HAWKER HART AND HIND 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE
BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 27Left
The fi rst production
Hind, K4636, cavorting
for publicity photos
in September 1935. It
spent its early years
on tests and trials
work. Converted to
a Hind (T) trainer in
1939, it was handed on
to the South African
Air Force the following
y e a r.Below left
The RAF Museum
has a trio of classic
Hawker biplanes: Hart
G-ABMR, fl own as a
demonstrator and
later by the unoffi cial
‘heritage fl ight’ by
Hawker, until donated
in 1972; Armstrong
Whitworth-built
Hart Trainer K4972,
donated by the Solway
Group of Aviation
Enthusiasts in 1963,
and Hind (Afghan)
acquired from Kabul
in 1968. Illustrated is
G-ABMR ‘fl ying’ within
Hendon’s ‘Milestones
of Flight’ hall, in the
colours of ‘J9941’ of
Netheravon-based
57 Squadron,
in late 1931.
RAF MUSEUM http://www.
rafmuseum.orgthem
as early
as February
1933.
The improved Hind took over
British-based operational units from
1936 and the ‘auxiliaries’ gave up
Harts by 1938.
The Hart Trainer was introduced
from April 1932, and 473 were
built from new with upwards of 70
conversions of standard bomberthem
as early
as February
1933.
The improved Hind took overfollowed by another 444. The first
British-based unit to receive the new
type was 33 Squadron at Eastchurch
in January 1930, replacing Hawker
Horsleys.
Two sub-variants were created, the
Hart (India) and the Hart (Special)
optimised for service in the North-
West Frontier and in the Middle
East and East Africa respectively. At
Risalpur – near Peshawar in present-
day Pakistan – 39 Squadron traded
in its Westland Wapitis for Harts
in November 1931. The first of the
type in the Middle East supplanted
Fairey IIIFs with 45 Squadron at
Helwan, Egypt, in September 1935.
Harts were also ideal for the Special
Reserve and Auxiliary Air Force
units. At Hendon, 601 (County of
London) Squadron equipped with
versions. These were the longest
lived of the Harts, still being used
for training and communications in
the Middle East in 1943.
A Hart is a stag (male) red deer and
for the Hart’s replacement, the name
Hind, a female red deer, was chosen.
The prototype Hind had its debut
in September 1934. It featured
many refinements picked up as the
rest of the Hart family developed,
but the most obvious one was a
supercharged Rolls-Royce Kestrel
V giving it an extra 115hp over its
predecessor.
On New Year’s Eve 1935, Hind
K4637 was delivered to the
re-formed 21 Squadron at Bircham
Newton: it was the first to join
an operational unit. Hinds were
removed from the frontline in May
1939, with Bristol Blenheims,
Fairey Battles and Handley Page
Hampdens taking over.
It was not until November 1939
that the Auxiliary Air Force gave up
its Hinds; 613 (City of Manchester)
Squadron at Odiham sticking
to Hawker biplanes by adopting
Audaxes. As with the Hart trainer,
versions of the Hind enjoyed
longevity up to at least 1942.
When the last Hind was rolled out
in June 1938 a total of 528 had been
manufactured for the RAF, including
20 from-new trainer versions.
Combined production of Harts and
Hinds surpassed all other bomber
types taken on charge by the RAF
since 1919, other than the venerable,
much rebuilt and revived DH.9A.