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The 'Fairey Hendon' was a British monoplane heavy bomber of the Royal Air Force designed by Fairey Aviation in the late 1920s, which served in small numbers with one Squadron of the RAF between 1936 and 1939. It was the first all-metal low-wing monoplane to enter service in the RAF.

Contents

Development

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Specifications (Hendon II)

Reference

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Development

The Hendon was built to meet the Air Ministry specification B.19/27 for a twin engined night bomber to replace the Vickers Virginia, competing against the Handley Page Heyford and Vickers Type 150.
The prototype K1695 (which was known as the 'Fairey Night Bomber' until 1934) first flew on 25 November 1930 and was powered by two 460 hp Bristol Jupiter VIII radial engines. The prototype crashed and was heavily damaged in March 1931, and so was re-built with two Rolls-Royce Kestrel engines replacing the Jupiters. After trials, fourteen production examples, now named the 'Hendon II' were ordered. These were built by Fairey's Stockport factory in late 1936 and early 1937 and flown from Manchester's Barton Aerodrome. Orders for a further 60 Hendons were canceled in 1936, as the prototype of the first of the next generation of British heavy bombers, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley had flown and shown much higher performance. The Hendon II was powered by two Rolls-Royce Kestrel VI engines. It had a fixed undercarriage and a crew of five while the production Hendon II included an enclosed cockpit for the pilot and navigator.

Operational history

In practice the type was delayed by the crash and rebuild of the prototype, so the Heyford received the majority of the orders needed to replace the RAF's heavy bombers, the Hendon coming into service three years later. The single Hendon-equipped unit, No. 38 Squadron RAF, began operational service based at RAF Mildenhall in November 1936, replacing Heyfords , later moving to RAF Marham, Norfolk. Later, they went to No. 115 Squadron RAF, which was formed from No. 38 Squadron. The type was soon obsolete and replaced from late 1938 by the Vickers Wellington. By January 1939 the Hendons had all been retired and were then used for ground instruction work, including the radio school at RAF Cranwell.

Variants

★ 'Hendon Mk I' : Prototype.

★ 'Hendon Mk II' : Five-seat heavy bomber aircraft for the RAF.

Operators

★ United Kingdom

★
★ Royal Air Force

★
★
★ No. 38 Squadron RAF

Specifications (Hendon II)

Reference

★ Crosby, Francis. ''The World Encyclopedia of Fighters and Bombers''. London: Lorenz Books, ISBN 0-75481-616-8.

★ Taylor, H.A. ''Fairey Aircraft since 1915''. London, 1974: Putnam, ISBN 0-370-00065-x.

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