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weight and performance calculations for the Handley Page V/1500
Handley Page V/1500
role : heavy bomber
importance : **
first flight : 22 May 1918 operational : November 1918
country : United-Kingdom
design : George Rudolph Volkert
production : 35 aircraft
general information :
The V/1500 was developed at the end of WW1 with the purpose of bombing Berlin. November 1918 three Handley Page V/1500 bombers were being prepared at Bircham Newton for the first raid on Berlin, but the armistice stopped them. Distance 863 km, but that would lead over neutral Holland, so probably preparations were for attack taking of in Northern -Eastern France, then still Berlin is 670 km distance. With a 1650-lb SN bomb (750kg) action radius is still 1008km. With 1500 kg bombload action radius is 811 km. So Berlin was well in reach of this giant bomber. There was a shuttle service scheme flying from Bircham Newton to Berlin and then to Prague to refill, distance passing north of Holland to Berlin is 980 km, Berlin – Prague is 270 km . total 1250 km. This could be done with 1500 kg bombload. The planned return was via the Ruhr-area back to England (1070km) or going further south and landing near Nancy.
Gap : Max 4.57m min 3.66m chord : 3.66m airscrew diam: (tractors, 2-bladed) 4.09m (pushers, 4-bladed) 3.15m tank capacity : 1000 gallon = 4546 litre. Landing speed : 80.5 km/u climb to 3048m : 21 minutes
users : RAF
crew : 6
armament : 5 movable 7.70 [mm] (0.303 in) Lewis MK.III machine-guns
engine : 4 Rolls Royce Eagle VIII liquid-cooled 12 -cylinder V-engine 375 [hp](275.8 KW)
dimensions :
wingspan : 38.41 [m], length : 18.9 [m], height : 7.01[m]
wing area : 278.71 [m^2]
weights :
max.take-off weight : 13608 [kg]
empty weight operational : 8000 [kg] bombload : 3400 [kg]
performance :
maximum speed : 156 [km/u] op 2667 [m]
climbing speed : 107 [m/min]
service ceiling : 3353 [m]
endurance : 15 [hours]
estimated action radius : 1058 [km]
description :
4-bay biplane with fixed underwing 4 -wheel landing gear and tail strut
two spar upper and lower wing
engines and landing gear attached to the wings, fuel and bombload in or attached to fuselage
wings can be folded for easy storage
airscrew :
two fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrews and two fixed pitch pusher propeller with max. efficiency :0.67 [ ]
diameter airscrew 4.09 [m]
angle of attack prop : 12.99 [ ]
fine pitch
reduction : 0.60 [ ]
airscrew revs : 1170 [r.p.m.]
pitch at Max speed 2.22 [m]
blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 254 [m/s]
calculation : *1* (dimensions)
mean wing chord : 3.63 [m]
calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 3.85 [m]
wing aspect ratio : 10.59 []
estimated gap : 4.12 [m]
gap/chord : 1.13 [ ]
seize (span*length*height) : 5089 [m^3]
calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)
oil consumption : 16.5 [kg/hr]
fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 194.9 [kg/hr] (265.9 [litre/hr]) at 55 [%] power
distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 0.72 [km/kg]
estimated total fuel capacity : 4546 [litre] (3333 [kg])
calculation : *3* (weight)
weight engine(s) dry : 1632.8 [kg] = 1.48 [kg/KW]
weight reduction gear : 121.4 [kg]
weight 361 litre oil tank : 45.5 [kg]
oil tank filled with 8.3 litre oil : 7.4 [kg]
oil in engine 61 litre oil : 55.2 [kg]
fuel in engine 8 litre fuel : 5.5 [kg]
weight 113 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 11.1 [kg]
weight radiator : 176.5 [kg]
weight exhaust pipes & fuel lines 75.7 [kg]
weight self-starter : 6.8 [kg]
weight cowling 11.0 [kg]
weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 165.5 [kg]
total weight propulsion system : 2390 [kg](17.6 [%])
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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 14.12 [cm]): 964 [kg]
bracing : 128.5 [kg]
fuselage covering ( 67.5 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 21.6 [kg]
weight controls + indicators: 12.5 [kg]
weight seats : 18.0 [kg]
weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 17.1 [kg]
weight bomb storage : 238.0 [kg]
weight Course Setting Bomb Sight (Wimperis) : 1.5 [kg]
weight four 1108 [litre] main fuel tanks empty : 425.6 [kg]
weight interior + equipment + fuel lines: 186 [kg]
weight 1 fire extinguisher : 3 [kg]
weight 6 fire extinguishers : 3 [kg]
total weight fuselage : 2031 [kg](14.9 [%])
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weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 178 [kg]
total weight ribs (307 ribs) : 809 [kg]
weight engine mounts : 55 [kg]
load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 713.4 [N]
load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 710.9 [N]
total weight 8 spars : 419 [kg]
weight wings : 1406 [kg]
weight wing/square meter : 5.05 [kg]
weight wing folding system : 105 [kg]
weight 16 interplane struts & cabane : 764.6 [kg]
weight cables (281 [m]) : 213.6 [kg] (= 759 [gram] per metre)
diameter cable : 11.1 [mm]
weight fin & rudder (17.1 [m2]) : 89.0 [kg]
weight stabilizer & elevator (31.4 [m2]): 160.3 [kg]
total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 2794 [kg] (20.5 [%])
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weight machine-gun(s) : 65.0 [kg]
weight Scarff ring mounting mg :34.6 [kg]
weight armament : 100 [kg]
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wheel pressure : 3402.0 [kg]
weight 4 wheels (1480 [mm] by 211 [mm]) : 317.0 [kg]
weight tailskid : 21.6 [kg]
weight undercarriage with axle 238.0 [kg]
total weight landing gear : 576.7 [kg] (4.2 [%]
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calculated empty weight : 7892 [kg](58.0 [%])
weight oil for 18.1 hours flying : 299.2 [kg]
weight cooling fluids : 227.3 [kg]
weight 20 drums empty : 8.6 [kg]
weight ammunition (1940 rounds) : 61.8 [kg]
weight Very pistol with cartridges : 3.6 [kg]
weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]
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calculated operational weight empty : 8485 [kg] (62.4 [%])
published operational weight empty : 8000 [kg] (58.8 [%])
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weight crew : 486 [kg]
weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 390 [kg]
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operational weight : 9360 [kg](68.8 [%])
bomb load : 3400 [kg]
operational weight bombing mission : 12760 [kg]
fuel reserve : 848 [kg] enough for 4.35 [hours] flying
operational weight fully loaded : 13608 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 37 [%]
published maximum take-off weight : 13608 [kg] (100.0 [%])
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calculation : * 4 * (engine power)
power loading (Take-off) : 12.33 [kg/kW]
total power : 1103.2 [kW] at 1950 [r.p.m]
calculation : *5* (loads)
manoeuvre load : 1.6 [g] at 1000 [m]
limit load : 2.5 [g] ultimate load : 3.8 [g] load factor : 0.8 [g]
design flight time : 10.55 [hours]
design cycles : 47 sorties, design hours : 500 [hours]
wing loading (MTOW) : 479 [N/m^2]
wing stress (3 g) during operation : 267 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre
calculation : *6* (angles of attack)
angle of attack zero lift : -1.32 ["]
max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 10.92 ["]
angle of attack at max. speed : 2.78 ["]
calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios
lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.12 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.11 [ ]
lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.37 [ ]
induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0074 [ ]
drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0423 [ ]
drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0348 [ ]
calculation : *8* (speeds
stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 79 [km/u]
landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 95 [km/hr]
min. drag speed (max endurance) : 106 [km/hr] at 2667 [m](power :34 [%])
min. power speed (max range) : 119 [km/hr] at 2667 [m] (power:38 [%])
max. rate of climb speed : 102.3 [km/hr] at sea-level
cruising speed : 140 [km/hr] op 2667 [m] (power:49 [%])
design speed prop : 148 [km/hr]
maximum speed : 156 [km/hr] op 2667 [m] (power:61 [%])
climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 288 [m/min]
calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)
take-off distance at sea-level : 184 [m]
lift/drag ratio : 11.59 [ ]
max. practical ceiling : 4575 [m] with flying weight :8596 [kg]
practical ceiling (operational weight) : 4275 [m] with flying weight :9360 [kg] line 3385
practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2625 [m] with flying weight :13413 [kg]
published ceiling (3353 [m]
climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 5.95 [min]
max. dive speed : 516.4 [km/hr] at 1625 [m] height
load factor at max. angle turn 1.70 ["g"]
turn radius at 500m: 87 [m]
time needed for 360* turn 16.0 [seconds] at 500m
calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)
operational endurance : 6.35 [hours] with 6 crew and 3400 [kg] bombload and 37.1 [%] fuel
published endurance : 15.07 [hours] with 6 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 1701 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel
action radius : 1663 [km] with 6 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload
max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 6970 [litre] fuel : 3681 [km]
useful load with action-radius 250km : 3943 [kg]
production : 553.65 [tonkm/hour]
oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 0.38 [kg]
Literature :
Warplanes WWI page 129,136,159td
Bombers 1914-19 page 77
Praktisch handbook vliegtuigen deel 1 page 207
Jane’s Fighting aircraft WW1 page 74
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_V/1500
DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be
regarded as indication not as facts.
Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights
and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.
Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data
is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information
so we can improve our program. For copyright on drawings/photographs/
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(c) B van der Zalm 09 February 2020 contact : info.aircraftinvestigation@gmail.com python 3.7.4