Bristol Buckingham
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| Bristol Buckingham C. Mk. I | ||
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| Missing image Bristol_Buckingham.jpg | ||
| Description | ||
| Role | Courier-Transport | |
| Crew | 2 | |
| Passengers | 4 | |
| First flight | February 4, 1943 | |
| Entered service | ||
| Manufacturer | Bristol Aeroplane Company | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Length | 46 ft 10 in | 14.3 m |
| Wingspan | 71 ft 10 in | 21.9 m |
| Height | 17 ft 6 in | 5.3 m |
| Wing Area | 708 ft² | 65.8 m² |
| Weights | ||
| Empty | 24,042 lb | 10,900 kg |
| Loaded | 34,000 lb | 15,420 kg |
| Maximum takeoff | lb | kg |
| Powerplant | ||
| Engine | 2 × Bristol Centaurus VII | |
| Power (each) | 2,520 hp | 1,880 kW |
| Performance | ||
| Maximum speed | 336 mph @ 12,000 ft | 541 km/h @ 3,660 m |
| Combat range | 2,300 miles | 3,700 km |
| Ferry range | km | miles |
| Service ceiling | 28,000 ft | 8,530 m |
| Rate of climb | 2,000 ft/min | 610 m/min |
The Bristol Buckingham was a World War II design for a medium day bomber for the RAF. In 1940, the Bristol Centaurus were working on a project called the Bristol Beaumont, essentially a bomber variant of the Beaufighter. It never proceeded beyond the design stage.
In 1941, the new specification B.2/41 called for a replacement for the Blenheim capable of carrying 4,000 lb (1.8 t) of bombs on daylight raids over Germany. Bristol produced the Buckingham, but operational requirements had changed before it could be put into full-scale production. In this guise, known as Buckingham B. Mk 1, they had gun installations in the nose, dorsal and ventral turrets.
The first batch 119 Buckinghams which has already been produced were converted for high-speed courier duties with Transport Command. The gun installations were removed and four seats and windows fitted in the fuselage. They were then designated Buckingham C. Mk 1.
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