampden is a British twin-engine medium bomber that was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was part of the trio of large twin-engine bombers procured for the RAF, joining the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and Vickers Wellington . The Hampden was powered by Bristol Pegasus radial engines but a variant known as the Handley Page Hereford had in-line Napier Daggers . The Hampden served in

144-638: A .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K installation in the rear upper and lower positions. The layout was similar to the all-guns-forward cockpits introduced about the same time in Luftwaffe medium bombers, notably the Dornier Do 17 . During the Norwegian Campaign , these guns proved to be thoroughly inadequate for self-defence in daylight; the single guns were replaced by twin Vickers K guns,

216-500: A birth name to a child according to their lunar horoscope, which is not usually the name by which they are otherwise known. Typically, a priest is invited to perform the ceremony at home, who finds the child's lunar horoscope from their birth details, as the mother is still recovering at home with the child. It is also known as Machabu Byakegu in Newari. This ceremony is normally small and celebrated amongst close family. The name assigned in

288-592: A ceremony held in Radlett Aerodrome, the same day on which its first flight took place. Viscountess Hampden's speech invoked "the spirit of John Hampden , the defender of civil liberties" to inspire future crews of his namesake aircraft. L4032 and L4033 , which was the second production-standard Hampden to be produced, would be later assigned to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at RAF Martlesham Heath , Suffolk . On 20 September 1938,

360-663: A featured role in The Big Blockade , a 1941 Second World War propaganda film showing "blockade" bombing and its effects on the German war industry, with Michael Rennie and John Mills as two of its four-man crew. Data from Hampden: Defender of Liberty, The Handley Page Hampden (Aircraft in Profile 58) General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Medium bomber The term

432-496: A large number of Hampdens were dispatched on night-time mine -laying (code-named "gardening") flights in the North Sea in areas deemed unapproachable by British shipping. According to Moyes, this activity proved highly effective, experiencing a low casualty rate of less than 1.9 aircraft per mission. The Hampden also saw a return to its use as a daytime bomber during the Norwegian Campaign , but quickly proved to be under-gunned in

504-538: A lesser degree among those Protestants who practice infant baptism . In Eastern Orthodoxy infants are traditionally named on the eighth day of life in a special service conducted either in the home or in church. Often, Christians will adhere to local traditions of the land in which they were born. For example, in Kerala , the traditional Hindu custom of tying an aranjanam is followed even in Christian families. In

576-555: A long-range torpedo bomber (the Hampden TB Mk I with a Mk XII torpedo in an open bomb bay and a 500-pound (230 kg) bomb under each wing) and as a maritime reconnaissance aircraft . The Hampden was also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota (AV-MF: Maritime Military Fleet Aviation) of

648-438: A naming ceremony as a non-religious alternative to ceremonies such as christening. The purpose is to recognise and celebrate the arrival of a child and welcome him or her in the family and circle of friends. The structure often reflects that of more traditional naming ceremonies, with a formal ceremony led by a humanist celebrant in which the parents name 'guide parents', 'mentors' or 'supporting adults' instead of godparents. This

720-433: A nominal load of 8,000 pounds (3,600 kg) or more, and light bombers carried up to 2,000 lb (907 kg). These distinctions were beginning to disappear by the middle of World War II, when the average fighter aircraft could now carry a 2,000 lb (907 kg) bombload. Advances in powerplants and designs eventually allowed light bombers , tactical bombers , and later jet fighter-bombers to take over

792-460: A pilot, navigator/bomb aimer, radio operator and rear gunner. Conceived as a fast, manoeuvrable "fighting bomber", the Hampden had a fixed forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine gun in the upper part of the fuselage nose. To avoid the weight penalties of powered turrets, the Hampden had a curved Perspex nose fitted with a manual .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun and

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864-531: A process led by Air Vice Marshal Arthur Harris of No. 5 Group RAF in 1940. The Hampden had a flush- rivetted stressed skin, reinforced with a mixture of bent and extruded sections in an all-metal monocoque design. A split-assembly construction technique was employed: sections were prefabricated and then joined, to enable rapid and economic manufacture. The fuselage was in three big sections – front, centre and rear – that were built using jigs . The centre and rear sections were made of two halves, which meant that

936-831: A small number of sorties from Vaenga. While it was originally intended that the Hampdens would be flown back to Scotland, the prevailing west–east headwinds on such a flight might have pushed the Hampdens beyond their maximum endurance and it was decided to transport the wing's personnel back to Britain by sea and gift the Hampdens to the Soviet Navy . Aircrews and mechanics from Maritime Military Fleet Aviation ( Aviatsiya Voenno-Morskogo Flota ; VMF) were trained by members of 144 and 455 Squadrons, before their return to Britain in October. The 3rd Squadron, 24th Mine-Torpedo Aviation Regiment (24 Минно-торпедный авиаполк; 24 MTAP ) operated

1008-467: A tray of uncooked rice. In Maharashtra , traditionally, women changed their birth-name upon marriage. The new name was selected by the husband to complement his own name. For example, a groom named Vishnu would change his bride's name to Lakshmi , the consort of Vishnu, Ramachandra would change his bride's name to Sita , and so on. Usually the husband writes the new name in a plate filled with dry uncooked rice grains. Some secular humanists perform

1080-459: Is a stage at which a person or persons is officially assigned a name. The methods of the practice differ over cultures and religions. The timing at which a name is assigned can vary from some days after birth to several months or many years. Naming a child, popularly referred to as "Christening", is usually through the baptism ceremony in Christianity , especially Catholic culture , and to

1152-418: Is claimed to have discarded the belief that aircraft such as the Hampden could realistically operate by day and instead chose to predominantly employ them under the cover of darkness during nighttime operations. During 1940, Hampdens of 5 Group conducted 123 nighttime airborne leaflet propaganda missions, losing only a single aircraft in the process. On 13 April 1940, days after Germany's invasion of Norway ,

1224-492: Is no longer used, development of aircraft that fulfil a 'medium bomber' mission in all but name continued and these have been employed in various post-World War II conflicts; examples include dedicated tactical bombers such as the Su-24 , Su-34 , F-111 , J-16 and F-15E which have greater payload and range capability than fighter-bombers, but less than heavier strategic bombers. Naming ceremony A naming ceremony

1296-439: Is often followed by a celebratory party. In Islam , the baby is named on the seventh day by the mother and father who make a decision together on what the child should be called. They choose an appropriate name, with a positive meaning. Aqiqah takes place on the seventh day also, this is a celebration which involves the slaughter of sheep. Sheep are sacrificed and the meat is distributed to relatives and neighbours and given to

1368-418: Is put into a cradle for the first time. In Kerala , a black thread and gold chain called an aranjanam are tied around the baby's waist on the 28th day. In certain parts of the state, it is performed on the 27th if it is a baby boy. The child's eyes are lined with mayye or kanmashi (kohl). A black spot is placed on one cheek or asymmetrically on the forehead, to ward off the evil eyes. The grandfather whispers

1440-554: Is used similarly in Wiccan. The name is usually referred to as a ' Holy Name ' or 'Druid Name'. The First Oath may be used in private, if one may choose to be solitary, but it sometimes customary to have a witness or members of the hearth or grove with which they are involved, participate in the oath. This First Oath may be something said within a Naming Ritual or Ceremony or simply used the right itself. Something totally different than this may be said: "I, [state your civil name], choose

1512-589: The Avro Lancaster . In 1932, the Air Ministry issued Specification B.9/32 seeking a twin-engined day bomber with higher performance than any preceding bomber aircraft. Handley Page and Vickers both designed aircraft to meet this specification, the Vickers design became the Wellington. The Handley Page design team, led by George Volkert , drafted a radical aircraft, initially centering upon

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1584-721: The English Electric Canberra (along with its derived U.S. counterpart, the Martin B-57 ) and the Soviet Ilyushin Il-28 "Beagle". Subsequent to World War II, only the U.S. Strategic Air Command ever used the term "medium bomber" in the 1950s to distinguish its Boeing B-47 Stratojets from somewhat larger contemporary Boeing B-52 Stratofortress "heavy bombers" in bombardment wings (older B-29 and B-50 heavy bombers were also redesignated as "medium" during this period). This nomenclature

1656-631: The Namakarana Samskara, this ceremony is conducted in an elaborative form on the 12th day after birth. In Kerala, this is conducted on the 28th day and called the Noolukettu ( transl.  tying thread ). In Nepal , the naming ceremony is known as Nwaran . In the Hindu tradition, the Nwaran is celebrated on the 11th day from the day of birth. This ceremony is performed to give

1728-758: The Soviet Union and the Swedish Flygvapnet (Air Force). The Hampden in RCAF service included the 160 examples manufactured in Canada by the Canadian Associated Aircraft consortium. Of the total built, 84 were shipped by sea to Great Britain, while the remainder came to Patricia Bay (Victoria Airport) B.C., to set up No. 32 OTU (RAF) used for bombing and gunnery training . Typical exercises at 32 OTU consisted of patrolling up

1800-768: The Swedish Air Force led to the creation of the HP.53 prototype, which was subsequently used as a testbed for a pair of 1,000 hp (750 kW) Napier Dagger VIII 24-cylinder H-block air-cooled inline engines. In August 1936, the Air Ministry placed an order for 100 Hampdens equipped with the Dagger engine. Those aircraft subsequently received the designation HP.53 , along with the name Hereford . Manufactured by Short & Harland in Belfast , their performance

1872-623: The battleship Tirpitz . The Hampden crews flew from Sumburgh in the Shetland Islands to Vaenga (Vayenga; later known as Severomorsk) in Murmansk Oblast , Russia . This was a hazardous route, often subject to poor weather and spanning more than 2,100 nautical miles (3,900 km), partly over enemy-occupied territory in Norway and Finland. Eight Hampdens were lost or damaged beyond repair en route. 144 and 455 Squadrons flew

1944-485: The torpedo bomber role. Later that year, detachments from both squadrons were dispatched to Vaenga airfield , Murmansk , Russia, to help safeguard the Arctic convoys in the vicinity. A total of four squadrons assigned to Coastal Command would be equipped with Hampdens. These squadrons continued to use the type into late 1943; the last Coastal Command squadron transitioned from the type on 10 December 1943. Almost half of

2016-632: The " balalaika " – the Russian nickname for the Hampden, in reference to its unusual shape – until mid-1943, when losses, a lack of replacements and a shortage of spares forced its retirement. 24 MTAP then reverted to the Ilyushin DB-3 / Ilyushin Il-4 . In Sweden, the Flygvapnet assigned an HP.52 to Reconnaissance Wing F 11 at Nyköping for evaluation, under the designation P5. After the war,

2088-435: The "Flying Suitcase" because of its cramped crew conditions, or more plausibly, because of the unusually thin, deep, slab-sided and rectangular shape of the fuselage was reminiscent of that of a suitcase. In September 1938, No. 49 Squadron received the first Hampdens; by the end of the year, both 49 and 83 Squadrons at RAF Scampton had re-equipped with the type. A total of 226 Hampdens were in service with ten squadrons by

2160-425: The Air Ministry in part because it was judged to represent a fair compromise between range, payload, and speed. During early 1936, the first prototype, designated as the HP.52 and given the serial number K4240 , was completed. On seeing the narrow-yet-deep fuselage, which was only 3 ft wide, C. G. Grey , founder of The Aeroplane magazine, remarked "it looks like a flying suitcase", a nickname that stuck with

2232-487: The Air Ministry issued an initial production order for the type, ordering 180 production aircraft to be manufactured to meet Specification B.30/36 ; concurrently, a second order for 100 aircraft powered by the Napier Dagger was issued to Belfast -based Short & Harland . In early 1937, a second prototype, which received the serial number L7271 , was completed; this second prototype had several differences from

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2304-482: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints infants are traditionally given a name and a blessing on the first Sunday of the month after they are born by the child's father if he holds priesthood authority to do so and if the ordinance has been authorized by his local ecclesiastical leader. The timing may be adapted according to family circumstances. In Hinduism , the ceremony is traditionally known as Namakarana or

2376-502: The Hampden upon the completion of its 500th aircraft. On 9 August 1940, the first Canadian-built Hampden, P5298 , made its debut flight; by October 1940, Canadian production had risen to 15 aircraft per month. A total of 160 Hampdens were completed by Canadian Associated Aircraft, many of which were ferried to the United Kingdom for wartime service. The final Canadian-built aircraft was delivered in late 1941. The Hampden Mk I had

2448-579: The Hampdens built, 714, were lost on operations, with 1,077 crew killed and 739 reported as missing. German Flak accounted for 108, one hit a German barrage balloon , 263 Hampdens crashed because of "a variety of causes" and 214 others were classed as "missing". Luftwaffe pilots claimed 128 Hampdens, shooting down 92 at night. The last Bomber Command sorties by Hampdens were flown on the night of 14/15 September 1942 by 408 Squadron, RCAF against Wilhelmshaven . After being withdrawn from Bomber Command in 1942, it operated with RAF Coastal Command until 1943 as

2520-532: The RAF for 80 Hampdens to be completed in Canada; this facility would effectively act as a shadow factory during wartime. On 1 September 1938, in response to interest expressed by the Royal Swedish Air Force (RSAF) in the Hampden, including in a potential licence production arrangement for 70 aircraft to be built in Sweden, a single production Hampden was supplied to Sweden. Designated P.5 by

2592-555: The RAF's first bombing raid on Berlin . Sergeant John Hannah was the wireless operator/air gunner of an 83 Squadron Hampden and was awarded the Victoria Cross on 15 September 1940, when he fought the flames of the burning aircraft, allowing the pilot to return it to base. In April 1942, the Hampden-equipped 144 Squadron and 455 Squadron RAAF were transferred from Bomber Command to Coastal Command to perform

2664-545: The RSAF, it was operated by the service until November 1945, after which it was sold to Svenska Aeroplan AB (SAAB) to serve as a flying testbed before being retired in late 1947. On 22 February 1940, the first Preston-built Hampden, P2062 , conducted its maiden flight. English Electric would go on to manufacture a total of 770 Hampdens, more than any other company, before delivering its final aircraft on 15 March 1942. In July 1940, Handley-Page terminated its own production line for

2736-520: The United Kingdom owns the wings and tail of "P1273"; the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is currently restoring AE436 to flying condition. Both of these were also 144 Squadron aircraft, lost during the transfer to Russia. The former, "P1273" was shot down by mistake by Soviet fighters over Petsamo . The latter was lost over Sweden, its remains discovered in a remote region by hikers in 1976. The HP Hampden had

2808-649: The West Coast of Vancouver Island at night or flying out into the Pacific to a navigational map co-ordinate, often in adverse and un-forecast inclement weather. Due to attrition from accidents, about 200 "war weary" Hampdens were later flown from the U.K. to Patricia Bay as replacements. In Operation Orator , during September 1942, the crews of 32 Hampden TB.1 torpedo bombers from No. 144 Squadron RAF and No. 455 Squadron RAAF flew to Northwest Russia , to protect arctic convoy PQ 18 from German surface vessels, such

2880-509: The aircraft for its lifetime. On 21 June 1936, the prototype, powered by a pair of Bristol Pegasus P.E.5S(A) engines, conducted its maiden flight from Radlett Aerodrome , Hertfordshire , piloted by Handley-Page chief test pilot Major James Cordes. In late June 1936, the prototype was put on public display in the New Types Park, Hendon Air Show , London . In August 1936, in response to the successful flight trials performed by K4240 ,

2952-655: The aircraft was quite cramped, being wide enough only for a single person. The navigator sat behind the pilot and access in the cockpit required folding down the seats. Once in place, the crew had almost no room to move and were typically uncomfortable during long missions. Aircrews referred to the Hampden by various nicknames due to this, such as Flying Suitcase , Panhandle , and Flying Tadpole . Wilfred John Lewis wrote: I did my first flight and first tour on Hampdens. A beautiful aeroplane to fly, terrible to fly in! Cramped, no heat, no facilities where you could relieve yourself. You got in there and you were stuck there. The aeroplane

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3024-411: The aircraft was sold to SAAB where it was used as an avionics testbed. The Hampden was powered by two 980 hp (730 kW) Bristol Pegasus XVIII nine-cylinder radial engines. A Mk II variant, designated the HP.62, was developed by converting two Hampdens to use the 1,000 hp (750 kW) Wright Cyclone engine in 1940, but no further work was done on that project. Interest in the HP.52 by

3096-464: The baby or mother. Relatives and close friends are invited to be a part of this occasion and bless the child. Priests are called and an elaborate ritual takes place. The people involved in the baby naming ceremony are the parents of the newborn, the paternal and maternal grandparents and few close relatives and friends. In Maharashtra , Bengal , and among the Rajputs of Gujarat the paternal aunt has

3168-423: The ceremony may not be the child's legal or preferred name, but is usually reserved for religious activities and horoscope . The next ceremony that succeeds nwaran ceremony is the pasni (celebration) . The Chhathi Ceremony is performed when the baby is six days old. This ceremony is primarily for women and is timed to take place late at night, such as between ten o'clock and midnight. According to folklore, there

3240-464: The child, a particular letter of the Sanskrit alphabet associated with the child's solar birth sign (Surya Rashi) is chosen which would prove lucky for the baby. The baby is then given a name starting with that letter. Usually the grandfather whispers the name four times in the right ear of the baby. In Maharashtra , this is performed by the paternal aunt. The baby receives blessings from all, including

3312-410: The chosen Hindu name in the child's right ear three times while the left ear is covered with a betel leaf. This is then repeated with the left ear. A mixture of ghee (melted and clarified butter) or honey is given to the infant as a base for its various foods in the future. At some places, an arati is performed for seven times with a lamp thread in a leaf. According to the date and time of birth of

3384-471: The controls". Pilots were provided with a high level of external visibility, assisting the execution of steep turns and other manoeuvres. The control layout required some familiarisation, as some elements such as the hydraulic controls were unobtrusive and unintuitive. Upon introduction, the Hampden exhibited greater speeds and initial climb rates than any of its contemporaries while still retaining favourable handling qualities. The slim and compact fuselage of

3456-499: The early stages of the Second World War , bearing the brunt of the early bombing war over Europe , taking part in the first night raid on Berlin and the first 1,000-bomber raid on Cologne . When it became obsolete, after a period of mainly operating at night, it was retired from RAF Bomber Command service in late 1942. By 1943, the rest of the trio were being superseded by the larger four-engined heavy bombers such as

3528-700: The face of German fighters. On 19 March 1940, Hampdens took part in the first deliberate bombing of German soil in a nighttime raid upon the seaplane hangars and slipways in Hörnum , Sylt . The type continued to operate at night on bombing raids over Germany. Flight Lieutenant Rod Learoyd of 49 Squadron was awarded the Victoria Cross for a low-level attack on the Dortmund-Ems canal on 12 August 1940 where two of five aircraft failed to return. On 25 August 1940, Hampdens from various squadrons participated in

3600-415: The family during these 10 days, during which no one except a helper/the maternal grandmother is allowed to touch either of them. All festivals and events in the family and extended family are postponed by 11 nights. After those 11 nights, the house is decorated and sanctified for the ceremony. The mother and child are bathed traditionally and are prepared for the ceremony. This is most likely to avoid infecting

3672-604: The first two weeks. Common Ashkenazi custom maintains that girls should be named when the father is called up to the Torah on a Torah reading day closest or close to when the girl is born, although practice often has baby girls named at the Torah reading on the first Shabbat following birth. A resurgence in recent generations of the less popular simchat bat ceremony for naming baby girls has recently taken hold in many modern Orthodox Ashkenazi communities. In Wiccan religion, at

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3744-490: The first, including the pitot tube being repositioned below the fuselage, a more rounded ventral defensive gun position, and a slightly modified nose. L7271 later received a pair of Dagger engines and was accordingly re-designated as the HP.53 ; on 1 July 1937, it performed its first flight after having received the new engines. Another prototype, L4032 , was produced to serve as the production-standard prototype; on 24 June 1938,

3816-551: The flaps and ailerons had stress-bearing D -spars. According to Moyes, the configuration of the wing was a key feature of Hampden, being highly tapered and designed to exert low levels of drag ; these attributes were responsible for the aircraft's high top speed for the era of 265 mph (230 kn; 426 km/h) while retaining a reasonably low landing speed of 73 mph (63 kn; 117 km/h). The Hampden's flying qualities were typically described as being favourable; Moyes described it as being "extraordinarily mobile on

3888-428: The gathered family and friends. In some communities or families, the sacred fire is lighted and the priest chants sacred hymns to invoke the deities in heaven to bless the child. This may differ from place to place. In some parts of Northern Kerala, the grandfather whispers the child’s name, which may also potentially be the child’s father or the maternal uncle. These functions change from place to place. On this day baby

3960-422: The honour of naming her brother's child. The child is dressed in new clothes and the mother wets the head of the baby with drops of water as a symbol of purifying the child. In some communities, the baby is then handed over to the paternal grandmother or the father who sits near the priest during the ritual. Where the paternal aunt names the child, she whispers the newborn’s name in their ear and then announces it to

4032-414: The initiation ritual, initiates take a Wiccan name, often referred to as a Craft name . This name is not generally used in public, but only among other Wiccans in religious gatherings. Some Wiccan authors use their Wiccan name on their books, such as Silver RavenWolf. For a Wiccan, taking a Wiccan name symbolizes a rebirth. In Druidism , the naming ceremony may sometimes be called, "The First Oath" and

4104-400: The lamp, which is supposed to symbolize Vidhata. The baby can also be named on this day. The Namakarma Samskara is usually held after the first 11 nights of a baby's delivery. These 11 post-natal days are considered as a period during which the child is adjusting to the new environment and thus very vulnerable to infections. To prevent this, the mother and child are separated from the rest of

4176-611: The politically favoured Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine. By mid-1934 development of the Goshawk looked less promising and the Air Ministry relaxed the tare weight (unloaded weight) requirement of the specification, allowing for the use of heavier and more powerful radial engines such as the Bristol Perseus and Bristol Pegasus . According to aviation author Philip J.R. Moyes, the Handley Page design soon found support with

4248-498: The poor. If the father does not have enough funds, he may do it anytime in the future as long as it is done in general. In Turkish traditions , the paternal grandfather whispers adhan (call to prayer) into the right ear of the baby and afterward repeats or tells the chosen name of the newborn baby three times. In the Jewish tradition , baby boys are named at a brit milah on the eighth day after their birth. Girls are named within

4320-428: The priests. An elaborate feast is organized for the priests and the guests, as a closing event of the ceremony. The Namakarana Samskara is also performed on adult converts to Hinduism to mark their formal initiation into Hinduism. The convert chooses a Hindu name to declare his allegiance to Hinduism and his severance from his former religion. A Vedic fire sacrifice is then performed and the convert writes his new name in

4392-501: The roles performed by mediums. After the war, use of the term generally vanished; some of this was due to mass demobilization of the participant air forces' existing equipment, and the fact that several of the most-produced medium bomber types were now technologically obsolescent. Although a number of later aircraft were designed in this performance and load-carrying range, they were henceforth referred to as tactical bombers or strike aircraft instead. Examples of post-war mediums include

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4464-511: The sections could be fitted out in part under better working conditions prior to assembly. All possible assembly work was performed at the benches prior to installation upon each aircraft. The wings were made up of three large units: centre section, port outer wing and starboard outer wing, which were also subdivided. Each section was built around a main girder spar, leading edge section and trailing edge section. The wing made use of wingtip slots and hydraulically actuated trailing edge flaps ;

4536-623: The start of the Second World War, with six forming the operational strength of 5 Group of Bomber Command based in Lincolnshire . With the outbreak of war in 1939, Hampdens were initially used to perform armed aerial reconnaissance missions, observing German naval activity during daylight. However, despite its speed and manoeuvrability, the Hampden proved to be no match for Luftwaffe fighters; in December 1939, Bomber Command

4608-479: The third production Hampden, designated L4034 , following the completion of handling trials conducted by the Central Flying School at Upavon Aerodrome , Wiltshire , become the first aircraft to enter RAF squadron service, being delivered to No. 49 Squadron . By late 1938, the mass manufacturing plans for the Hampden had been formalised. In addition to Handley-Page's own production line, the type

4680-406: The third prototype conducted its maiden flight. L4032 differed from the previous two prototypes in that it was powered by a pair of Pegasus XVIII engines, the nose incorporated an optically flat bomb-aiming panel, as well as the ventral and dorsal gun positions being revised. On 24 June 1938, L4032 was officially christened by Lady Katharine Mary Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Viscountess Hampden , at

4752-568: The time. Some of these bombers, such as the Heinkel He 111 , Junkers Ju 86 , Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 , Douglas B-18 , and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley were developed from or in conjunction with existing airliners or transport aircraft. The World War II-era medium bomber was generally considered to be any level bomber design that delivered about 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg) of ordnance over ranges of about 1,500 to 2,000 mi (2,400 to 3,200 km). Typical heavy bombers were those with

4824-421: Was a belief that on the 6th day after the birth of the child, Vidhata (a goddess of destiny) would quietly enter the house around midnight to pen the destiny of the newborn. Traditionally the mother of the newborn lights a lamp (diya). This lamp along with a red pen and paper are placed on a wooden plank for Vidhata to write the future of the newborn. The mother, while holding the newborn in her arms, kneels before

4896-804: Was almost identical to that of their Hampden cousins, but there were problems with the engines. The Dagger engine proved to be noisy and unreliable. Cooling problems plagued the engine while being run on the ground, resulting in distortions and premature failures. The problems were not satisfactorily resolved, with the result that most of the Herefords on order were converted to Hampdens, while those that were constructed were often re-engined to become Hampdens. A limited number of Herefords did enter squadron service but were only used by training units. No Hampdens remain in flying condition today, although examples do remain on display or undergoing restoration: Hampden I P1344 Hampden, P5436 The Wings Aviation Museum in

4968-409: Was like a fighter. It was only 3 feet wide on the outside of the fuselage and the pilot was a very busy person. There were 111 items for the pilot to take care of because on the original aircraft he had not only to find the instruments, the engine and all that, but also he had all the bomb switches to hold the bombs. The newest of the three medium bombers, the Hampden was often referred to by aircrews as

5040-524: Was purely semantic and bureaucratic, however as both the B-47 and B-52 strategic bombers were much larger and had far greater performance and load-carrying ability than any of the World War II-era heavy or medium bombers. Similarly, the Royal Air Force referred at times to its V bomber force as medium bombers, but this was in terms of range rather than load-carrying capacity. Although the term

5112-463: Was to be built under subcontract by English Electric at its factory in Preston , Lancashire ; on 6 August 1938, English Electric was awarded an initial contract to manufacture 75 Hampdens. In addition, Canadian interest in domestic production of the type had resulted in the establishment of the joint Anglo-Canadian Canadian Associated Aircraft company, which promptly received an initial order from

5184-617: Was used prior to and during World War II , based on available parameters of engine and aeronautical technology for bomber aircraft designs at that time. After the war, medium bombers were replaced in world air forces by more advanced and capable aircraft. In the early 1930s many air forces were looking to modernize their existing bomber aircraft fleets, which frequently consisted of older biplanes . The new designs were typically twin-engined monoplanes , often of all-metal construction, and optimized for high enough performance and speed to help evade rapidly evolving fighter aircraft designs of

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