Proposed B-29 production in N/Ireland 1943?

[Jonfra]

I have come across a couple of comments about proposals to license build the B-29 bomber at Langford Lodge Northern Ireland 1942-1943 under the Vickers Windsor designation.

Commentaries suggest the canard Vickers T.441 C was a hopeless design and the RAF begged for license manufacturing rights. The proposal was to build 300 for RAF service about April 1943, but uncle Joe Stalin objected at the Casablanca Conference and the plug was pulled on the whole deal.

Has anybody ever heard of this, or could possibly add to the claim?

[tornadoken]

The posts you found involved confusion: this is what happened.

US in 1941/2 funded Very Heavy Bombers (B-29, Consolidated B-32 Dominator) and VH Transports (gargantuan Con. XC-99, Lockheed XROE-6) against prospect of facing Germany/Japan with no close bases: as much V Long Range, as V Heavy. 10/42, UK Mission to US: one outcome was Merlin/Mustang. Another was assumption that VHB/T bases would be needed in UK: one was selected as Langford Lodge (another, VHT, was Heathrow). UK had funded Vickers T.433 (to be Windsor); 11/42 we added a licence to build B-29 as Vickers T.441, then set about choosing between them: local control, or nearly free under Lend/Lease.

In 4/43 300 Windsors were ordered, to be built across existing Vickers resources of Weybridge (then on Warwick)/Blackpool and Chester (then on Wellington); T.441 licence lapsed. Vast L.Lodge became prime USAAF Depot. US would conclude that B-29/B-32 would be assigned to Pacific; UK, that Windsor would be, too...but it missed the show.

No Uncle Joe input: he was entirely happy with the Combined Bomber Offensive: 7/4/43: “Every (RAF) blow delivered to the vital German centres evoked a most lively echo in the hearts of many millions.” M.Gilbert,Road to Victory, Heinemann,1986,P37.

[Jonfra]

Thanks for the clarification, so either way why did the Vickers T.441 C and/or British built B-29 project not proceed and perhaps as a spin off question, was there ever a serious intent to operate the B-29 in Europe?

I have heard of Project Ruby to use a B-29 with Grand Slam over Germany?

Many speculate the UK runways were not long enough but when the mission fuel uptake for ETO is nothing like that required for Pacific Theatre runway requirements would not have been so onerous.