Boston Havoc – RAF Bradwell Bay

The Boston Havoc, RAF Bradwell Bay’s first operational aircraft. Known as the Douglas A-20 or DB7. Ordered by France but not delivered before the fall of France. Britain took on the order. The Boston Havoc lll was adapted as a night intruder fighter. They arrived at Bradwell on 15^th April 1942, as the aircraft of 418 Royal Canadian Airforce. The first operational mission flown by the squadron in a Havoc was the day after arrival on 16^th April 1942. Havocs were flown from Bradwell bay until March 1943.

23 Squadron also flew Havocs at Bradwell from September but were in the process of converting to Mosquitos.

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SERVICE 1939-1945: DOUGLAS DB-7 & DB-7B BOSTON. (ATP 10695B) Boston Mark III (Intruder), W8325, at the Burtonwood Repair Depot, Lancashire, following conversion from a standard Boston Mark III. The aircraft served with No. 418 Squadron RCAF until 11 April 1943 when it failed to return from a night intruder mission over Melun-Villaroche, France. Copyright: © IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205127150

General Facts

Crew: 3

Length: 47 ft 11.875 in (14.62723 m)

Wingspan: 61 ft 3.5 in (18.682 m)

Height: 18 ft 1.5 in (5.525 m)

Wing area: 464 sq ft (43.1 m2)

Empty weight: 16,031 lb (7,272 kg)

Gross weight: 24,127 lb (10,944 kg)

Fuel capacity: 400 US gal (330 imp gal; 1,500 l) normal capacity

300 US gal (250 imp gal; 1,100 l) in an optional external tank

676 US gal (563 imp gal; 2,560 l) in four optional auxiliary tanks in the bomb-bay

Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-2600-23 Twin Cyclone 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) each

Propellers: 3-bladed Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic, 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m) diameter constant-speed fully feathering propellers

Performance

Maximum speed: 317 mph (510 km/h, 275 kn) at 10,700 ft (3,300 m)

325 mph (282 kn; 523 km/h) at 14,500 ft (4,400 m)

Cruise speed: 280 mph (450 km/h, 240 kn) at 14,000 ft (4,300 m)

Stall speed: 98 mph (158 km/h, 85 kn)

Range: 945 mi (1,521 km, 821 nmi)

Ferry range: 2,300 mi (3,700 km, 2,000 nmi)

Service ceiling: 23,700 ft (7,200 m)

Rate of climb: 2,000 ft/min (10 m/s)

Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 8 minutes 48 seconds

Wing loading: 52 lb/sq ft (250 kg/m2)

Power/mass: 0.141 hp/lb (0.232 kW/kg)

Armament

Guns: ** 6 fixed forward firing 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns in the nose

2 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine guns in dorsal turret

1 flexible 0.5 in (12.7 mm) Browning machine gun, mounted behind bomb bay

Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)