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Type of aircraft From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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 |
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]
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 making the Hendon obsolete.
Data from Handley Page Aircraft since 1907.[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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