FlyPast – August 2018

PROTOTYPEPROTOTYPEPROTOTYPE VICKERS TYPE 432VICKERS TYPE 432VICKERS TYPE 432

The shell was made in two halves,

joined at the leading and trailing

edges and the fabric-covered

control surfaces were attached to

it. The lobster claw system and the

use of flush riveting gave the wing a

very smooth finish.

The Type 432 had an all-metal

stressed-skin construction. Its

elliptical wings were designed for

low drag while the tail unit looked

very like the Mosquito’s.

By the time construction started,

the 432’s armament had been

reduced to six 20mm Hispanos

housed in an underbelly fairing.

The second example was intended

to carry weaponry; the guns were

never fitted to the prototype. Rolls-

Royce Merlin 61s were substituted

for the originally intended Griffons.

All work on the second machine,

DZ223, was cancelled on

December 29, 1942. This was

just a few days after the first

prototype, DZ217, had made its

maiden flight.

TEETHING TROUBLES

Construction of DZ217, inside

the Vickers experimental hangar

at Foxwarren, to the east of

Brooklands, took up much of

1942. On December 24 test
      pilot Flt Lt Douglas ‘Tommy’
      Lucke took the Type 432 on its
      maiden flight from Farnborough,
      Hampshire. After DZ217’s tenth
      sortie, it was fitted with new
      Westland-type ailerons.
      From the very start, aileron
      overbalancing and heavy elevators
      had been reported. The elevators
      were ineffective near the ground;

the inability to get the tail down

making for a much greater landing

distance. Premature stalling of the

wing between the fuselage and

nacelles was slightly improved by

extending the centre section leading

edges by 15in (38cm).

By early July, a new problem

had cropped up. During climbs

to 30,000ft the engines would cut

out between 22,000 and 24,500ft.

Once they had been allowed to

cool, a second attempt to climb

produced similar results. The

aircraft’s rate of climb in general

was very slow; in truth above about

23,000ft the engines just would not

run properly.

An examination found that the

cooling systems for the Merlins

were inadequate. The radiator

exit flaps were in front of the

landing flaps, creating very high

temperatures in an ‘engine

on’ approach.

The fuel coolers were to the back of

the engine nacelles, and when these

were in use the all-out level speed fell

by 30mph (48km/h). This resulted

in a decision to fit Mosquito-type

fuel coolers and this alteration was

made in October 1943.

The shell was made in two halves,

joined at the leading and trailing

the inability to get the tail down

making for a much greater landing

distance. Premature stalling of the

wing between the fuselage and

nacelles was slightly improved by

extending the centre section leading

By early July, a new problem

had cropped up. During climbs

to 30,000ft the engines would cut

out between 22,000 and 24,500ft.

Once they had been allowed to

cool, a second attempt to climb

produced similar results. The

aircraft’s rate of climb in general

was very slow; in truth above about

23,000ft the engines just would not

An examination found that the

Above

With an employee to

provide scale, a sequence

from a ‘walk-round’

session of DZ217. BAE

SYSTEMS HERITAGE

Right

The only other known

air-to-air photograph of

DZ217, presumably on

November 11, 1943.

Below

Prototype DZ217 under

construction in the

experimental hangar at

Foxwarren. BAE SYSTEMS

HERITAGE

102 FLYPAST August 2018