Hawker Nimrod
Nimrod | |
---|---|
Hawker Nimrod at El Amriya, 1936 | |
Role | Naval fighter |
Manufacturer | Hawker |
Designer | Sydney Camm |
First flight | 14 October 1931[1] |
Introduction | 1933 |
Primary user | Fleet Air Arm |
Number built | 92 |
The Hawker Nimrod is a British carrier-based single-engine, single-seat biplane fighter aircraft built in the early 1930s by Hawker Aircraft.
Design and development
In 1926 the
The Nimrod had an overall similarity to the Fury: it was a single-seater
The Nimrod's fuselage was a
The Nimrod had a conventional undercarriage of cross axle type on trailing struts, with compression legs almost at right angles to the fuselage and an aft tailskid. It could also operate as a floatplane on single-step, crossbraced floats mounted on N-form struts. With floats fitted, the maximum speed was reduced by 47 mph (76 km/h), or 25%. The Kestrel engine's bath type radiator was mounted on the lower fuselage between the undercarriage struts.[2]
After testing in 1930, the prototype went with HMS Eagle to Buenos Aires, flying there as part of the British Empire Trade Exhibition in March 1931. It returned to RAF Martlesham Heath for final testing. A production order for 35 was placed and the first of these flew on 31 October 1931. In the following year, another contract for a further 19 Nimrod Is was signed.[2] With a top speed of 193 mph (311 km/h) it was only marginally slower than its land-based counterpart, the Hawker Fury.
A headrest fairing was added retrospectively to the Nimrod Is, to ease pilot strain during catapult launches. Aircraft from the later production batch were fitted with
Operational history
The first production Nimrod Is entered service in 1932 with No.408 Flight on HMS Glorious. Others went to No.s 402 and 409 Flights soon after. Fleet Air Arm flights were reorganised into Squadrons early in 1933, with the Nimrods joining No.s 801, 802 and 803 Squadrons RAF.[2]
The Nimrod II followed in September 1934.[2]
Few Nimrods were exported, though one aircraft was supplied to Japan and one to Portugal. Two went to Denmark, where they were known as the Nimrodderne. They were intended as pattern aircraft for proposed licence building and were essentially Nimrod Is, though powered by Kestrel IIIS engines. One, unusually, was fitted with
The Nimrod had been replaced by more modern designs such as the Sea Gladiator by May 1939, before the start of World War II.[2]
Variants
- Nimrod I
- FAA: 477 hp (356 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIMS piston engine; 57 built.
- Nimrod II
- FAA: modified swept-wing version, powered by a 608 hp (453 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS or VFp piston engine; 30 built.
- Danish Nimrod
- Hawker built pattern aircraft, powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIIS piston engine; two built and exported to Denmark.
- Nimrodderne
- Single-seat fighter aircraft for the Royal Danish Navy; ten built under licence in Denmark.
- AXH1
- A single Hawker Nimrod I supplied to the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service for evaluation in 1934.
Operators
- Marinens Flyvevæsen (Royal Danish Navy Aviation) received two aircraft called Nimrødderne. A further ten were built locally under licence between 1934 and 1935 at Orlogsværftet; called L.B.V (Landbased Biplane 5). The eight survivors were German spoils of war in 1940.
- Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service received one aircraft, designated AXH.
- Portuguese Air Force received one aircraft.
- Fleet Air Arm
- 713 Naval Air Squadron (713 NAS)
- 759 Naval Air Squadron (759 NAS)
- 780 Naval Air Squadron (780 NAS)
- 781 Naval Air Squadron (781 NAS)
- 800 Naval Air Squadron (800 NAS)
- 801 Naval Air Squadron (801 NAS)
- 802 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS)
- 803 Naval Air Squadron (803 NAS)
- No. 404 (Fleet Fighter) Flight FAA(404 Flt)
- No. 408 (Fleet Fighter) Flight FAA(408 Flt)
- No. 1 Flying Training School RAF (1 FTS)
Surviving aircraft
Two Nimrods survive, both of which are airworthy and are based at the Imperial War Museum's Duxford Aerodrome, Cambridgeshire. Both served with No. 802 Squadron.[3]
Nimrod I
- S1581, G-BWWK is operated by The Fighter Collection.[3] It is the fourth production Mk. I, dating from late 1931 and from the first batch built.[4]
Nimrod II
- K3661, G-BURZ is operated by the Historic Aircraft Collection.[3] It is the penultimate FAA Nimrod, built in early 1934.[4]
Specifications (Nimrod Mk I)
Data from Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 26 ft 6 in (8.08 m)
- Wingspan: 33 ft 7 in (10.24 m)
- Height: 9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)
- Wing area: 300 sq ft (28 m2)
- Airfoil: RAF 28[5]
- Empty weight: 3,110 lb (1,411 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,050 lb (1,837 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Kestrel VFP V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 525 hp (391 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 194 mph (312 km/h, 169 kn)
- Range: 305 mi (491 km, 265 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,500 m)
Armament
- Guns: 2 × forward firing fixed .303 in (7.7 mm) machine guns
- Bombs: 4 × 20 lb (9 kg) bombs on underwing racks
See also
Related development
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Crawford, Alex. Hawker Fury & Nimrod. Sandomierz, Poland/Redbourn, UK: Mushroom Model Publications, 2007. ISBN 83-89450-41-0.
- Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics. Manchester, UK: Crécy, 2010. ISBN 978-0-85979-150-2.
- Hannah, Donald. Hawker FlyPast Reference Library. Stamford, Lincolnshire, UK: Key Publishing Ltd., 1982. ISBN 0-946219-01-X.
- Holmes, Tony. Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN 0-00-719292-4.
- James, Derek N. Hawker, an Aircraft Album No. 5. New York: Arco Publishing Company, 1973. ISBN 0-668-02699-5.
- Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1961.
- Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920. London: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9