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.
| 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 |
Development and design
editThe 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,[1] powered by a 385 hp (287 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar III radial engine. With this engine it was underpowered, and was quickly re-engined with a 422 hp (315 kW) Jaguar IV before it was submitted for official testing (which was against the requirements of Specification 20/25, which had superseded 30/24).[1] The two prototype Hyenas were tested against the other competitors for the RAF's orders, the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas, the Bristol Bloodhound and the Vickers Vespa, including field evaluation with No. 4 Squadron RAF.[3] Handling close to the ground was found to be difficult, with a poor view from the cockpit, and the orders went to the Atlas, with the Hyena being abandoned, being used for testing at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough until 1928.[1]
Specifications (Jaguar IV)
editData 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 .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on Scarff ring in rear cockpit
- Bombs: 4 × light bombs under port wing
See also
editRelated development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Notes
editReferences
edit- 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
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