https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawker_Hart#Demon
The Hawker Hart was a British two-seater biplane light bomber aircraft of the
Royal Air Force (RAF). It was designed during the 1920s by Sydney Camm and
manufactured by Hawker Aircraft. The Hart was a prominent British aircraft in
the inter-war period, but was obsolete and already side-lined for newer
monoplane aircraft designs by the start of the Second World War, playing only
minor roles in the conflict before being retired.
Several major variants of the Hart were developed, including a navalised version
for the Royal Navy's aircraft carriers. Beyond Britain, the Hart would be
operated by a number of foreign nations, including Sweden, Yugoslavia, Estonia,
South Africa, and Canada.
The production Hart day bomber had a single 525 hp (390 kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel
IB 12-cylinder V-type engine; a speed of 184 mph (296 km/h) and a range of 470
mi (757 km). It was faster than most contemporary fighters, an astonishing
achievement considering it was a light bomber, and had high manoeuvrability,
making the Hart one of the most effective biplane bombers ever produced for the
Royal Air Force. In particular, it was faster than the Bristol Bulldog, which
had recently entered service as the RAF's front line fighter. This disparity in
performance led the RAF to gradually replace the Bulldog with the Hawker Fury.
Demand was such that production was spread out among a wide selection of
aircraft companies. Of the 962 built in the United Kingdom, Hawker produced 234,
Armstrong Whitworth 456, Gloster 46, Vickers 226, and 42 were produced in Sweden
Workshops of the Air Force (CVM) who built 21. 1004 Harts were produced.
Role
Light bomber
Manufacturer
Hawker Aircraft Limited
Designer
Sydney Camm
First flight
June 1928
Introduction
1930
Primary user
Royal Air Force
Variants
Hawker Hind
Hawker Hector
The Hart entered service with No. 33 Squadron RAF in February 1930, replacing
the larger and slower Hawker Horsley. No. 12 Squadron replaced its Foxes with
Harts in January 1931, with a further two British-based Hart light bomber
squadrons forming during 1931.
The Hart saw extensive and successful service on the North-West Frontier,
British India during the inter-war period. Four Hawker Harts from the Swedish
a Swedish volunteer squadron, designated F19, fighting on the Finnish side.
Though obsolete compared to the United Kingdom's opposition at the start of the
Second World War, the Hart continued in service, mainly performing in the
communications and training roles until being declared obsolete in 1943.
Specifications Hart (Kestrel IB powered day bomber)
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 29 ft 4 in (8.94 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 3 in (11.36 m)
Height: 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)
Airfoil: RAF 28
Empty weight: 2,530 lb (1,150 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 4,596 lb (2,089 kg)
Performance
Maximum speed: 161 kn (185 mph, 298 km/h) at 13,000 ft
Stall speed: 39 kn (45 mph, 72 km/h)
Range: 374 nmi (430 mi, 692 km)
Service ceiling: 22,800 ft (6,950 m)
Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.182 kW/kg)
Climb to 10,000 ft 8 minutes, 30 seconds
Armament
.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun on Scarff ring in rear cockpit.
Bombs: Up to 500 lb (227 kg) bombs under wings.
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