Hawker Harrier
| Hawker Harrier | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The only Hawker Harrier |
|
| Type: | Experimental day bomber and torpedo aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
Early 1927 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Hawker Harrier was a two-seat biplane designed as a bomber and torpedo aircraft by the British manufacturer Hawker Engineering Co. from the 1920s.
history
The Harrier was designed in 1926 according to the requirements of the Air Ministry Specification 23/25; the first flight took place at the beginning of 1927. The specification 23/25 laid down the standard requirements regarding the bomb load to be transported for RAF day bombers after it was found that the previous bomber requirement 26/23 was completely inadequate in this regard. The Hawker Horsley , constructed in 1925, fulfilled the latter requirements and also the new load requirements of the 23/25. However, it soon came to the conclusion that optimal high-altitude performance could only be achieved with a new engine. Construction work on the Harrier began before the Horsley trials were completed.
Analogous to the series Horsleys, it was decided to use a largely fabric-covered steel and duralumin construction for the supporting structure. The machine had a split landing gear axis in order to be prepared in advance for the possible requirement to carry a torpedo. The Bristol Jupiter VIII, equipped with a reduction gear, was chosen as the engine, but the gearbox swallowed so much power that the Harrier looked significantly underpowered.
The prototype with the RAF serial number J8325 completed a flight test in Brooklands from March to November 1927 , after which further flights in Martlesham followed in the winter of 1927/28 and in the summer of 1928. The assessment highlighted the inadequate engine performance, especially when starting.
The trial flights were carried out with different bomb payloads ranging from eight 112 lb. up to four 250 lb. bombs ranged. As expected, Hawker received the additional requirement for the Harrier to meet specification 24/25, in which the carrying of a torpedo was required. In Martlesham, the bomb fittings were removed and hangers attached for the Admiralty Type VIII torpedo. Despite an increase in the power of the Jupiter engine to 583 hp, the take-off power of the machine was still insufficient, as at the same time the weight increased by 3000 lb (1360 kg). The test flights therefore had to be carried out without the rear defense post and with only a half-full tank.
In November 1929 the aircraft was handed over to the Bristol Engine Company in Filton , where it served as a flying test bench for aircraft engines. After the Bristol Orion (495 hp), the Bristol Hydra double octagon engine (870 hp) was also tested. The machine stayed in Filton until it was scrapped in February 1933.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 9.02 m |
| span | 14.11 m |
| height | 4.06 m |
| Wing area | 46.2 m² |
| Empty mass | 1488 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 2568 kg (with bomb load) 3237 kg (with torpedo) 13 |
| Top speed | 217 km / h (with bomb load) |
| Climb performance | 18.5 min at 3000 m (10,000 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 4200 m |
| Engines | 1 × Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engine with 583 HP (429 kW) which acts on a two-blade Woods wooden propeller. Propeller diameter: 3.74 m |
| Armament | a Lewis machine gun in a Scarff ring in the stern and a forward-firing Vickers machine gun in the bow |
See also
literature
- Francis K. Mason: Hawker Aircraft since 1920 , Putnam Aeronautical Books, 3rd edition 1991, ISBN 1-55750-351-6
