A.W.38 Whitley medium bomber

The A.W.38 Whitley medium bombers were designed by John Lloyd of Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft in response of Air Ministry Specification B.3/34 for a heavy night bomber. 207 of these mid-wing, twin-engined bombers entered service with seven squadrons between 1937 and the start of the European War and saw action (dropped leaflets over Germany) on the very first night that Britain declared war on Germany. They also participated on the very first bombing missions on Germany on the night of 19 Mar 1940 and on Italy in Jun 1940. Unlike their contemporaries that were used heavily in daylight raids, A.W.38 bombers were used mostly at night, therefore the casualty rate was relatively low for these bombers. After flying 8,996 missions and dropping 9,845 tons of bombs, they were made obsolete in late 1942, though they remained in service as transports until the end of the war. 269 aircraft were lost in action. During the model's lifetime, 1,737 were built.

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