Hawker Hind

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Hind

Hawker Hind, flying example in Shuttleworth Collection
Type Light bomber, Trainer
Manufacturer Hawker Aircraft Limited
Designed by Sydney Camm
Maiden flight 12 September 1934
Introduced 1935
Retired 1957 (Afghanistan)
Primary users Royal Air Force
Iran
New Zealand
South Africa
Produced 1935-1938
Number built 528
Variants Hawker Hart
Hawker Hector
Hawker P.V.4

The British Hawker Hind was an Royal Air Force light bomber of the inter-war years produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was developed from the Hawker Hart day-bomber introduced in 1931.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

An improved Hawker Hart bomber defined by Specification G.7/34, was purchased by RAF as interim aircraft while more modern monoplane bombers such as the Fairey Battle were still in development. Structural elements were a mixture of steel and duralumin with the wings being fabric covered while the main differences compared to the earlier Hart was a new powerplant, (the Rolls Royce Kestrel V) and the inclusion of refinements from the earlier derivatives such as the cut-down rear cockpit developed for the Demon. The prototype (K2915) was constructed very rapidly due to Hawker's development work for other proposals, and made its first flight on September 12, 1934. A variety of changes were subsequently incorporated ("ram's horn" manifolds, Fairy-Reed metal propeller and engine improvements) with the first production Hind (K4636) flown on 4 September 1935.

[edit] Operational history

The Hind went into service in November 1935 and eventually equipped 20 RAF bomber squadrons. A number were also sold to foreign customers including Afghanistan, Eire (Ireland), Latvia, Persia (Iran), Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. By 1937, the Hind was being phased out of frontline service, replaced by the Fairey Battle and Bristol Blenheim, and with many of the Auxiliary Air Force squadrons changing role to fighter or maritime patrol units. At the outbreak of the Second World War 613 Squadron remained retained the Hind in the Army co-operation role before re-equipping the the Hawker Hector in November 1939.[1] The Hind found a new career in 1938 as a training aircraft representing the next step up from basic training on Tiger Moths. It continued in use as an intermediate trainer during the Second World War.

Hind trainers were also operated by Canada and New Zealand.

In 1941, Hinds flew combat missions in their original role as light bombers. South African Hinds were employed against Italian forces in Kenya, Yugoslav Hinds were used against the Germans and Italians while Iranian Hinds were used briefly when invading Allied British and Soviet contingents attacked Iran.

[edit] Variants

Hind I
Two-seat light bomber aircraft for the RAF.

[edit] Operators

Hind operators
Hind operators
Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan
  • Afghan Air Force acquired 28 aircraft in 1938, the final example retiring in 1957.
Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of Iran Iran
Flag of Ireland Ireland
Flag of Latvia Latvia
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand
  • Royal New Zealand Air Force acquired 78 aircraft of which 63 entered service, primarily as trainers 1940-1943. The other 15 were lost to enemy action in transit.
    • No. 3 F.T.S. Ohakea RNZAF
    • No. 6 Squadron RNZAF
    • No. 20 Squadron RNZAF
    • No. 21 Squadron RNZAF
    • No. 22 Squadron RNZAF
Flag of Portugal Portugal
Flag of South Africa South Africa
Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia

[edit] Survivors

An airworthy ex-Afghan Hind flies with the Shuttleworth Collection. Others are on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Canada Aviation Museum. Several former Royal New Zealand Air Force Hinds are being restored/reconstructed by the Subritzky family / The Classic Aircraft Collection at Dairy Flat near Auckland, of which at least NZ1517/K6687, and NZ1535/K6721 are under restoration to airworthy condition; substantial parts are also held for NZ1518/K6717, NZ1528/L7184, NZ1544/K6810 and NZ1554/K5465. Another former RNZAF Hind is being restored for static display at MoTaT. The remains of other Hinds were recently located in Afghanistan.

[edit] Specifications (Hind)

Data from The British Bomber since 1914[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m)
  • Wingspan: 37 ft 3 in (11.36 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m)
  • Wing area: 348 ft² (32.3 m²)
  • Empty weight: 3,195 lb (1,452 kg)
  • Loaded weight: lb (kg)
  • Useful load: lb (kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 4,657 lb (2,167 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls-Royce Kestrel V Water cooled V-12, 640 hp (477 kW)

Performance

Armament

  • One synchronised forward firing Vickers gun and one Lewis gun in rear cockpit
  • Up to 510lb (227 kg) bombs under wings.

[edit] See also

Related development Hawker Hart - Hawker Audax - Hawker Demon
Comparable aircraft Fairey Fox - Vickers Vildebeest
Related lists

[edit] References

  1. ^ History of No. 613 Squadron Royal Air Force Air Historical Branch. Retrieved 13 January 2008
  2. ^ a b Mason 1994, p.261.
  3. ^ Air Transport Auxiliary Ferry Pilots Notes (reproduction). Elvington, York, UK: Yorkshire Air Museum, 1996. ISBN 0-9512379-8-5.
  • Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.

[edit] External links

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