Handley Page Hamlet

HP.32 Hamlet

National origin: United Kingdom
Manufacturer: Handley Page
First flight: 19 October 1926
Retired: 1929
Number built: 1

The Handley Page HP.32 Hamlet was a British six-passenger monoplane transport designed and built by Handley Page. Only one was built to order of the Air Ministry, first flown with three-engines which was later changed to two then back to three engines.

Development

In 1924, the British Air Ministry issued Specification 23/24 for a three-engined six/seven passenger charter airliner. Handley Page's design to meet this requirement, the Hamlet was a high-wing three-engined monoplane with a conventional landing gear and room for six passengers. The wing was fitted with leading edge slots and flaps to give a good landing performance. The only Hamlet was built at Cricklewood in 1926, and registered G-EBNS it first flown on 19 October 1926 powered by three 120 hp (90 kW) Bristol Lucifer IV three-cylinder radial engines. The Lucifer proved to give rise to excessive vibration, particularly in the centre engine, causing the pilot's instruments being unreadable, and after a final flight with Lucifer engines on 25 October 1926, it was modified with a smaller fin and larger rudder and the engines were changed to two 250 hp (187 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial engines, with the nose engine replaced by additional baggage space, first flying in this form on 19 May 1927. This modification eliminated the vibration, but the twin engined variant was underpowered. In March 1928 it was re-engined again with three 150 hp (112 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose five-cylinder radial engines although it only flew once in that configuration on delivery to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. The aircraft was scrapped in 1929.

Specifications (Lynx-powered)

Data from

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 6 passengers
Length: 34 ft 10 in (10.62 m)
Wingspan: 52 ft 0 in (15.85 m)
Empty weight: 3105 lb (1408 kg)
Gross weight: 5000 lb (2268 kg)
Powerplant: 2 x— Armstrong Siddeley Lynx radial, 220 hp (164 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 114 mph (183 km/h)

Bibliography

Barnes, C.H. (1976). Handley Page Aircraft since 1907. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 00030 7.
Jackson, A.J. (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2. London: Putnam. pp. 382. ISBN 0 370 10010 7.

Handley Page Hamlet Pictures and Handley Page Hamlet for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia