Handley Page HP42
| Handley Page HP42 | |
|---|---|
 Handley Page HP42 of Imperial Airways |
|
| Type: | Four-engine airliner |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
November 14, 1930 |
| Commissioning: |
1931 |
| Number of pieces: |
8th |
The Handley Page HP42 and HP45 were four-engine British long-haul passenger aircraft that were in service from 1931.
They were designed for Imperial Airways at Handley Page in the Radlett Aerodrome in Hertfordshire . The HP42 were intended for routes in Asia and North Africa and the HP45 for intra-European flights. The HP45 also had the designation HP42W (W for Western) and the HP42 the designation HP42E (E for Eastern). Since some aircraft also changed roles during their service, the factory designation HP45 was not used in practice. The HP42E and HP42W did not differ from the outside. In addition to the slightly varying division of the passenger area, only the engines were different in the delivery condition: Bristol Jaguar Major (later Bristol Jupiter) for "E" and Bristol Jupiter for "W".
The HP42 / 45 were very well known aircraft of Imperial Airways before the airline later relied on flying boats . A total of eight machines were built, all of which were given a name beginning with the letter "H" (e.g. Hanno ). An airplane burned in an airship hangar in 1937. The remaining machines were used by the Royal Air Force during World War II . There were no deaths in civil flight operations, but by 1941 all aircraft had been destroyed or scrapped.
construction
The HP42 was a large , all-metal biplane , only the wing paneling was made of plywood. There were three rudders at the stern. The HP42 had four Bristol Jupiter XIF engines with 490 hp (365 kW) and the HP45 had four Bristol Jupiter XFBM engines with 555 hp (414 kW). Two engines were mounted on the upper wing and the others were mounted on the lower wings.
The crew was separated from the passengers. The machine had two passenger cabins (in front of and behind the wings). The HP42 could carry six passengers in the front (later twelve) and twelve in the rear, plus a large cargo hold. The HP45 had 18 seats in the front and 20 in the rear, but the cargo space was smaller.
Working time
The first flight of the G-AAGX Hannibal took place on November 14, 1930. On June 11, 1931, regular flight operations to Paris began .
HP42E:
The HP42E were used for long-haul flights to Africa and India . They were stationed in Cairo .
- G-AAGX Hannibal , lost over the Gulf of Oman on March 1, 1940 with eight dead
- G-AAUC Horsa
- G-AAUD Hanno
- G-AAUE Hadrian
HP42W / HP45:
- G-AAXC Heracles
- G-AAXD Horatius
- G-AAXE Hengist , later used in Asia, burned in Karachi on May 31, 1937
- G-AAXF Helena
HP 43
- Three-engine variant, which was intended as a bomber and transporter according to the Air Ministry Specification C.16 / 28. One machine was built in 1930/31.
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Handley Page HP42 |
|---|---|
| crew | 4th |
| Passengers | 18-24 |
| length | 28.09 m |
| span | 39.62 m |
| height | 5.04 m |
| Wing area | 277.68 m² |
| Empty mass | 8,047 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 12,700 kg |
| drive | four Bristol Jupiter XIF; 490 PS each (approx. 360 kW) |
| Top speed | 195 km / h |
| Service ceiling | k. A. |
| Range | 805 km |
See also
literature
- Harry Fraser-Mitchell: Handley Page HP42 (Database). Airplane Monthly, January 2002.
- CH Barnes: Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. Putnam & Company, Ltd., London 1987, ISBN 0-85177-803-8 .
- Donald C. Clayton: Handley Page, on Aircraft Album. Ian Allan Ltd., Shepperton 1969, ISBN 0-7110-0094-8 .
- Gordon Swanborough: HP 42. First of the million milers. Air International, Vol. 42, No. 3, March 1992, pp. 139-144, ISSN 0306-5634 .
