Fly Past

100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 73

Above

Mitchell II FL218

‘Nulli Secundus’ of

Dunsfold-based 180

Squadron.

Left

The view from the port

waist gun position of a

fellow Mitchell as Mk.II

FV914 ‘A-for-Able’ of

98 Squadron, May

1944.

Below left

Almost certainly the

last Mitchell in RAF

service, Mk.II FR209

of the Hullavington-

based Empire Flying

School, 1947.

PETER GREEN

COLLECTION

NORTH AMERICAN MITCHELL

Type: Five-crew medium bomber

First fl ight: January 1939, entered service September 1942

Powerplant: Two 1,700hp (1,268kW) Wright Double Cyclone GR-2600 radial

Dimensions: Span 67ft 7in (20.63m), Length 54ft 1in (16.48m)

Weights: Empty 16,000lb (7,257kg), All-up 26,000lb (11.793kg)

Max speed: 292mph (469km/h) at 15,000ft (4,572m)

Range: 1,230 miles (1,979km)

Armament: One free-mounted machine gun in the nose, two in dorsal turret and

ventral position. Up to 4,000lb (1,814kg) of bombs

Replaced: Douglas Boston, Lockheed Hudson and Vickers Wellington from 1943

Taken on charge: 844

Replaced by: De Havilland Mosquitos from 1945

NORTH AMERICAN MITCHELL II

were flown by 226, 305 (Polish)
320 (Dutch) and 342 (French)
Squadrons. The Mitchell was retired
as a bomber with the RAF in
May 1945.

EMPIRE MITCHELL
Almost certainly the last Mitchell
in service with the RAF was still
flying in 1949 as part of the Empire
Flying School’s eclectic fleet based
at Hullavington. Built in 1944 and
initially serving with the Aeroplane
and Armament Experimental
Establishment at Boscombe Down,
Mk.II FR209 was issued to the
Empire Central Flying School (ECFS)
in early 1945.
With so many nationalities working

within the RAF, ECFS was established

in 1942 to co-ordinate and improve

training standards across the many

schools in the UK, Canada, Africa and

the USA.

In May 1946 ECFS was renamed

as the Empire Flying School and

continued to function at Hullavington

until July 31, 1949 when it was

disbanded. By 1947 Mitchell FR209

had forsaken camouflage and was

flying in an overall natural metal

finish. This venerable survivor was

finally struck off charge in September

1951.

AboveAbove

Mitchell II FL218 Mitchell II FL218 Mitchell II FL218 Mitchell II FL218

Left

Mitchell II FL218 ‘Nulli

Secundus’ of 180

Squadron, Dunsfold,

December 1944.

Note the seven bomb

tallies on the nose.

PETE WEST