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Handley Page H.P.42
history
In early 1928 Imperial Airways issued specifications of aircraft required
to inaugurate new routes to link the British Empire by air, and Handley
Page was delighted to receive contracts for four Handley Page H.P.42E
(Eastern) and four H.P.42W (Western) airliners for use on Imperial
Airways' long-range routes and European destinations respectively. It was
some years before it was discovered that the real Handley Page designation
for the H. P.42W was H.P.45.
Large unequal-span biplanes of all-metal construction except for fabric
covering of aerofoil surfaces and the rear fuselage, these aircraft had
wings braced by massive Warren girder struts, a biplane tail unit
incorporating three fins and rudders, substantial tailwheel landing gear,
and a powerplant of four Bristol Jupiter radial engines. These comprised
four 490 h.p. (365 kW) Jupiter XIFs for the H.P.42Es and four supercharged
Jupiter XFBMs for the H.P.42Ws, mounted two on the upper wing and one on
each side of the fuselage on the lower wing. New ground was broken by the
flight crew being accommodated in an enclosed flight deck, high in the
fuselage nose. Passenger accommodation was in two cabins, forward and aft
of the wing, but varied according to intended use. The H.P.42Es, for use
on the Indian and South African routes, each seated six (later 12) forward
and 12 aft; the H.P.42Ws for European routes each had seats for 18 forward
and 20 aft, but reduced baggage capacity.
Although a number of short hops had been made during taxiing trials, the
first true flight was recorded on 14th November 1930 by an H.P.42E, named
subsequently Hannibal. The first for European routes, named Heracles, was
delivered in September 1931, and the names of the remainder of this family
of large airliners were Horsa, Hanno and Hadrian (H.P.42Es) and Horatius,
Hengist and Helena (H.P.42Ws). Many people still living have nostalgic
memories of these fine aircraft; slow they may have been, once described
by Anthony Fokker as incorporating built-in headwinds, but they had an
unmistakable aura of grace and safety. The latter characteristic was
supreme, for when the H.P.42s were finally withdrawn from service on 1st
September 1939 they had recorded almost a decade of service without
causing a single fatal accident.
Specifications:
Handley Page H.P.42W (H.P.45)
Type: Civil transport aircraft
Powerplant: Four 555 h.p. (414 kW) Bristol Jupiter XFBM 9-cylinder
supercharged piston engines
Performance: Maximum speed 125 mph (204 km/h)
Cruising speed: 95 to 105 mph (153 to 169 km/h)
Range: 500 miles (805 km)
Weights: Empty: 17,740 lb (8047 kg)
Maximum take-off: 28,000 lb (12701 kg
Dimensions: Span: 130 ft 0 in (39.62 m)
Length: 92 ft 2 in (28.09m)
Wing area: 2,989.0 sq ft (277.68 mē)
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