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Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Produced Variants

A.W.38 Whitley Mk.I Five crew mid wing medium bomber featuring a semi-monocoque fuselage, to Specifications B.3/34 & 21/35, to meet the 
  requirements of OR.12. Two 795 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IX (first prototype) or medium-supercharged Tiger XI
  powerplants.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.II Mk.I with Two 845 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VIII powerplants.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.III Improved Mk.II to meet Specification B.20/36, featuring increased dihedreal of the outer wing panels, increased bomb load, 
  the replacement of the manually operated nose turret with a powered Nash & Thompson turret and a powered retractable
  twin-gun ventral "dustbin" turret.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.IV Mk.III with two 1,030 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin IV powerplants, replacement of the manually operated tail turret with a powered
  Nash & Thompson turret, deletion of the ventral "dustbin" turret and increased fuel tankage capacity.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.IVA As Mk.IV with two 1,145 h.p. Rolls Royce Merlin X powerplants.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.V As Mk.IVA with modified fins and a longer rear fuselage.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.V(Freighter) Freighter conversion of Mk.V.
A.W.38 Whitley Mk.VII Long range maritime reconnaissance variant of Mk.V for Coastal Command, with a sixth crew member to operate the 
  ASV Mk 2 radar system.

Projected Variants

A.W.38 Whitley Mk.VI Proposed Pratt & Whitney GR-1830 Twin Wasp powered version.

Production List Page Top
Serial Range
C/n (see note 1)
Type
Batch Qty
Conv.
Canc'd
Notes
 2 prototypes ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to contract 349065/34 completed in March 1936.
 K4586 - K4587  1169-1170  Mk.I  2      
 80 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 421118/35 delivered as 34 Mk.I and 46 Mk.II between March 1937 and June 1938.
 K7183 - K7216  1171-1204  Mk.I  34  (1)    K7208 conv. to Mk.IV prototype.
 K7217 - K7262  1205-1250  Mk.II  46      K7243 retained by A.W. for Deerhound engine development.
 120 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 522438/36 delivered as 80 Mk.III, 33 Mk.IV and 7 Mk.IVA. Delivered between August 1938 and July1939.
 K8936 - K9015  1389-1468  Mk.III  80      
 K9016 - K9048  1469-1501  Mk.IV  33      
 K9049 - K9055  1502-1508  Mk.IVA  7      
 312 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 751457/38 delivered between August 1939 and July 1940.
 N1345 - N1394  See note 1  Mk.V  50      
 N1405 - N1444      40      
 N1459 - N1508      50      
 N1521 - N1528      8      
 P4930 - P4974      45      
 P4980 - P5029      50      
 P5040 - P5065      26      
 P5070 - P5112      43      
 150 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract B.38599/39 delivered between July 1940 and December 1940.
 T4130 - T4179  See note 1  Mk.V  50      
 T4200 - T4239      40      
 T4260 - T4299      40      
 T4320 - T4339      20      
 300 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered as 290 Mk.V and 10 Mk.VII between December 1940 and August 1941.
 Z6461 - Z6510  See note 1  Mk.V  50      
 Z6552 - Z6586      35      
 Z6624 - Z6673      50      
 Z6720 - Z6764      45      
 Z6793 - Z6842      50      
 Z6862 - Z6881      20      
 Z6931 - Z6959      29      
 Z6960 - Z6969  See note 1  Mk.VII  10      
 Z6970 - Z6980  See note 1  Mk.V  11      
 250 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered as 196 Mk.V and 54 Mk.VII between August 1941 and March 1942.
 Z9119  See note 1  Mk.V  1      
 Z9120 - Z9124  See note 1  Mk.VII  5      
 Z9125 - Z9134  See note 1  Mk.V  10      
 Z9135 - Z9139  See note 1  Mk.VII  5      
 Z9140 - Z9168  See note 1  Mk.V  29      
 Z9188 - Z9189      2      
 Z9190 - Z9199  See note 1  Mk.VII  10      
 Z9200 - Z9232  See note 1  Mk.V  33      
 Z9274 - Z9323      50      
 Z9361 - Z9363      3      
 Z9364 - Z9383  See note 1  Mk.VII  20      
 Z9384 - Z9390  See note 1  Mk.V  7      
 Z9419 - Z9443      25      
 Z9461 - Z9490      30      
 Z9510 - Z9515      6      
 Z9516 - Z9529  See note 1  Mk.VII  14      
 50 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered between January and February 1942.
 AD665 - AD714  See note 1  Mk.V  50      
 300 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered as 249 Mk.V and 51 Mk.VII between February and August 1942.
 BD189 - BD238  See note 1  Mk.V  50      
 BD252 - BD296      45      
 BD346 - BD395      50      
 BD411 - BD422      12      
 BD423 - BD434  See note 1  Mk.VII  12      
 BD435 - BD445  See note 1  Mk.V  11      
 BD493 - BD512      20      
 BD530 - BD560      31      
 BD561 - BD574  See note 1  Mk.VII  14      
 BD620 - BD625      6      
 BD626 - BD639  See note 1  Mk.V  14      
 BD659 - BD673      15      
 BD674- BD693  See note 1  Mk.VII  20      
 100 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered as 79 Mk.V and 21 Mk.VII between August and November 1942.
 EB282  See note 1  Mk.VII  1      
 EB283 - EB313  See note 1  Mk.V  31      
 EB327 - EB336  See note 1  Mk.VII  10      
 EB337 - EB367  See note 1  Mk.V  31      
 EB384 - EB391      8      
 EB392 - EB401  See note 1  Mk.VII  10      
 EB402 - EB410  See note 1  Mk.V  9      
 150 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Bagington, to contract 106962/40 delivered as 140 Mk.V and 10 Mk.VII between August and November 1942.
 LA763 - LA793  See note 1  Mk.V  31      
 LA794 - LA798  See note 1  Mk.VII  5      
 LA813 - LA817      5      
 LA818 - LA856  See note 1  Mk.V  39      
 LA868 - LA899      32      
 LA914 - LA951      38      
 
Total Production
1814
(1)
 
 


Whitley V Freighter Conversions For BOAC
Initial Registration
C/n
Military Serial
Notes
 15 aircraft converted by BOAC at RAF Bramcote, Warwickshire, between April and May 1942.
 G-AGCF  2694  BD360  
 G-AGCG  2695  BD361  
 G-AGCH  2696  BD362  
 G-AGCI  2716  BD382  
 G-AGCJ  2717  BD383  
 G-AGCK  2718  BD384  
 G-AGDU    Z9208  
 G-AGDV    Z9216  
 G-AGDW    Z6660  
 G-AGDX  2719  BD385  
 G-AGDY  2720  BD386  
 G-AGDZ  2721  BD387  
 G-AGEA  2722  BD388  
 G-AGEB  2723  BD389  
 G-AGEC  2724  BD390  
Total Conversions   (15)



Production Summary

Page Top 
All Aircraft By Mark
Type
Built New
Conv.
Canc'd
Total
 Whitley Mk.I
36
 
 
36
 Whitley Mk.II
46
 
 
46
 Whitley Mk.III
80
 
 
80
 Whitley Mk.IV
33
(1)
 
34
 Whitley Mk.IVA
7
 
 
7
 Whitley Mk.V
1465
 
 
1465
 Whitley Mk.V (Freighter)
 
(15)
 
15
 Whitley Mk.VII
147
 
 
147
 
1814
0
0
 


Notes
  1. The c/n's quoted are from Tapper [3], but only as c/n ranges per Mark and without direct tie up between serial and c/n.
    Mks I through IVA are as shown.
    For Mk.V, c/n range is given as 1509-1820, 1823-2976.
    For Mk.VII, c/n range is given as 2977-3122.
    The c/ns for civilian conversions (see table) are taken frpm the CAA database G-INFO and are most likely reliable.

    There is some doubt as to the accuracy of the quoted c/ns, with at least one historian giving the final Whitley c/n as 3134. It is interesting, however, to observe the following:
    If the c/ns for the 312 aircraft to contract 751457/38 ( N1345 - P5112) follow directly from the last Mk.IVA (1508), this would culminate in c/n 1820. C/n's 1821 and 1822 are known to be Ensign Mk.IIs.
    If somewhere between Z6461 and BD360 there is a gap in c/n allocation of 12, then the final c/n would be 3134 (see above) and, if these c/ns are applied in serial order, would match the known c/ns of the civil registered Mk.Vs. Mere speculation on this authors part.

Production References
  1. Whitley File, The, R.N. Roberts (Air Britain Publications, 1986)
  2. RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
  3. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Since 1913, Oliver Tapper (Putnam, 1973)

top


Page Revision History Page Top

Revised at Version 1.4.0
  • Updated produced variant details.
  • K9056 - K9175: c/n's deleted (non-allocated). Remaining c/ns deleted from table
  • Note 1 rewritten

V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020