The Hinaidi
The Hinaidi was a development of the earlier Hyderabad, which it succeeded in RAF heavy night bomber squadrons. Various improvements were incorporated into the Hinaidi, chiefly in having Bristol Jupiter radials in place of the Napier Lions. More significantly the production version utilised metal construction rather than wooden. These changes imparted a slightly better performance, including a heavier bomb load.
The prototype Hinaidi was in fact a converted Hyderabad; hence its wooden construction. It first took to the air on 26 March 1927, with the production version being designated Hinaidi II, and featuring metal construction. Its production run was remarkably small, just 33 in number, with construction ending in 1932. These figures are indicative of the financial strictures imposed on military spending during that era.
Into Service
Once again No.99 squadron at Upper Heyford was selected as the first RAF unit to receive the Hinaidi. This was in late 1929 and its tenure with No.99 was for a period of four years, after which their Hinaidis were replaced by Heyfords in November 1933. In early 1931 No.10 squadron became the second and only other RAF unit to operate the Hinaidi. In February 1928 a troop-carrier version of the Hinaidi, known as the Chitral was ordered to Spec.C.20/27. It was later re-named the Clive and served with the RAF Heavy Transport Flight for a number of years stationed at Lahore in India.
In squadron use the Hinaidi had proven safe and reliable but if their outward appearance was any indication, very little progress beyond the 0/400 and its contemporaries a decade earlier seemed to have taken place. Unhappily, the Hinaidi was indicative of the obsolescence into which the RAF heavy bomber equipment had lapsed by the early 1930s.
Power plant: Two 440hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radials
Dimensions: Span.22.8m (75ft) Length. 18m. (59ft)
Height. 5.1m (17ft) Wing area. 137sq.m.(1471 sq.ft.)
Max.speed 192kph (120 mph) Range. 1360km. (850 miles)
Ceiling. 4420 m. (14,500ft) Bomb load. 750kg. (1448lb)
The Heyford
Handley Page’s replacement for the ageing Hinaidis was the Heyford, which was famous in RAF annals as the last of its biplane heavy bombers. Outwardly, its most notable feature was the attachment to its fuselage of the upper instead of the lower wing. This brought the lower wing close to the ground, thus facilitating rapid re-arming; as the bomb load was stowed in the thickened centre section. Below this wing were the substantial main landing wheels, enclosed by large fairings attached to the wing’s leading edge. The layout gave the Heyford a remarkable height of 18 feet, which would have demanded a degree of concentration from the pilot when landing.
The Heyford prototype first flew in June 1930 and following an appearance at Hendon in 1932 the type was ordered in quantity to Spec.23/32. A total of 122 were delivered to the RAF before production ceased in September 1936. Crew members numbered four, with both pilots located in an open cockpit situation in the Mk.1 version. In the Mk.II they had the comfort of an enclosed cockpit. Two 525hp. Rolls Royce Kestrels provided a maximum speed of 142 mph. (20 mph faster than the Hinaidi) with a range of 920 miles. Armament comprised three Lewis guns in nose, dorsal and ventral (dustbin) positions. .
Once again No.99 Squadron was the first to operate the lofty Heyford; this was in November 1933 and over the ensuing two years a further seven heavy bomber units were equipped with the type. By 1937, with the introduction of a new era of monoplane bombers, such as the Whitley and Wellington, the Heyford began to disappear from squadrons; with the last examples giving way to Wellingtons in 1939.
- Power plant: Two 525hp Rolls Royce Kestrel III engines
- Dimensions: Span. 22.8m (75ft) Length. 18m (58ft)
- Height. 5.2m (18ft) Wing area. 136.6 sq.m. (1470 sq.ft)
- Max.speed. 228kph. (142mph) Range. 1481km (920 miles)
- Ceiling. 6,400 m. (21,000 ft) Bomb load. 1360kg (3000lb)
The Harrow
The HP54 Harrow was one of the early types of monoplane bombers designed as replacements for the obsolescent biplane types in current front-line service. Based on the HP51 troop-carrier which first flew in May 1935, the Harrow was produced to Spec.19/35. With its high-wing configuration and spatted fixed undercarriage, it was quite an impressive machine; displaying a degree of modernity when compared to the lumbering biplanes it supplanted.
Air Ministry ordered 100 Harrows in August 1935, these early examples were powered by 830hp Bristol Pegasus X engines while the later Mk,IIs were fitted with 925hp Pegasus XXs. At that time the RAF was the focus of an urgent Expansion Scheme, which was to atone for those earlier years of development stagnation. Before the end of 1937 five squadrons were equipped with the Harrow; and these aircraft, together with some of the new Whitleys comprised the RAF’s heavy bomber component until 1939.
Active Service
By then, a new generation of heavy bombers, such as the Whitley and Wellington were entering squadron service. As a result the Harrow reverted to its original role as a transport. Some examples had their nose and tail gun positions replaced by fairings; with a number of them used as ambulance transports during World War 2. A classic example was the use of two Harrows from No.271 squadron to evacuate wounded during the ill-fated 1944 Arnhem operation. The Harrow may have been denied its opportunity as a bomber but it did perform a vital role with Transport Command.
A measure of the Harrow’s versatility was their employment as aerial tankers during in-flight refuelling experiments with Imperial Airways C Class flying boats, Cabot and Caribou. This was carried out during August/September 1939 prior to these craft making their successful transatlantic air mail flights.
A New Camouflage
It was also one of a new breed of RAF heavy bombers to feature a revised colour scheme,rather than the dark green Nivo finish applied to its biplane predecessors. The newcomers would wear the traditional dark earth and dark green shadow shading with matt black under surfaces. This subtle finish was rather offset by the bright new roundel design, which returned to the red, white and blue, plus the adoption of an outer ring of chrome yellow. The roundel was applied to the fuselage sides and for a period in 1938 to the upper wing but with war imminent the wing roundels reverted to red and blue. For the duration of the war in Europe this colour scheme was adopted as standard night finish for RAF Bomber Command.
- Power Plant; Two 925hp Bristol Pegasus XX
- Dimensions: Span. 26.8m (88ft) Length: 25m (82ft)
- Height. 5.8m (19ft) Wing area. 101.2 sq.m (1090 sq.ft)
- Max.speed. 320kph (200mph) Range. 2160km.(1250 miles)
- Bomb load. 1120kg. (3000lb)
- Armament: Four .303 Browning guns in nose, dorsal and tail turrets
Sources:
Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1957 (Thetford) Putnam
Wonders of World Aviation 1935
See Also: Handley Page Bombers 1914-1939 -Part 1
Murray McLeod - Murray has maintained an involvement in the arts for many years and for a time he operated his own gallery at Mt., Tamborine overlooking ...
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