The Aviation Historian — Issue 21 (October 2017)

ENGLISH ELECTRIC P.22 WEAPONS LOAD

0 Ft 10

0 Mtr 3

EECo P.22 with 2 x Blue Vesta AAMs and 2 x Rocket Packs

EECo P.22 with 2 x MB.1 Genie Unguided Nuclear Rockets

EECo P.22 with 10 x Rocket Packs with up to 370 2in unguided rockets

Two Red Top

Two Microcell Pods

Te n Microcell Pods

Two AIR-2 Genie

Two Microcell Pods

Colour Key

Weapons Bay Closed, Weapons Stowed

Weapons Bay Open, Weapons Exposed

Weapons Open, Weapons Ready To Fire

P.22 with 2 x Blue Vesta AAMs + 2 x Microcell pods

P.22 with 2 x Douglas AIR-2 Genie unguided nuclear rockets

P.22 with 10 x Microcell pods with up to 370 x 2in (5cm) unguided rockets

2 x Red Top

AAMs + 2 x

Microcell pods

10 x Microcell

pods

2 x Douglas

AIR-2 Genie + 2 x

Microcell pods

Artwork © 2017 CHRIS GIBSON

BELOW The P.22 with weapons deployed, ready for launch.

The deployment sequence was as follows: bomb bay rotates

to expose weapons bay; trapeze lowers; weapon is launched;

trapeze retracts; bomb bay rotates to closed position.

LEFT & BELOW

Rotatable bomb-

bay sequence

with various

weapons loads.

n Weapons bay

closed, weapons

stored

n Weapons bay

open, weapons

exposed

n Weapons bay

open, weapons

ready to fire

The rotary bomb

bay proposed

for the P.

was based on a

design invented

and trademarked

by the Glenn L.

Martin company

in the USA, which

used the idea on

its experimental

three-engined

bomber/ground-

attack aircraft, the

XB-51, although

the type was

never put into

production.

Issue No 21 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN 17

0 10ft

0 3m