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- Windsor DW512 RAE Farnborough October 1945
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- Windsor DW506 1944
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- DW512 powered with Merlin 85 engines in annular cowlings
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- DW506 during early trials
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- Type 461 Windsor NK136 in flight
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- Vickers Type 457, 2nd Prototype at Farnborough 1945
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- Windsor 2nd prototype DW512
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- Type 447 Windsor 1st Prototype DW506
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- Third prototype NK136 with remotely-controlled barbettes with four 20mm cannons
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- Prototype Vickers 447 DW506 at Farnborough prior to its maiden flight on 23 October 1943
Windsor was a British four-engine, high altitude heavy bomber, designed to Air Ministry Specification B.3/42. Design was heavily based on the Warwick.
One of the requirements originally intended was that the bomber (B.5/41) should have a pressure cabin and cockpit similar to that of the Wellington Mk VI, but this provision was eventually abandoned, so a new specification, B.3/42, was drawn up to cover the revised design of the Windsor, Type 447. By 1943, the Air Ministry committed to an order for 5 prototypes and 300 production aircraft, but by the end of the war only three prototypes had been built:
– first Type 447 DW506, undertook its maiden flight from Farnborough on October 23, 1943, in the hands of Mutt Summers. Initial take-off
weight was restricted to 46,000lb and early performance figures were encouraging with 302mph at 25,000ft recorded. However, the aircraft’s flying was destined to be short-lived because on March 2, 1944, DW506 was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing on Grove airfield, Wantage, and was broken up for component testing.
– DW512, designated as the Type 457, differed by having a set of Merlin 85 engines complete with annular cowlings. It was first flown from Wisley on 15 February, 1944, by Maurice Summers and disclosed a performance almost the same as DW506.
– NK136, designated as the Type 461, initially flew on July 11, 1944. Bomber was fitted with armament after the barbettes were successfully trialled by Warwick L9704.