Handley Page Hendon
| Hendon | |
|---|---|
| Role | Torpedo bomber |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Handley Page |
| First flight | 1924 |
| Retired | 1927 |
| Status | Prototypes |
| Number built | 6 |
| Developed from | Handley Page Hanley |
The Handley Page Hendon was a British torpedo bomber of the 1920s. A two-seat development of Handley Page's earlier, single-seat Hanley, the Hendon was a single-engine biplane. While six aircraft were purchased by the British Air Ministry for evaluation and trials purposes, no further production ensued, and the Hendon did not enter squadron service.
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[edit] Development and design
While the single-seat Handley Page Hanley had lost to the similar Blackburn Dart in fulfilling the requirements for a carrier-based torpedo bomber to equip Britain's Fleet Air Arm, it was recognised by both Handley Page and the Air Ministry that a two-seat aircraft would be more useful both for operational purposes and for experimental work. An order was therefore placed on 27 November 1923 for six two-seat derivatives of the Hanley III, designated the Type Ta (later known as the H.P.25) or Handley Page Hendon to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 25/23 for an interim torpedo bomber.[1]
The first of the six aircraft to fly, (serial N9724) flew on 7 July 1924, with the remaining five flying by September. It had a longer fuselage to accommodate the observer, who was provided with a .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on a Scarff ring mounting, but initially, was similar to the Hanley III. Tests showed that it was tailheavy when carrying a torpedo, the outer wings being swept back by six degrees to avoid this.[2]
[edit] Operational history
The six Hendons were used for extensive trials to investigate various configurations of leading edge slots/slats. These allowed one aircraft to successfully land on HMS Furious while carrying a torpedo and without using arrestor gear.[3] No further production occurred, the development of automatic slots in October 1927 made the Hendon obsolete.
[edit] Variants
- Hendon I
- Initial configuration. Leading edge slots as Hanley III. Six built.
- Hendon II
- Improved slot gear. Three converted.
- Hendon III
- Slotted Flaps. One converted from Hendon II.
[edit] Specifications (Hendon)
Data from Handley Page Aircraft since 1907 [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.51 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft 0 in (14 m)
- Height: 13 ft 8 in [5] (4.17 m)
- Wing area: 562 ft² (52.2 m²)
- Empty weight: 4,350 lb [6] (1,978 kg)
- Loaded weight: 6,970 lb (3,160 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion IIB 12-cylinder water-cooled W engine, 450 hp (336 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 96 kn (110 mph, 177 km/h)
- Stall speed: 48 kn (55 mph, 88 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 9,500 ft (2,900 m)
- Wing loading: 12.4 lb/ft² (60.5 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.065 hp/lb (0.11 kW/kg)
Armament
- Guns: 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) forward firing Vickers machine gun and 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in rear cockpit
- Bombs: 1 × 18 in (457 mm) torpedo or 2 × 230 lb (105 kg) bombs
[edit] See also
- Related development
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Barnes, C.H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London:Putnam, 1976. ISBN 0 370 00030 7.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London:Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0 85177 861 5.
- Lewis, Peter. The British Bomber since 1914. London:Putnam, Third edition, 1980. ISBN 0 370 30265 6.
- "The Handley Page “Hendon”". Flight. 29 July 1926. Page 459—461.
[edit] External links
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