Hawker Henley
Henley | |
---|---|
Role | Target tug |
National origin | United Kingdom |
Manufacturer | Gloster Aircraft
|
First flight | 10 March 1937 |
Introduction | 1938 |
Retired | 1945 |
Primary user | Royal Air Force |
Number built | 202 |
Developed from | Hawker Hurricane |
Developed into | Hawker Hotspur |
The Hawker Henley was a British two-seat target tug derived from the
Design and development
In
The Hurricane was then in an advanced stage of development and there would be economies of scale if some assemblies were common to both aircraft. This resulted in the Henley sharing outer wing panels and tailplanes with the Hurricane.[citation needed] Both were equipped with the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine which offered the best power-weight ratio and minimized frontal area. The Henley's cantilever fabric-covered monoplane wing was mid-set, a retractable tail wheel landing gear was selected and accommodation provided for a pilot and observer/air gunner.
Although construction of the Henley prototype began in mid-1935, the Hurricane had priority, and it was not until 10 March 1937, powered by a Merlin "F" engine, that it first flew at Brooklands, shortly after the competing Fairey P.4/34. Subsequently, the aircraft was refitted with light alloy stressed-skin wings and a Merlin I engine (the production version of the F) and further test flights confirmed a top speed of 300 mph (480 km/h), which met the RAF's requirements.
By this time the Air Ministry had dropped its requirement for a light bomber, possibly because this role was adequately filled by the Fairey Battle.[citation needed] The Henley, was never fitted with dive brakes, bomb crutches, or dive bombing sights, which limited attack angles to under 70° and impacted accuracy,[citation needed] and was instead relegated to target-towing duties.
The Air Ministry's decision to abandon work on dive bombers in 1938 had much to do with the danger of engine overspeed in a dive. This could be alleviated by the use of a constant speed propeller, but these were not available in sufficient numbers until 1940 when they were urgently needed for Hurricanes.[1]
Henley production was subcontracted to Gloster and 200 were ordered into production.[citation needed]
The second prototype was fitted with a propeller-driven winch to haul in a target tug's drogue cable after air-to-air firing sorties and first flew on 26 May 1938.[citation needed]
Operational history
Production Henley TT.III target tug aircraft entered service with Nos. 1, 5 and 10 Bombing and Gunnery Schools, as well as with the Air Gunnery Schools at Barrow, Millom and
Variants
- Henley I
- Prototype.
- Henley II
- Second prototype.
- Henley III
- Two-seat target tug aircraft for the RAF, 200 built.
- Hawker Hotspur
- Prototype two seater fighter variant of the Henley with a four-gun power-driven turret. This did not reach production, the requirement being met by the Defiant.
Operators
Specifications (Henley Mk III)
Data from Hawker aircraft since 1920 [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 36 ft 5 in (11.10 m)
- Wingspan: 47 ft 10.5 in (14.592 m)
- Height: 14 ft 7.5 in (4.458 m)
- Wing area: 342 sq ft (31.8 m2)
- Clark YH mod (12%)[5]
- Empty weight: 6,010 lb (2,726 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 8,840 lb (4,010 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Merlin II V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,030 hp (770 kW)
- Propellers: 3-bladed de Havilland two-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 294 mph (473 km/h, 255 kn)
- Cruise speed: 235 mph (378 km/h, 204 kn) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Target-towing speed: 272 mph (236 kn; 438 km/h) at 17,500 ft (5,300 m)
- Range: 950 mi (1,530 km, 830 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 27,000 ft (8,200 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,150 ft/min (5.8 m/s)
- Wing loading: 25.9 lb/sq ft (126 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.12 hp/lb (0.20 kW/kg)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
- Notes
- ^ Mason, Francis (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. Putnam. p. 307.
- ISBN 1851526684.
- ^ Gunston 1995
- ISBN 0-85177-839-9.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- ^ Mason. The British Bomber since 1914. Putnam. p. 307.
- Bibliography
- Cooper, H.J.,O.G. Thetford and C.B. Maycock. Aircraft of the Fighting Powers – Volume II. Leicester, UK: Harborough Publishing, 1942.
- Gunston, Bill. Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-526-8.
- Hannah, Donald. Hawker FlyPast Reference Library. Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK: Key Publishing Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-946219-01-X.
- James, Derek N. Hawker, an Aircraft Album No. 5. New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN 0-668-02699-5. (First published in the UK by Ian Allan in 1972)
- Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9.
- Mondey, David. The Hamyln Concise guide to British aircraft of World War II. London: Hamlyn/Aerospace, 1982. ISBN 0-600-34951-9.