The Handley Page HP.34 Hare was a British two-seat high-altitude day bomber designed and built at Cricklewood by Handley Page. It was designed by Harold Boultbee to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 23/25 for a replacement for the Hawker Horsley in the day bomber role,[1] competing against the Blackburn Beagle, Hawker Harrier, Gloster Goring and Westland Witch. The Hare was a conventional biplane, with single-bay unequal-span staggered wings, of mixed wood and metal construction (although the specification required that any production aircraft be of all-metal construction). It had a crew of two with the pilot in an open cockpit aft of the wing with a gunner/bomb aimer behind him.
| HP.34 Hare | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Two-seat day bomber |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Handley Page |
| First flight | 1928 |
| Retired | 1937 |
| Number built | 1 |
Only one aircraft was built, with the serial J8622. It was first flown on 24 February 1928, powered by a Gnome-Rhône Jupiter as the planned Jupiter VIII was unavailable.[2] Testing showed that the aircraft had poor handling and was prone to vibration, and it was modified with a 2 ft (0.61 m) longer fuselage and a revised tail, which improved handling. It was decided to modify the aircraft so that it could meet the requirements of Specification 24/25 to replace the Horsley in its other role as a shore-based torpedo bomber.[3]
The Hare was unsuccessful in meeting both competitions, with the day bomber competition being abandoned in favour of purchasing the more advanced Hawker Hart built to Specification 12/36, while the torpedo bomber requirement was met by the Vickers Vildebeest.[4] It remained in use with the Royal Air Force as a trials aircraft until 1932. It was then sold for a proposed long-distance flight by J.N. Addinsell and registered G-ACEL. The Hare was flown to London Air Park, Hanworth in 1933 where it was redoped and painted in civilian colours. It never flew again and was scrapped in 1937.[5]
Specifications
editData from Handley Page Aircraft since 1907 [6]
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Length: 32 ft 2 in (9.81 m)
- Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Wing area: 454 sq ft (42.2 m2)
- Empty weight: 3,050 lb (1,383 kg)
- Gross weight: 7,243 lb (3,285 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Jupiter VIII , 485 hp (362 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 152 mph (243 km/h, 132 kn)
- Range: 1,000 mi (1,609 km, 870 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,098 m)
Armament
- Fixed forward firing machine gun
- Movable machine gun at rear cockpit
- Bombs or 2,000 lb (907 kg) torpedo
See also
editRelated lists
References
editNotes
editBibliography
edit- Barnes, C.H. (1976). Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00030-7.
- Mason, Francis K. (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. p. 382. ISBN 0-370-10010-7.
External links
edit
- Handley Page Hare – British Aircraft Directory