RCAF Royal Canadian Air Force Museum - Handley Page Halifax Bomber
Bill Maloney
3/5/2010

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01HalifaxBomber 02HalifaxBomber 03HalifaxNose 04HalifaxBombBay
01 Halifax Bomber 02 Handley Page Halifax Bomber 03 Handley Page Halifax Nose 04 Halifax Bomb Bay
05HalifaxCargoContainer 06BristolHerculesXVIRadialEngine 07BristolHerculesXVIRadialEngine 08BristolHerculesXVIRadialEngine
05 Handley Page Halifax Cargo Container 06 Bristol Hercules XVI Radial Engine 07 Bristol Hercules XVI Radial Engine 08 Bristol Hercules XVI Radial Engine
09ExhaustHotAirHeatExchanger 10ExhaustHotAirHeatExchanger 11ExhaustHotAirHeatExchange 12BristolHerculesXVIRadialEngine
09 Exhaust Hot Air Heat Exchanger 10 Exhaust Hot Air Heat Exchanger 11 Exhaust Hot Air Heat Exchange 12 Bristol Hercules XVI Radial Engine
13HalifaxMainGear 14HalifaxMainGear 15HalifaxMainGearWheel 16HalifaxWingBombBayDoors
13 Halifax Main Gear 14 Halifax Main Gear 15 Halifax Main Gear Wheel 16 Halifax Wing Bomb Bay Doors

Handley Page Halifax Bomber Specifications:

Length: 71 feet, 7 inches
Wingspan:
104 feet, 2 inches
Height:
20 feet, 9 inches
Crew:
7
Weight:
Empty - 38,100lbs Max Takeoff - 54,000lbs
Max Speed: 312mph
Cruise Speed: 215mph
Range: 1,860 miles
Service Ceiling: 24,000 feet
Fuel Capacity: 2,260 gallons
Powerplant: Four Bristol Hercules XVI radial air cooled engines 1,615hp each
Armament:
 Eight .303 Browning machine guns, one Vickers .303 machine gun in a nose mount
 13,000lb bomb load
First Flight : 1930
Cost: $

Amazingly this Halifax Bomber was recovered from 750 feet of water at the bottom of a lake in Norway. Here is a link to a short story on the Halifax's restoration. A more detailed account of the Halifax's ditching in the Norwegian lake can be found on this page. It has been completely rebuilt and apart from the magnesium castings for the main gear the bomber is complete and functional. Here is a Handley Page Halifax Youtube video showing some period footage of the WWII British bomber. One more Halifax Youtube Video shows a walkthrough of the bomber at an aviation museum in Britain. The quality of the restoration and the photos of the Halifax's initial condition when it was raised from the lake bed is a testimony to the skill and dedication of the RCAF Museum's restoration staff & volunteers. This is the only Handly Page Halifax bomber existing in North America.

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