Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
| A.W.38 Whitley | |
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| Whitley Mk.V | |
| Role | Medium bomber, night bomber |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft |
| Designer | John Lloyd |
| First flight | 17 March 1936 |
| Introduction | 1937 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 1,814 |
| Developed from | Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 |
 Video of Whitley Operations
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Period footage of Whitley Construction and Operations, Featuring Narration
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Compilation of several Whitley Paratroop Drops
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The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was one of three British twin-engined front line medium bomber types that were in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the outbreak of the Second World War. Alongside the Vickers Wellington and the Handley Page Hampden, the Whitley was developed during the mid-1930s according to Air Ministry Specification B.3/34, which it was subsequently selected to meet. In 1937, the Whitley formally entered into RAF squadron service, it was the first of the three medium bombers to be introduced.
Following the outbreak of war in September 1939, the Whitley participated in the first RAF bombing raid upon German territory and remained an integral part of the early British bomber offensive until the introduction of four-engined "heavies". Its front line service included maritime reconnaissance with Coastal Command and the second line roles of glider-tug, trainer and transport aircraft. The type was also procured by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a civilian freighter aircraft. The aircraft was named after Whitley, a suburb of Coventry, home of one of Armstrong Whitworth's plants.
In July 1934, the Air Ministry issued Specification B.3/34, seeking a heavy night bomber/troop transport to replace the Handley Page Heyford biplane bomber. John Lloyd, the Chief Designer of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, chose to respond to the specification with a design designated as the AW.38, which later was given the name Whitley after the location of Armstrong Whitworth's main factory. The design of the AW.38 was in fact a development of the Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 bomber-transport design that had lost to the Bristol Bombay for the earlier Specification C.26/31.
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