Handley Page
Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford
The Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford was the Royal Air Force’s first all‑metal twin‑engine bomber, built by the British company Handley Page during the interwar years. Designed to replace the ageing biplane bombers of the 1920s, the Heyford first flew on 9 May 1928 and entered service in 1930. Its distinctive layout featured a biplane wing arrangement with the fuselage mounted between the wings, twin Rolls‑Royce Kestrel engines housed in nacelles on the lower wing, and a crew of four – pilot, navigator/bomb‑aimer, radio operator and gunner. The aircraft could carry up to 2,000 lb of bombs and was armed with a forward‑firing .303‑inch Vickers machine gun and a dorsal gun position. The Heyford’s all‑metal construction, retractable undercarriage and relatively high speed for its class (about 142 mph) marked a transition toward modern monoplane bombers. Although it was quickly outclassed by newer designs such as the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, the Heyford served in night‑training and coastal‑defence roles throughout the 1930s and early World War II. Its operational record demonstrated the viability of metal airframes and twin‑engine powerplants, influencing subsequent British bomber development.
Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1930
Design & Classification
- Primary Use
- Manufacturer
- Handley Page
- Wikidata ID
- Q1499781