The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first use of bombs dropped ...

designed and produced by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

aircraft manufacturer

Handley Page Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer. Founded by Frederick Handley Page (later Sir Frederick) in 1909, it was the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation a ...

. It holds the distinction of being the last biplane

heavy bomber Heavy bombers are bomber aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually bombs) and longest range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy bombers have therefore usually been among the larges ...

to be operated by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(RAF). The Heyford was developed in response to Specification B.19/27 for a new heavy night bomber. Much of the design can be attributed to the work of

George Volkert George Rudolph Volkert CBE FRAeS (4 July 1891 – 16 May 1978) was a British aircraft designer. Early life He was born in Fulham. He studied at the Northampton Institute in London (now City University London). Career Handley Page He joi ...

, Handley Page's lead designer. Unlike the company's preceding aircraft, the Heyford comprised metal construction instead of wood; it also had an unorthodox arrangement wherein the fuselage was joined to the upper wing rather than the lower one, which gave the aircraft a relatively nose-high orientation while on the ground. Considerable revision of the proposal occurred even after its submission, which was recognised as the Air Ministry's preferred option. A sole prototype, designated ''Handley Page HP.38'', was produced, performing its

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. The maiden flight of a new aircraft type is alwa ...

on 12 June 1930 and commencing service trials shortly thereafter. During November 1933, the first Heyfords entered service, being initially flown by No. 99 Squadron at

RAF Upper Heyford RAF Upper Heyford was a Royal Air Force station located north-west of Bicester near the village of Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire, England. In the Second World War the airfield was used by Bomber Command. During the Cold War, Upper Heyford was one ...

; before the end of 1936,

Bomber Command Bomber Command is an organisational military unit, generally subordinate to the air force of a country. The best known were in Britain and the United States. A Bomber Command is generally used for strategic bombing (although at times, e.g. during t ...

had a total of nine operational squadrons equipped with the Heyford. Despite forming a considerable portion of the RAF's bomber fleet during the mid-1930s, the Heyford had a relatively short service life as it was rapidly eclipsed by a new generation of

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

bombers, such as the

Armstrong Whitworth Whitley The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.38 Whitley was a British medium bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was one of three twin-engined, front line medium bomber types that were in service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) at the outbreak of the Second World ...

and the

Vickers Wellington The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...

. The replacement of the type had commenced during 1937 as more capable bombers were introduced during a major rearmament push for the RAF; the Heyford was formally declared obsolete in July 1939, barely two months prior to the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Despite this, the type continued to be used in secondary roles, being used as glider tugs, experimental aircraft, and trainers, into the 1940s.

Development

Background

By 1928, the Air Staff had concluded that, while one single airframe could be suitable versatile to meet the majority of its needs, a dedicated nighttime bomber was required.Barnes 1967, p. 288. In response, the

Air Ministry The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...

issued Specification B.19/27, which sought a

for nighttime operations to replace the

Vickers Virginia The Vickers Virginia was a biplane heavy bomber of the British Royal Air Force, developed from the Vickers Vimy. Design and development Work on the Virginia was started in 1920, as a replacement for the Vimy. Two prototypes were ordered on 13 ...

. The requirements listed included the use of a twin-engine arrangement, positive stability, ease of maintenance, good manoeuvrability, avoidance of excessive pilot fatigue, an adequate self-defense capability, sufficient carrying capacity for up to 1,546 lb (700 kg) of bombs, and to traverse a distance of 920 miles at a speed of at least 115 mph (185 km/h).Barnes 1976, pp. 288–290. The release of the specification was met with a large number of proposals from various companies across the British aircraft industry. Specifically, designs were submitted by Fairey (the

Fairey Hendon The Fairey Hendon was a British monoplane, heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force, designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s. The aircraft served in small numbers with one squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939. It was the first all-metal lo ...

) and

Vickers Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...

(the Type 150 and Type 163 being built) in addition to Handley Page's own proposal.Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' November 1995, pp. 13–14. The responsibility for producing Handley Page's design was given to the company's lead designer G. R. Volkert. According to aviation author C. H. Barnes, while Handley Page was satisfied with the qualities of wooden construction, it was the Air Ministry's insistence that all future production aircraft use metal construction that compelled the firm to change. A new recruit to the company, Raymond H. Sandifer, played a crucial role in this substitution process, which included steel tubing and aluminium fuel tanks. The design produced by Volkert pursued aerodynamic optimisation to achieve its performance, particularly for the uninterrupted upper wing surface and had deliberately limited the wing span to 75 feet to avoid any need for folding arrangements. According to Barnes, at the time of its submission on 16 November 1927, Handley Page's proposal was quite original.Barnes 1967, p. 290. Further changes to the proposed design were made over the following months, often involving its propulsion in particular. Multiple engines, including the

Napier Lion The Napier Lion is a 12-cylinder, petrol-fueled 'broad arrow' W12 configuration aircraft engine built by D. Napier & Son from 1917 until the 1930s. A number of advanced features made it the most powerful engine of its day and kept it in produ ...

Rolls-Royce Kestrel The Kestrel or type F is a 21 litre (1,300 in³) 700 horsepower (520 kW) class V-12 aircraft engine from Rolls-Royce, their first cast-block engine and the pattern for most of their future piston-engine designs. Used during the interwar pe ...

, and

Bristol Jupiter The Bristol Jupiter was a British nine-cylinder single-row piston radial engine built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. Originally designed late in World War I and known as the Cosmos Jupiter, a lengthy series of upgrades and developments turn ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

s, were considered by Handley Page, before it was determined that the Kestrel was superior. Furthermore, while variable-pitch propellers had been considered, they were ultimately excluded in favour of fixed-pitch counterparts due to synchronisation issues. Other changes included an alternative

undercarriage Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include: *The landing gear of an aircraft. *The ch ...

configuration that produced less drag, adjusted wing stagger, and revisions to the positioning of the fuselage.

Into flight

A single prototype, designated ''Handley Page HP.38'', was ordered under contract No.790320/27, which was subsequently amended under contract No.819857/28.Barnes 1967, p. 293. The prototype was completed during May 1930; it was powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engines, each capable of producing up to 525 hp (390 kW), that drove a set of two-bladed propellers. On 12 June 1930, this prototype performed its

from Handley Page's factory at

Radlett Radlett is a village in Hertfordshire, England, between Elstree and St Albans on Watling Street, with a population of 8,042. It is in the council district of Hertsmere in the south of the county, and is covered by two wards; Aldenham East and ...

.Mason 1994, p. 213. Following the completion of contractor testing, the HP.38 was dispatched to

Martlesham Heath Martlesham Heath village is situated 6 miles (10 km) east of Ipswich, in Suffolk, England. This was an ancient area of heathland and latterly the site of Martlesham Heath Airfield. A "new village" was established there in the mid-1970s and th ...

to undergo service trials; further tests were conducted with No. 10 Squadron. Numerous improvements and changes were suggested by test pilots and reviewing officials alike, including enlarged radiators, thicker skin, and a revised cockpit design.Barnes 1967, pp. 294–296. Handley Page were under pressure to proceed rapidly, partially due to competition from the Vickers Type 150 and the Fairey Long-range Monoplane; the prototypes of both these rivals suffered separate accidents, which gave extra time to refine the HP.38.Barnes 1967, p. 294. Revisions around this time largely focused on increasing the workspace for crewmembers and the clearance for groundcrews to arm the aircraft. On 11 April 1932, revisions to the prototype's

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

fuselage to incorporate all of the recommended improvements were authorised.Barnes 1967, pp. 296–297. As a consequence of the talk at the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

of abolishing bombing, military planners opted to delay the awarding of a production contract; at one point, Handley Page was considering laying off numerous staff involved with the HP.38 over this uncertainty. However, the

Japanese invasion of Manchuria The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden Incident. At the war's end in February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. Their occupation lasted until the ...

and a lack of consensus among the Geneva Disarmament Committee let to the Air Ministry issuing instructions to proceed with an initial batch of five aircraft, designated ''HP.50 Heyford''.Barnes 1967, p. 298. During March 1933, production contract 25498/33 was issued to Handley Page, ordering 15 HP.50s. The first of these aircraft was assembled by hand, partially due to the need for it as a prototype after the loss of the HP.38 in an accident.Barnes 1967, pp. 298–299. The production aircraft differed somewhat from the earlier prototype, the Heyford I was fitted with 575 hp (429 kW) Kestrel III engines and retained the two-blade propellers, while the improved Heyford IA featured four-blade propellers. Engine variations were primary differences for both the Mk II and III variants; the former being equipped with 640 hp (480 kW) Kestrel IVs,

supercharged In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...

to 695 hp (518 kW) in the Heyford III.Barnes 1967, pp. 300–305.

Design

The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine

designed for nighttime operations. It featured a relatively novel configuration in which the fuselage was attached to the upper wing – somewhat resembling the 1914-designed German

Gotha G.I The Gotha G.I was a heavy bomber used by the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (Imperial German Air Service) during World War I. Design and development In mid-1914, Oskar Ursinus, the founder and editor of the German flying magazine ''Flugsport'', began des ...

. This arrangement provided a favourable field of fire for its defensive weapons, which were positioned on the nose and dorsal sections, along with the ventral retractable "dustbin"

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope * Mi ...

, each of which being armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun. The wings of the Heyford were equal in both span and dihedral. The lower wing featured a thickened center section to accommodate the aircraft's single bomb bay. Automated wing tip slots improved the take-off performance considerably. Propulsion consisted of a pair of

engines, which each drove a set of fixed-pitch propellers. . The Heyford featured a mixed construction; its wings were covered by fabric while the structure comprised a twin-

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a Gulf (geography), gulf, sea, sound (geography), sound, or bight (geogra ...

metal frame,Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' December 1995, pp. 18–19. while the

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...

consisted of an

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

forward section with a fabric-covered frame to the rear,Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' December 1995, p. 17. It was operated by a crew of four, typically consisting of a pilot, a

bomb aimer A bombardier or bomb aimer is the crew member of a bomber aircraft responsible for the targeting of aerial bombs. "Bomb aimer" was the preferred term in the military forces of the Commonwealth, while "bombardier" (from the French word for "bom ...

/navigator/gunner, a radio operator and a dorsal/ventral gunner. Open positions were provided for the pilot and both the nose and dorsal gunners. The Hayford was furnished with a fixed

that consisted of large, spat-covered wheels that were mounted upon the

leading edge The leading edge of an airfoil surface such as a wing is its foremost edge and is therefore the part which first meets the oncoming air.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, ...

of the lower wing. This arrangement enabled ground crews to safely attach bombs even as the engines were still running, but also had the consequence of positioning the pilot roughly 17 ft (5 m) above the ground. Another benefit of this nose-high angle was a relatively short and speedy take-off run.

Operational history

The Royal Air Force in the 1930s HU58005

In November 1933, the Heyford I entered service with No. 99 Squadron, at

, near

Bicester Bicester ( ) is a historical market towngarden town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Cherwell (district), Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in Southern England that also comprises an Eco-towns, eco town at North Wes ...

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...

. It subsequently was adopted by No. 10 Squadron and No. 7 Squadron, which re-equipped with the Heyford IA and II in August 1934 and April 1935 respectively.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' January 1996, p. 42. As part of the RAF's expansion plan, follow-on orders were placed for 70 Heyford IIIs during 1936, which were equipped with steam condenser-cooled

VI engines. The delivery of these aircraft enabled the RAF to have nine operational squadrons equipped with Heyfords by the end of 1936.Mason 1994, p. 215. During the late 1930s, these Heyford squadrons comprised a significant proportion of

's night bomber strength. Accordingly, Heyfords commonly flew lengthy nighttime exercises, sometimes conducting mock attacks against targets in France. On 12 December 1936, disaster struck one of these long-range exercises; a flight of seven Heyfords of No. 102 Squadron, stationed in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

encountered fog and icy weather conditions on their approach to

RAF Finningley Royal Air Force Finningley or RAF Finningley was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force station at Finningley, in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The station straddled the historic county boundaries of both ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

. Of these seven aircraft, four crashed and two had to make forced landings, resulting in the deaths of three crewmen and a further three sustaining injuries.Mason 1994, p. 214. During 1937, the replacement of the Heyford had commenced, the timing of which coincided with the arrival into service of both the

and

Vickers Wellesley The Vickers Wellesley was a medium bomber that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs at Brooklands near Weybridge, Surrey. It was one of two aircraft to be named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of We ...

.Thetford 1957, p. 246. The last examples were withdrawn from frontline service during 1939. Several Heyfords continued to be used for secondary duties, being commonly used as bombing and gunnery trainers, into the 1940s, although the Heyford had been officially declared to be obsolete during July 1939.Donald, David, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1997. . A pair were still being used as glider tugs until April 1941.Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1996, p. 65. There are at least three fatalities associated with the Heyford in the Second World War, these occurring due to a mid-air collision between two aircraft on 4 April 1940. At least two examples found experimental use; one for airborne

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

and the other for

aerial refuelling Aerial refueling, also referred to as air refueling, in-flight refueling (IFR), air-to-air refueling (AAR), and tanking, is the process of transferring aviation fuel from one aircraft (the tanker) to another (the receiver) while both aircraft a ...

,Jarrett ''Aeroplane Monthly'' November 1995, p. 18. and it is reported that a single Heyford was still in storage as late as 1944.

Variants

;Heyford I :Powered by 575 hp (429 kW)

III engines: 15 built, serial numbers K3489-K3902 (last aircraft built as Mk.II prototype). ;Heyford IA :Engine support changes, power-driven generator, four-blade propellers: 23 built, serial numbers K4021-K4043. ;Heyford II :Powered by 640 hp (480 kW) Kestrel IV engines: 16 built, serial numbers K4863-K4878. ;Heyford III :Supercharged 695 hp (518 kW) Kestrel VI engines: 70 built in two batches, serial numbers K5180-K5199 and K6857-K6906. For a total of 125 (including the prototype, J9130)

Operators

The Royal Air Force in the Second World War HU104635

; *

Thetford ''Aeroplane Monthly'' February 1996, p. 66. ** No. 7 Squadron ** No. 9 Squadron ** No. 10 Squadron ** No. 38 Squadron ** No. 58 Squadron ** No. 78 Squadron ** No. 97 Squadron ** No. 99 Squadron ** No. 102 Squadron ** No. 148 Squadron ** No. 149 Squadron ** No. 166 Squadron

Survivors

No intact Heyfords, or significant portions from a single one, have survived through to preservation. The

Royal Air Force Museum The Royal Air Force Museum is a museum dedicated to the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom. The museum is a non-departmental public body of the Ministry of Defence and is a registered charity. The museum is split into two separate sites: * Ro ...

has several components of the Heyford on display; these include a pair of main wheels, two blades of a Heyford propeller and tailplane parts of Heyford III ''K6875'' of No. 166 Squadron, recovered from its crash site in the

Peak District The Peak District is an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southe ...

Specifications (Heyford IA)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* Barnes, C. H. ''Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. . * Clayton, Donald C. ''Handley Page, an Aircraft Album''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. . * Halley, James J. ''Royal Air Force Aircraft: K1000 to K9999''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 1976. . * Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Handley Page Heyford:Part One". ''Aeroplane Monthly''. Vol 23 No 11, November 1995. pp. 12–18. ISSN 0143-7240. * Jarrett, Philip. "By Day and By Night: Handley Page Heyford:Part Two". ''Aeroplane Monthly''. Vol 23 No 12, December 1995. pp. 16–21. ISSN 0143-7240. * Mason, Francis K. ''The British Bomber Since 1914''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. . * Moyes, Philip J.R. '' Bomber Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft''. London: Macdonald and Jane's (Publishers) Ltd., 1964 ( new edition 1976). . * Moyes, Philip J.R. ''The Handley Page Heyford (Aircraft in Profile number 182)''. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1967. * Thetford, Owen. ''Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918–57''. London: Putnam, 1st edition, 1957. * Thetford, Owen. "By Day and By Night: Handley Page Heyford: Service History:Part One". ''

Aeroplane Monthly ''Aeroplane'' (formerly ''Aeroplane Monthly'') is a British magazine devoted to aviation, with a focus on aviation history and preservation. __TOC__ ''The Aeroplane'' The weekly ''The Aeroplane'' launched in June 1911 under founding edito ...

''. Vol 24 No 1, January 1996. pp. 38–43. ISSN 0143-7240. * Thetford, Owen. "By Day and By Night: Handley Page Heyford: Service History:Part Two". ''Aeroplane Monthly''. Vol 24 No 2, February 1996. pp. 62–66. ISSN 0143-7240.

External links

{{Authority control 1930s British bomber aircraft Heyford Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1930 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft