Post by Diarist on Jun 25, 2015 22:23:45 GMT 1
The Handley Page Heyford is a twin-engine British biplane bomber and it equips several squadrons of the RAF as one of the most important British bombers. The aircraft is named after and first deployed at RAF Upper Heyford, near Bicester in Oxfordshire.
Design and development
The Heyford was built to meet Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a heavy night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, which required a twin-engined aircraft capable of carrying 1,546 lb (700 kg) of bombs and flying 920 miles at 115 mph (185 km/h). The specification resulted in a large number of proposals being submitted by the British aircraft industry, with designs by Fairey (the Fairey Hendon) and Vickers (the Type 150 and Type 163) being built as well as Handley Page's design. The prototype, the Handley Page HP.38, was designed by Handley Page's lead designer G. R. Volkert and first flew on 12 June 1930 at Handley Page's factory at Radlett, powered by two 525 hp (390 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engines driving two-blade propellers.
The aircraft is of mixed construction having fabric-covered, two-bay metal-frame wings, while the fuselage has an aluminium monocoque forward section with a fabric-covered frame to the rear, It has a crew of four, consisting of a pilot, a bomb aimer/navigator/gunner, a radio operator and a dorsal/ventral gunner. Open positions are provided for the pilot and both the nose and dorsal gunners. The Heyford has a novel configuration, with the fuselage attached to the upper wing — somewhat like the 1914-designed German Gotha G.I — and with the bomb bay in the thickened centre lower wing. This provides a good defensive field of fire for the nose and dorsal guns as well as the ventral retractable "dustbin" turret, each equipped with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. The fixed undercarriage consists of large, spat-covered wheels. The design allows ground crews to safely attach bombs while the engines were running, but the result is that the pilot is some 17 ft (5 m) off the ground.
The HP.38 proved successful during service trials at Martlesham Heath and with No. 10 Squadron RAF and was chosen as the winner of the B19/27 competition, being ordered as the HP.50 Heyford. Production Heyford Is are fitted with 575 hp (429 kW) Kestrel III engines and retain the two-blade propellers, while the IAs have four-blade propellers.
Operational history
The Heyford I entered service with No. 99 Squadron RAF, at RAF Upper Heyford in November 1933, and later with No. 10 Squadron and 7 Squadron, re-equipping with the Heyford IA and II in August 1934 and April 1935 respectively.
Source: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Heyford
Design and development
The Heyford was built to meet Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a heavy night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, which required a twin-engined aircraft capable of carrying 1,546 lb (700 kg) of bombs and flying 920 miles at 115 mph (185 km/h). The specification resulted in a large number of proposals being submitted by the British aircraft industry, with designs by Fairey (the Fairey Hendon) and Vickers (the Type 150 and Type 163) being built as well as Handley Page's design. The prototype, the Handley Page HP.38, was designed by Handley Page's lead designer G. R. Volkert and first flew on 12 June 1930 at Handley Page's factory at Radlett, powered by two 525 hp (390 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engines driving two-blade propellers.
The aircraft is of mixed construction having fabric-covered, two-bay metal-frame wings, while the fuselage has an aluminium monocoque forward section with a fabric-covered frame to the rear, It has a crew of four, consisting of a pilot, a bomb aimer/navigator/gunner, a radio operator and a dorsal/ventral gunner. Open positions are provided for the pilot and both the nose and dorsal gunners. The Heyford has a novel configuration, with the fuselage attached to the upper wing — somewhat like the 1914-designed German Gotha G.I — and with the bomb bay in the thickened centre lower wing. This provides a good defensive field of fire for the nose and dorsal guns as well as the ventral retractable "dustbin" turret, each equipped with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. The fixed undercarriage consists of large, spat-covered wheels. The design allows ground crews to safely attach bombs while the engines were running, but the result is that the pilot is some 17 ft (5 m) off the ground.
The HP.38 proved successful during service trials at Martlesham Heath and with No. 10 Squadron RAF and was chosen as the winner of the B19/27 competition, being ordered as the HP.50 Heyford. Production Heyford Is are fitted with 575 hp (429 kW) Kestrel III engines and retain the two-blade propellers, while the IAs have four-blade propellers.
Operational history
The Heyford I entered service with No. 99 Squadron RAF, at RAF Upper Heyford in November 1933, and later with No. 10 Squadron and 7 Squadron, re-equipping with the Heyford IA and II in August 1934 and April 1935 respectively.
Source: Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Heyford