de Havilland Hyena
| DH.56 Hyena | |
|---|---|
| |
| The DH.56 Hyena J-7780 | |
| Role | Army cooperation aircraft |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | de Havilland |
| First flight | 17 May 1925 |
| Number built | 2 |
| Developed from | de Havilland DH.42B Dingo II |
The de Havilland DH.56 Hyena was a prototype British army cooperation aircraft of the 1920s. A single-engined biplane, the Hyena was designed against an RAF requirement, but was unsuccessful with only two being built, the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas being preferred.
Development and design
The DH.56 Hyena was developed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 30/24 for an Army Cooperation aircraft to equip Britain's Royal Air Force.[1] It was a development of de Havilland's earlier DH.42B Dingo, and like the Dingo, was a single-engined two-bay biplane carrying a crew of two. It was armed with a forward-firing Vickers machine gun and a Lewis gun operated by the observer. A hook to pick up messages was fitted beneath the fuselage, while the aircraft was also equipped for photography, artillery spotting, supply dropping and bombing.[2]
The first Hyena flew on 17 May 1925,
Specifications (Jaguar IV)
Data from De Havilland Aircraft since 1909 [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: Two
- Length: 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
- Upper wingspan: 43 ft 0 in (13.11 m)
- Lower wingspan: 41 ft 5+1⁄4 in (12.630 m)
- Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
- Wing area: 421+1⁄4 sq ft (39.14 m2)
- Empty weight: 2,399 lb (1,088 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,200 lb (1,905 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 100 imp gal (120 US gal; 450 L)[2]
- Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 422 hp (315 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 130 mph (210 km/h, 110 kn)
- Service ceiling: 19,230 ft (5,860 m) [1]
- Time to altitude: 13 min 24 s to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)[1]
Armament
- Guns: 1 × forward firing Lewis Gun on Scarff ringin rear cockpit
- Bombs: 4 × light bombs under port wing
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Notes
References
- Jackson, A.J. De Havilland Aircraft since 1909. London:Putnam, Third edition 1987. ISBN 0-85177-802-X.
- Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1914. London:Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
External links
