Hawker Hart
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| Hawker Hart | |
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| Hawker Hart | |
| Type | light bomber |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft Limited |
| Designed by | Sidney Camm |
| Maiden flight | June 1928 |
| Variants | Hawker Hind Hawker Hector |
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light-bomber of the Royal Air Force (RAF), which had a prominent role during the RAF's inter-war period. The Hart was designed during the 1920s by Sidney Camm and built by Hawker Aircraft. It spawned several variants, including a naval version.
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[edit] Design and development
In 1926, the Air Ministry stated a requirement for a high performance light-bomber, and which culminated in the choice of the Hawker Hart over other rivals (Avro Antelope and Fairey Fox) due to it being far cheaper to maintain, a vital aspect to a programme during defence budget constraints that the British armed forces faced during the 1920s.
J9052, the prototype Hart, first flew in June 1928 and entered service with No. 33 Squadron RAF in 1930. Over 900 Harts of all types were built. It became the most widely used light-bomber of its time and the design would prove to be a successful one with a number of derivatives, including the Hawker Hind and Hector, being made. There were a number of Hart variants made, though only slight alterations were made. The Hart India was basically a tropicalised version of the aircraft; the Hart Special was another tropicalised version based on the Hawker Audax, a Hart variant, with desert equipment; a specialised Hart Trainer was also designed. Vickers built 114 of the latter model at Weybridge between 1931 and June 1936.
The Hart was armed with a single forward .303 cal. Vickers machine gun and one rear .303 inch Lewis light machine-gun; the Hart also had a capacity to carry 520 lb (235 kg) of bombs. The Hart had a single 525 hp (390 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IB 12-cylinder V-type engine; a speed of 184 mph (296 km/h) and a range of over 400 miles (640 km). It was much faster than contemporary fighters, an astonishing achievement considering it was a light-bomber, and had high manoeuvrability, making the Hart one of the best biplanes ever produced for the Royal Air Force.
Demand for the bomber was such that 164 were built by Vickers at their Weybridge factory between 1931 and 1936 after that company's submission of a tender, alongside the trainers mentioned above.
[edit] Operational service
Harts were deployed to the Middle East during the Abyssinian Crisis of 1935-36. The Hart saw extensive, and successful, service in the North-West Frontier, British India during the inter-war period. Four Hawker Harts from the Swedish Air Force saw action during the 1939-40 Winter War as part of a Swedish volunteer squadron, designated F19, fighting on the Finnish side. Though obsolete compared to the United Kingdom's opposition at the start of the Second World War, the Hart continued in service, mainly performing in the communications and training roles until being declared obsolete in 1943.
The Hart proved to be a successful export, seeing service with the Royal Egyptian Air Force, Royal Indian Air Force, South African Air Force, Estonia, Southern Rhodesia, Sweden and Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
[edit] Variants
[edit] Hart
- Hart Mk I : Two-seat light bomber aircraft.
- Hart Two-Seat Fighter : Two-seat fighter version of the Hart. Used by No.23 Squadron RAF. Later redesignated as the Hart Fighter.
- Hart Trainer : Two-seat training version.
- Hart Communications : Two-seat communications version. Used by No.24 Squadron RAF.
- Hart (India) : Tropicalised version for service in India.
- Hart (Special) : Tropicalised version.
[edit] Audax
The Hawker Audax was a Hart variant, designed for the army co-operation role, seeing much service in the British Empire. The first Audax flew in late 1931, and eventually, over 700 Audaxes were produced (including export). The Audax very similar to the Hart, though had some modifications, including a hook to pick up messages. The Audax was armed with a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis light-machine gun and a Vickers .303 machine gun. The Audax was powered by a version of the Kestrel engine and had a max speed of 170 mph (270 km/h). A number of variants of the Audax were produced, including the Audax India, a tropicalised version of the Audax for service in India; the Audax Singapore for service there.
The Audax saw service with other air forces, including the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Indian Air Force, the South African Air Force, Egypt, Iraq, Persia, Straits Settlements and South Rhodesia. The Audax saw limited service during the Second World War, seeing service in Africa on the Kenya-Abyssinia border, the latter of which had been occupied by Italy. The Audax also saw service in Iraq, at RAF Habbaniyah, west of Baghdad, after the uprising there; influenced by Axis forces, but the Audax ended its service by 1945. A derivative of the Audax, the Hawker Hartebees, a light-bomber, was built for the South African Air Force with modifications made from the Audax. Sixty-five of these aircraft were built, the majority in South Africa. The aircraft saw action in East Africa during clashes against Italy who occupied Abyssinia.
- Audax Mk I : Two-seat army co-operation aircraft.
- Audax India : Army co-operation version for the RAF, for service in India.
- Audax Singapore : Army co-operation version for the RAF, for service in Singapore.
- Hartbees Mk I : Two-seat general-purpose, ground-attack aircraft for the South African Air Force.
[edit] Demon
The Hawker Demon was a fighter variant of the Hart light-bomber, and which the Air Ministry stated should be able to intercept the Hart. The intention was for the Demon to just be an interim fighter until the Hawker Fury, arguably the pinnacle of biplane fighter design, entered service. Over 200 of the Hawker Demon were built for the RAF. The Demon were powered by varying types of the Kestrel engine. It had an armament of a single rear .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis light machine-gun with two .303 (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns in the nose. Large numbers of the Hawker Demon were fitted with an hydraulically powered turret in the rear, which had been tested on the Hawker Hart. The Hawker Demon was also sold to the Royal Australian Air Force. The Demon saw only brief second-line operations during the Second World War.
Production of the Demon was by Hawker and by Boulton Paul Ltd, Norwich
- Hart Two-Seat Fighter : Two-seat fighter version of the Hart. Used by No.24 Squadron RAF. Later redesignated as the Hart Fighter.
- Demon Mk I : Two-seat fighter aircraft for the RAF.
- Australian Demon Mk I : Two-seat fighter aircraft for the RAAF.
- Australian Demon Mk II : Two-seat training version For the RAAF.
- Turret Demon : Two-seat fighter version, fitted with a Frazer-Nash gun turret in the rear cockpit.
[edit] Hardy
The Hawker Hardy was general-purpose variant of the Hawker Hart tropicalised for service in the Middle East, which included a variety of mdofications being made to the Hardy, though it retained the same armament as the original Hart. The Hardy saw some service during the Second World War, in Africa and the Middle East; the Hardy's performing a number of operations against Italian-occupied Abyssinia as-well as other areas of Africa. The Hardy also saw service with Southern Rhodesia.
- Hardy Mk I : Two-seat general-purpose aircraft for the RAF.
[edit] Hind
The Hawker Hind was a derivative of the Hart and was intended to replace it. The Hawker Hector was a variant of the Hind and was used in the army co-operation role. It saw only limited service during the Second World War with the Royal Air Force. Hectors were also sold to Eire.
[edit] Osprey
The Hawker Osprey was the navalised carrier-borne version of the Hart, performing in the fighter and reconnaissance roles. The Osprey had a single Rolls-Royce Kestrel II engine, and had a max speed of 168mph. Its armament consisted of a single forward .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine-gun and one .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis light machine-gun. The Osprey joined the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) in 1932, with just over 100 being built, and ended its career in 1944 after serving as a trainer for FAA pilots during her career in the Second World War. The Osprey was also sold to the Swedish Navy being used on the aircraft cruiser HMS Gotland, which carried six Ospreys. Ospreys were also sold to the air forces of Portugal and Spain.
- Osprey Mk I : Two-seat fleet spotter and reconnaissance biplane. Power by a 630-hp (470-kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIMS inline piston engine.
- Osprey Mk II : The Osprey Mk II had a different float installation.
- Osprey Mk III : The Osprey Mk III had a dinghy stowed away in the starboard upper wing.
- Osprey Mk IV : Two-seat fleet spotter and reconnaissance biplane. Powered by a Rolls-Royce Kestrel V inline piston engine.
[edit] Operators
- Hawker Hart
Afghanistan: Eight were received by the Afghan Air Force in 1937.
Egypt
Estonia
India: Royal Indian Air Force
South Africa: South African Air Force
Southern Rhodesia
Sweden
United Kingdom: Royal Air Force
Yugoslavia
- Hawker Audax
- Hawker Demon
- Hawker Hardy
- Hawker Hartebees
- Hawker Osprey
- United Kingdom: Fleet Air Arm
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden: Swedish Navy
[edit] Specifications (Hart (Kestrel IB powered day bomber))
Data from The British Bomber since 1914[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 29 ft 4 in (8.94 m)
- Wingspan: 37 ft 3 in (11.36 m)
- Height: 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)
- Wing area: 349.5 ft² (32.5 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,530lb (1,150 kg)
- Loaded weight: lb (kg)
- Useful load: lb (kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 4,596 lb (2,089 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Kestrel IB Water cooled V-12, 510 hp (380 kW)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: knots (mph, km/h)
- Maximum speed: 161 knots (185 mph, 298 km/h) at 13,000 ft
- Cruise speed: knots (mph, km/h)
- Stall speed: 39 knots (45 mph, 72 km/h) [2]
- Range: 374 nm (430 mi, 692 km)
- Service ceiling: 22,800 ft (6,950 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
- Wing loading: 13.2 lb/ft² (64.3 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.182 kW/kg)
- Climb to 10,000 ft 8 minutes 30 seconds
Armament
- One synchronised forward firing Vickers gun and one Lewis gun on Scarff ring in rear cockpit.
- Up to 500lb (227 kg) bombs under wings.
[edit] References
- ^ Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
- ^ Air Transport Auxiliary Ferry Pilots Notes (reproduction). Elvington, York, UK: Yorkshire Air Museum, 1996. ISBN 0-9512379-8-5.
[edit] See also
Sequence: Nimrod - Hart - Hurricane - Henley - Typhoon
[edit] External links
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