Fairey Hendon

infobox Aircraft
name = Fairey Hendon
type = Heavy night bomber
manufacturer = Fairey Aviation

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caption =
designer =
first flight = 25 November 1930
introduced = 1936
retired = January 1939
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users =
produced = 1936-1937
number built = 15
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =

The Fairey Hendon was a British monoplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s, which served in small numbers with one Squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939. It was the first all-metal low-wing monoplane to enter service in the RAF.

Development

The Hendon was built to meet the Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a twin engined night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, competing against the Handley Page Heyford and Vickers Type 150.

The prototype K1695 (which was known as the Fairey Night Bomber until 1934) first flew on 25 November 1930, and was powered by two 460 hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engines. The prototype crashed and was heavily damaged in March 1931, and so was re-built with two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines replacing the Jupiters. After trials, fourteen production examples, now named the Hendon II were ordered. These were built by Fairey's Stockport factory in late 1936 and early 1937 and flown from Manchester's Barton Aerodrome. Orders for a further 60 Hendons were canceled in 1936, as the prototype of the first of the next generation of British heavy bombers, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley had flown and shown much higher performance. The Hendon II was powered by two Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. It had a fixed undercarriage and a crew of five while the production Hendon II included an enclosed cockpit for the pilot and navigator.

Operational history

In practice the type was delayed by the crash and rebuild of the prototype, so the Heyford received the majority of the orders needed to replace the RAF's heavy bombers, the Hendon coming into service three years later. The single Hendon-equipped unit, No. 38 Squadron RAF, began operational service based at RAF Mildenhall in November 1936, replacing Heyfords, later moving to RAF Marham, Norfolk. Later, they went to No. 115 Squadron RAF, which was formed from No. 38 Squadron. The type was soon obsolete and replaced from late 1938 by the Vickers Wellington. By January 1939 the Hendons had all been retired and were then used for ground instruction work, including the radio school at RAF Cranwell.

Variants

* Hendon Mk I : Prototype.
* Hendon Mk II : Five-seat heavy bomber aircraft for the RAF.

Operators

; UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 38 Squadron RAF
** No. 115 Squadron RAF

pecifications (Hendon II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=The British Bomber since 1914Cite book |author=Mason, Francis K |authorlink =|title=The British Bomber since 1914|publisher=Putnam Aeronautical Books|location= London|year=1994|isbn= ISBN 0 85177 861 5

crew=Five
capacity=
length main= 60 ft 9 in
length alt= 18.52 m
span main= 101 ft 9 in
span alt= 31.02 m
height main= 18 ft 8 in
height alt= 5.69 m
area main= 1,146 ft²
area alt= 106.5 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 12,773 lb
empty weight alt= 5,806 kg
empty weight more=
loaded weight main= 20,000 lb
loaded weight alt= 9,091 kg
loaded weight more=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (prop)= Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI
type of prop= inline V12 piston
number of props= 2
power main= 600 hp
power alt= 448 kW
power original=
max speed main= 132 knots
max speed alt= 152 mph, 245 km/h
max speed more= at 15,000 ft
cruise speed main= 116 knots
cruise speed alt= 133 mph, 214 km/h
cruise speed more= at 15,000 ft
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 1,183 nm
range alt= 1,360 mi, 2190 km
ceiling main= 21,400 ft
ceiling alt= 6,524 m
climb rate main= 940 ft/min
climb rate alt= 4.8 m/s
climb rate more=Cite book|author=Thetford, Owen|title=Aircraft of the Royal Aircraft 1918-57|edition= 1st edition|publisher=Putnam|location= London|year=1957|id=

loading main= 17.5 lb/ft²
loading alt= 85.4 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.06 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.099 kW/kg
more performance= * Climb to 6500 ft: 9 minutes 12 seconds

guns=Three Lewis guns in nose, dorsal and tail positions
bombs= 1,660 lb bombs
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
*Handley Page Heyford
*Tupolev TB-3

lists=

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Crosby, Francis. "The World Encyclopedia of Fighters and Bombers". London: Lorenz Books, ISBN 0-75481-616-8.
* Taylor, H.A. "Fairey Aircraft since 1915". London, 1974: Putnam, ISBN 0-370-00065-x.