COMPILER: BARRY WHEELER
WRITE TO: Aeroplane, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1XQ, UK
E-MAIL TO: aeroplane@keypublishing.com, putting ‘Q&A’ in the header
THIS MONTH’S ANSWERS
Vulture trials
Q In the August issue, Michael Rogers sought details on the Rolls-Royce Vulture engine and whether a trials aircraft attempted to iron out its problems.
A Rob Kirby, author of a book irst published in 1995 on the Avro Manchester, the main user of the Vulture, e-mailed to say, „Hawker Henley K5115 was the irst Vulture trials aircraft and L3302 was the second which lew early in 1939. Both had short and eventful lying careers, the latter ending up on a beach at Borth in Wales on 3 June 1940”. Rob mentions that other aeroplanes itted with the Vulture included a Vickers Warwick, Hawker Tornado and the Blackburn B-20 lying-boat, although none of these were dedicated trials aircraft for the engine. K5115 irst lew as the Henley prototype on 20 March 1937; late in 1939 it was delivered to Rolls-Royce at Hucknall and converted for development work on the Vulture, ending its days with No 34 Maintenance Unit in May 1941 before being struck off charge. Vulture production was terminated in April 1942 a…
