Wellington Mk X

Wellington Mk X

Wellington Mk III

Halifax B Mk IIIa

Wellington Mk X

Wellington Mk III

Halifax B Mk IIIa

Britain

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.3	3.3	4.0

Class:

Bomber

Frontline bomber

Torpedo bomber

Research:6 900

Purchase:32 000

Show in game

This page is about the British bomber Wellington Mk X. For other uses, see Wellington (Family).

Description

The Wellington Mk X is a rank II British bomber with a battle rating of 3.3 (AB/RB) and 4.0 (SB). This aircraft has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

General info

Flight Performance

Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,053 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	392	377	6500	36.3	37.5	3.2	3.2	650
Upgraded	431	410		33.8	35.0	8.0	5.3

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
530	264	355	264	223	~5	~3

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 275	< 275	< 310	> 320

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
1,250 m	1,420 hp	1,662 hp
Setting 2
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
3,710 m	1,315 hp	1,539 hp

Survivability and armour

• 9 mm Steel plate in the pilot's seat.

When being attacked, the points of concern will be the engines, which are relatively easy to be set on fire. The 7.7 mm machine guns can be sufficient for some harassing fire against enemies so that they do not stay in one location and open fire, affecting their accuracy as they maneuvre around. But against a determined enemy, the Wellington Mk X would otherwise be a sitting duck.

Armaments

Suspended armament

The Wellington Mk X can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 10 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (2,500 lb total)
• 18 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (4,500 lb total)
• 9 x 500 lb G.P. 500 lb Mk.IV bombs (4,500 lb total)
• 2 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs + 6 x 250 lb G.P. 250 lb Mk.IV bombs (3,500 lb total)
• 2 х 18 inch Mark XII torpedoes
• 1 x 4,000 lb H.C. 4,000 lb Mk.II bomb (4,000 lb total)

Defensive armament

The Wellington Mk X is defended by:

• 2 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, nose turret (1,200 rpg = 2,400 total)
• 4 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine guns, rear turret (2,000 rpg = 8,000 total)
• 1 x 7.7 mm Browning .303 machine gun, 2 x side turret (1,200 rpg)

Usage in battles

Air battles

In Arcade Battles, the winning tactic is to climb high and do base bombing with 500’s "from orbit"; it helps to have escorts.

In Realistic Battles you start in the air so you have the advantage to trade altitude for airspeed and bomb ground targets and retreat before enemy fighters start to arrive, however, be close to friendlies so they can intercept chasers.

Naval battles

All of the Wellington bombers are well suited for the naval warfare, The Wellington Mk X being the best of them as it provides improved Browning turrets, more speed and two supreme payloads that will allow you to change the tides of a naval war in both Arcade and Realistic battles.

Those are:

• 2 х 18 inch Mark XII torpedoes
• 1 x 4,000 lb H.C. 4,000 lb Mk.II bomb

With the torpedoes, the strategy goes in finding a good approach angle to successfully deliver both torpedoes to preferably gunboats and destroyers as they will have a tougher time evading them. Beware of anti-aircraft fire and swiftly turn back to safety while preparing the next drop.

The technique at the moment of launching the torpedoes is pictured below:

The best way to launch a torpedo at close range (AB) without sacrificing the aircraft its to find a middle ground between the suggested drop direction and the target. That way making harder the evasion of the torpedoes, whether the target slows down or turns. The torpedoes will be on collision course.

With the 4,000 lb bomb, the scenario takes place a bit higher. Way above the enemies' short and medium anti-aircraft guns that reach around 3,000 - 4,500 meter altitude. Here you will be able to spot the biggest of the fishes. Those will be your targets and with some developed practice in predicting the drops you will decimate the entire enemy destroyers population in a a short time, tanks to this extremely lethal bomb.

Just be alert of enemy planes that will be eager to take you down, using the Armored target belt provides some of the boost in defence you need as it cripples engines and pierces through metal.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Not controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Not controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Combined	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator	Protective vest	Turret 7 mm	TC mk.I
II		Compressor	Airframe		LBC mk.I
III	Wings repair	Engine		New 7 mm MGs (turret)	SBC mk.I
IV		Engine injection	Cover		MBC mk.I

The default bomb load is a meagre 10 x 250 lb (117 kg) so upgrading to 18 x 250 or 9 x 500 "pounders" (500 lb (226 kg)) should be task number one. In order: unlock the Turret 7 mm ammo first, then the TC mk.I (torpedo) rack, and then the LBC mk.I.

Unlocking the 7 mm ammo gives access to the "Universal" AP-I belt as one works up to the bomb racks for 18 x 250 lb or 9 x 500 lb. After that, you can pursue your choice of upgrades.

Upgrades to the turret should also be considered. The different belts do not have a considerable effect, but the upgraded turrets allow for a longer fire at a greater rate, which is very important for the small rifle calibre machine guns.

However, speed and climb rate is also a necessity and the unlocks help the sluggish Wellington a lot. The decision should depend on the pilot's flying style. When rushing in, better armament will help in the retreat, but better performance will aid in returning to friendly zones quickly.

The sneaky approach, on the other hand, relies less on speed, but on surviving the random combat encounters. Turret upgrades are the way to go for this playstyle.

Pros and cons

Wellington releasing a 4,000 lb "Cookie" blockbuster bomb onto a Destroyer.

Pros:

• Airframe itself is very durable
• Regular payload stock, but greatly improves roles when upgraded
• Extreme horizontal firing arc on front and rear turret of just over 180 degrees
• Good gunner ammunition supply
• 4,000 lb bomb it's devastating for ground/naval targets

Cons:

• Hopelessly outclassed by enemy fighters of similar rank
• Defensive turrets are easy to take out
• Defensive armament is poor
• Slow speed
• Bad climb rate, largely due to the combination of the heavy airframe with only average engines
• Lack of armour makes engines, crew, fuel tanks, etc noticeably vulnerable
• Control stiffening becomes a serious issue at airspeeds over 450 km/h
• Very clumsy in vertical maneuvers

History

Performance-wise the Wellington was not notably remarkable, its strength lay on the inside. Devised by one of the greatest innovative thinkers in history, Sir Barnes Neville Wallis devised a geodesic structure resulting in an exceptionally strong airframe. Together with Reginald Kirshaw "Rex" Pierson, they designed their record-making "Vickers Wellesley", paving the way for the "Wellington" and larger "Warwick".

With high aspect ratio wings and a spacious fuselage, it proved capable of handling a myriad of missions including early airborne radar and robust enough to absorb severe damage and fly home. Although the bomb bay configuration limited bomb size, its payload was slightly more than the Heinkel He 111 H-3 and with greater range. It is also one of the first aircraft to have a powered turret in the extreme tail with a very wide arc; however, it was still inadequate to defend itself against attacking fighters and early models lacked self-sealing fuel tanks. Still, this aircraft was admired by crews and affectionately called “Wimpy” after Popeye's hamburger loving friend and sidekick whose full name is J. Wellington Wimpy.

Over 11,000 made, it equipped many RAF squadrons including those comprised of foreign crews like the Polish (4 squadrons), New Zealand (No. 75), and Czech (No. 311), one of which was captured by the Germans who used it for intelligence and training. "Viking", a passenger transport variant, became the world's first pure jet transport prototype aircraft in 1948.

In-game description

"A twin-engine medium bomber, the Wellington Mk.X became the last production variant used by RAF Bomber Command. Its design was based on the Mk.III's airframe, and it featured similar armament and equipment. The main difference was a new 1,675 hp Bristol Hercules Mk.VI (though some planes featured the Hercules Mk.XVI) fourteen-cylinder double-row air-cooled engine. There was also a difference less noticeable but no less important than the replaced engine: the switch to newly developed light alloys with a better strength-to-specific gravity ratio. Using this alloy in the aircraft's structure allowed a higher take-off weight while preserving the Mk.III's flight characteristics. Full-scale production of the Mk.X (Type 448) model started in the autumn of 1942 and it became the most numerous variant of the Wellington, with a combined total of 3,803 aircraft built.

After initial heavy losses in daylight bombing raids at the beginning of the war, the Wellington saw more success after changing role to night bombing. The aircraft also began serving in North Africa in September 1940 and in the Far East in April 1942. By 1942-43, the Wellington became the RAF Bomber Command's primary medium bomber; it was faster than the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and it had a longer range than the Handley Page Hampden, even though its payload was just as great. In the first ""1,000 bomber raid"" on Cologne on May 30th 1942, 599 of the 1,043 aircraft were Wellingtons.

The Wellington bombers' last operational sortie with Bomber Command in Western Europe was on the night of October 8, 1943. The Wellington was succeeded by heavy four-engine aircraft such as the Short Stirling, the Handley Page Halifax, and the Avro Lancaster, as the RAF Bomber Command increased its pressure on Germany. However, variants of the Wellington Mk.X continued to serve with RAF Coastal Command for the remainder of the war; the Mks.XI through to XIV were all maritime versions of the Mk.X, fitted with ASV radar. And a variety of armaments.

Coastal Command Wellingtons were employed in protecting allied shipping in the South West Approaches from enemy submarines. Notable successes were scored by 172 Squadron, operating from RAF Chivenor, who were the first unit to attack a U-Boat at night using a combination of radar and a special carbon arc searchlight. October 1945 saw the construction of the last of 11,461 Wellingtons, and the aircraft was withdrawn from service in March 1953 after finishing its RAF career as a pilot and navigator trainer.

Media

Images

• 

  Gunner inside the Wellington handles his .307 Browning MG

Videos

The Shooting Range #6 - Pages of History section at 00:40 discusses the Vickers Wellington.

See also

• Wellington Mk Ic
• Wellington Mk III
• Wellington Mk Ic (Germany)
• He 111 H-6

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.