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Subject: Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_H.P.54_Harrow
The Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow was a British heavy bomber of the 1930s built by
Handley Page and used by the Royal Air Force, being used for most of the Second
World War as a transport. It was a twin-engine, high-wing monoplane with a fixed
undercarriage.
The H.P. 54 Harrow was the production version of the earlier Handley Page H.P.51
design, itself a monoplane conversion of the three-engined Handley Page H.P.43
biplane. The two monoplanes were both designed by Dr. G.V. Lachmann. Initially
Handley Page intended to offer the H.P.51 to Air Ministry specification C.26/31
for a bomber-transport, then saw the H.P.54 as a more likely winner. In the end
neither type was a candidate for C.26/31, since in June 1935 the Air Ministry,
anxious to expand and modernise the RAF wrote specification B.29/35 around the
Harrow, emphasising its bomber role though retaining its transport capability.
On 14 August, months before the first Harrow flew, the Ministry put in an order
for 100 aircraft.
Powered by Bristol Pegasus X engines of 830 hp (620 kW), the first Harrow flew
on 10 October 1936 from Radlett. The Harrow was designed to have powered nose
and tail turrets, with a manually operated dorsal turret. The nose and dorsal
turrets were armed with a single Lewis gun, while the tail turret carried two
Lewis guns. (These guns were later replaced by Vickers K machine guns). A
bombload of up to 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) could be carried under the cabin
floor, with the aircraft being able to carry a single 2,000 pounds (910 kg)
bomb.
Role
Heavy bomber
Manufacturer
Handley Page
Designer
G.V. Lachmann
First flight
10 October 1936
Introduction
1937
Retired
1945
Primary users
RAF
Fleet Air Arm
Produced
Number built
100
The first Harrow was delivered to No. 214 Squadron RAF on 13 January 1937, with
all 100 delivered by the end of the year, with five bomber squadrons of the RAF
being equipped with the Harrow. The Fleet Air Arm ordered 100 Harrows but
Handley Page lacked the production capacity to supply them Despite being fitted
with cabin heating by steam boilers using exhaust heat, the Harrow gained a
reputation of being a cold and draughty aircraft, owing to the turret design.[5]
As the delivery of more modern bombers increased, the Harrow was phased out as a
frontline bomber by the end of 1939 but continued to be used as a transport. 271
Squadron was formed on 1 May 1940 with a mixture of Harrows, Bristol Bombays and
impressed civil aircraft.[6] While the other aircraft equipping 271 Squadron
were replaced by Douglas Dakotas, it retained a flight of Harrows (sometimes
nicknamed "Sparrows" due to their new nose fairings to give a more streamlined
fuselage) as transports and ambulance aircraft until the end of the Second World
War in Europe.
Harrows were used occasionally to operate risky flights between England and
Gibraltar, two being lost on this route. Harrows also operated in support of
Allied forces, in their advance into north-west Europe, evacuating wounded from
the Arnhem operation in September 1944. Seven Harrows were destroyed by a low
level attack by Luftwaffe fighters of JG 26 and JG 54 on Evere airfield as part
of Operation Bodenplatte, the German attack on Allied airfields in northwest
Europe on 1 January 1945, leaving only five Harrows, which were eventually
retired on 25 May 1945.
Specifications (Harrow II)
General characteristics
Crew: five
Capacity: 20 fully equipped soldiers[7] or 12 stretcher cases (used as
transport)
Length: 82 ft 2 in (25.05 m)
Wingspan: 88 ft 5 in (26.96 m)
Height: 19 ft 5 in (5.92 m)
Empty weight: 13,600 lb (6,180 kg)
Loaded weight: 23,000 lb (10,500 kg)
each
Performance
Maximum speed: 174 kn (200 mph, 322 km/h)
Cruise speed: 142 kn [6] (163 mph, 262 km/h)
Range: 1,096 nmi (1,260 mi, 2,029 km)
Service ceiling: 22,800 ft (6,950 m)
Rate of climb: 710 ft/min (3.6 m/s)
Power/mass: 0.0804 hp/lb (0.132 kW/kg)
Armament
Bombs: Up to 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) of bombs internally.
*
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