30 RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION BOMBERS
HANDLEY PAGE HEYFORD
Right
The prototype Heyford,
J9130, making the
type’s debut at the
June 1932 Hendon
display. The ‘12’ on its
side was a ‘New Types
Park’ number, used to
help the audience – and
the commentators- to recognise the
newcomers. A month
later, J9130 was
wrecked in an accident
at North Coates.
1934 TO 1941
HEYFORD
HANDLEY PAGE
Heyfords was 166 Squadron at
Leconfield. It began working up on
Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys in
September 1939. Heyfords soldiered
on in crew training roles until
early 1941.
The final flights were made by
K5184, which joined the Royal
Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough
in July 1940. It was last used for trials,
towing General Aircraft Hotspur I
assault glider prototypes in April 1941.HEYFORD V HENDON
When 38 Squadron received its first
Fairey Hendon monoplanes (page
32) at Mildenhall in December 1936,
the type was heralded as a major leap
in the RAF’s capabilities. Analysis of
the statistics did not really bear this1918 2018Right
The prototype Heyford,
J9130, making the
type’s debut at the
June 1932 Hendon
display. The ‘12’ on its
side was a ‘New Types
Park’ number, used to
help the audience – andW
ith its distinctive format, the
Heyford always attracted a
lot of attention at air displays
and open days. It was the RAF’s last
biplane bomber, but it had many of
the attributes of the next generation of
monoplanes.
The airframe was all-metal, fabric
covered and very sleek-looking, despite
being a biplane. The Heyford was very
agile, often surprising intercepting
fighters with its evasive manoeuvres
during exercises.
There was purpose in mounting
the lower wing below the fuselage. It
allowed an almost unrestricted field of
fire for the nose and dorsal gunners. A
retractable, manually operated turret
was located in the ventral position.
This had ‘stops’ to prevent the gunner
training on his own wings, but this
position known as the ‘dustbin’ was
intended to cover the vulnerable
‘behind and below’ aspect.
The centre section of the lower
wing was where the bulk of the
impressive war load was contained in
‘cells’ – small bomb bays. Although
Handley Page boasted that this meant
the bomb racks were in easy reach of
armourers, it was back-breaking work
to manhandle them below the low-
lying centre section and into the cells.
The prototype Heyford – the Mk.I- first flew on June 12, 1930. The
first operational examples joined
99 Squadron at Upper Heyford
in December 1934, replacing the
previous Handley Page bomber, the
Hinaidi.
The last operational unit flying
out. Both had a similar wing area: the
Hendon 1,446sq ft (134.33m^2 ) and
the Heyford 1,470sq ft, and power,
each of the Hendon’s Rolls-Royce
Kestrels was 25hp (18.6kW) more
powerful than those on a Heyford III.
Both carried almost the same bomb
load: the Hendon had a top speed of
155mph (249km/h) while the biplane
managed a very respectable 142mph.
Only in range did the Hendon
outclass the Heyford: 1,360 miles
(2,188km) over the Heyford’s 920
miles. The figures that really countare how many were built: just 15
Hendons were completed; Heyford
production finished in July 1936
with the last of 124 rolling out of the
factory.NIGHT TO REMEMBER
In October 1935, Heyford IIs were
delivered to the re-formed 102
Squadron at Worthy Down; the unit
moving to Finningley in September
the following year. In December
1936 the unit sent seven Heyfords to
Aldergrove in Northern Ireland for
an exercise. On the 12th the bombers
took off into the darkness to return
to their Yorkshire base. Only Sgt
Biddulph arrived at Finningley close
to the briefed time.
Over the Pennines the HeyfordsType: Four-crew heavy bomber
First fl ight: June 12, 1930, entered service December 1933
Powerplant: Two 575hp (428kW) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIIS V12
Dimensions: Span 75ft 0in (22.8m), Length 58ft 0in (17.6m)
Weights: Empty 9,200lb (4,173kg), All-up 16,900lb (7,665kg)
Range: 920 miles (1,480km)
Max speed: 142mph (228km/h) at 13,000ft (3,962m)
Armament: Three machine guns, one in nose, one in dorsal and one in
retractable ventral position. Up to 2,600lb (1,179kg) of bombs in
lower wing centre section
Replaced: HP Hinaidi, Vickers Virginia, from 1935
Taken on charge: 124
Replaced by: Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, Vickers Wellington, from 1937HANDLEY PAGE HEYFORD IA