Hampden fuselage width

[tallguy]

Was the Hampden the thinnest fuselage multi engined bomber of WW2? How thin was it? Was there anything proposed that was thinner ?

 

[EwenS]

It was about 3ft wide i.e. not much greater than the width of the pilot’s shoulders. Not sure you can get narrower than that!

 

[Nick]

From seeing the Hampden restoration in progress at Cosford in 2014, it really was narrow. The T1154 radio transmitter seen here (coloured dials) is 17 inches / 42cm wide. The R1155 receiver on the left is nearly 10 inches / 25cm wide. So that setup is nearly 2.5ft wide...

 

[Archibald]

British humour being, well, British humour, the Hampden certainly got colorfoul nicknames.

Aircrews referred to the Hampden by various nicknames due to this, such as Flying Suitcase, Panhandle, and Flying Tadpole.

 

[kitnut617]

My Dad had a couple of each of those sets in the cellar, I used to play with them as a kid.

 

[riggerrob]

Switching pilots in-flight was difficult or impossible in Hampdens.
I read a biography of a Hampden pilot who was the smallest in his class (think jockey). During Hampden conversion training he partnered with the skinniest pilot in his class and they were the only two who could swap out in flight.