Hawker Hedgehog

Role: Naval reconnaissance
Manufacturer: Hawker Aircraft
First flight: 1924
Status: Prototype
Number built: 1

The Hawker Hedgehog was a three seat reconnaissance biplane, to be used for naval scouting produced to meet Air Ministry Specification 37/22.

It was designed in 1923, and had its first flight the next year, piloted by FP Raynham. The crew consisted of the pilot, an observer and an air gunner. Construction was typical of the period; a wooden structure covered with fabric. The powerplant was a nine cylinder Bristol Jupiter IV radial engine driving a two-bladed wooden propeller.

While testing was successful, on completion of the flight tests, the project was cancelled. This was due to the Hedgehog's performance not being sufficiently better than the existing aircraft used for Naval reconnaissance, the Avro Bison and Blackburn Blackburn. Consequently, only one prototype was built. The armament of the aircraft was one fixed forward firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers gun and one .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun on a Scarff ring in the rear cockpit. The aircraft was fitted with floats that contained wheels to enable use as an amphibian. Also the wings could be folded, so that the width was reduced to 16 ft 7½ in (4.87 m) for storage.

Specifications

Data from Hawker Aircraft since 1920

General characteristics

Crew: Three
Length: 30 ft 8¾ in (9.36 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft ¼ in (12.20 m)
Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
Wing area: 480.7 ft² (44.66 m²)
Empty weight: 2,995 lb (1,358 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,791 lb (2,173 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 4,800 lb (2,182 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— Bristol Jupiter IV 9-cylinder radial engine driving a two-bladed wooden propeller, 398 hp (300 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 120.5 mph (105 kn, 194 km/h) at sea level
Cruise speed: 89 mph (77 kn, 143 km/h)
Stall speed: 45 mph (39 kn, 72 km/h)
Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,115 m)
Climb:23 minutes 59 seconds to 10,000 ft (3,044 m)
Endurance: 2.5 hours

Armament

Guns:
1 x— 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun
1 x— 0.303 in Lewis gun on a Scarff ring

Mason, Francis K. Hawker Aircraft since 1920 London:Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0 85177 839 9.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia