Thoughts on the Handley Page H.P.47?

[Admiral Beez]

The Handley Page H.P.47 first flew in May 1937, as Britain's first single-engined, monoplane torpedo bomber. This was four months after the first flight of Japan's Nakajima B5N Kate and two years after the 1935 first flight of the US' Douglas TBD Devastator.

Does the H.P.47 have any redeeming qualities? Unlike the B5N and TBD this was to be a land based torpedo bomber, but still, given that the Douglas TBD has been out for two years, what was Handley Page thinking? I suppose it would have been a better torpedo platform than the Westland PV.7.

 

[pbehn]

The Handley Page H.P.47 first flew in May 1937, as Britain's first single-engined, monoplane torpedo bomber. This was four months after the first flight of Japan's Nakajima B5N Kate and two years after the 1935 first flight of the US' Douglas TBD Devastator.

View attachment 613531

Does the H.P.47 have any redeeming qualities? Unlike the B5N and TBD this was to be a land based torpedo bomber, but still, given that the Douglas TBD has been out for two years, what was Handley Page thinking? I suppose it would have been a better torpedo platform than the Westland PV.7.

The only positive I can see is it wouldn't kill more than two people in service.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Whoops, first flight was 1934, not 1937. Maybe that gives Hanley Page some leeway from our disdain. Does that make the H.P.47 the first ever single-engined monoplane torpedo bomber?

 

[Capt. Vick]

If there was a kit of it, I'd buy it

 

[Admiral Beez]

If there was a kit of it, I'd buy it

The corrugated tail and side panels are something else, see pics below.

Handley Page H.P.47

 

[buffnut453]

Yeah...it's like the designer was thinking "This baby doesn't have enough drag. Let's build in some more!!!"

 

[fastmongrel]

Looks like a single engine Hampden. It's odd that it just has rectangular sections of corrugated panelling. 1 between the crew positions and another on the tail fin. The rest of the fuselage looks flush metal. I wonder if the corrugated section of the fuselage was meant to be removable.

 

[fastmongrel]

If there was a kit of it, I'd buy it

Me too but then I like the ugly birds.

 

[pbehn]

The corrugated tail and side panels are something else, see pics below.

View attachment 613583

View attachment 613584

Handley Page H.P.47

Corrugation was used briefly in the change from wood and dope to metal, something to do with rigidity, the Ju 52 used it.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Corrugation was used briefly in the change from wood and dope to metal, something to do with rigidity, the Ju 52 used it.

Vickers was certainly an early fan, and went all out on their submission for FAA fighter (good summary of FAA fighter proposals), the Vireo.

 

[Glider]

Does the H.P.47 have any redeeming qualities? 7.

Simple answer No.

 

[fastmongrel]

Simple answer No.

The gunner has a fantastic field of fire and the pilot has a good all round view. It was a bit faster than the contemporary Swordfish and must have had good short field performance with the big flaps and slots.

 

[Glider]

The gunner has a fantastic field of fire and the pilot has a good all round view. It was a bit faster than the contemporary Swordfish and must have had good short field performance with the big flaps and slots.

Still a No

 

[Admiral Beez]

The gunner has a fantastic field of fire and the pilot has a good all round view.

The little porthole window forward of the gunner must have been for the gunner to view from when not exposed.

The corrugated side looks like it would roll up like an old desk cover.

 

[Koopernic]

The Handley Page H.P.47 first flew in May 1937, as Britain's first single-engined, monoplane torpedo bomber. This was four months after the first flight of Japan's Nakajima B5N Kate and two years after the 1935 first flight of the US' Douglas TBD Devastator.

View attachment 613531

Does the H.P.47 have any redeeming qualities? Unlike the B5N and TBD this was to be a land based torpedo bomber, but still, given that the Douglas TBD has been out for two years, what was Handley Page thinking? I suppose it would have been a better torpedo platform than the Westland PV.7.

Wiki says it flew in 27 November 1934 without spats or Townsend rings. I wouldn't expect much from a 650hp Taurus.

The main criticism I would have is the 3 legs used to support each wheel but consider that its forerunners were biplanes.

Without retraction there is lots of room for fuel in the wings. Its redeeming feature is a Range: 1,250 mi (2,010 km, 1,090 nmi) on a 650hp engine.

 

[SaparotRob]

Looks like a single engine Hampden. It's odd that it just has rectangular sections of corrugated panelling. 1 between the crew positions and another on the tail fin. The rest of the fuselage looks flush metal. I wonder if the corrugated section of the fuselage was meant to be removable.

I wonder if having a modeler's eye helped you notice that.

 

[GregP]

The Vickers Wellesley was one of the "winners" of the spec the H.P. 47 was built to, and it doesn't look much more "modern" than the H.P. 47.

I've not seen the spec, but maybe it specifies fixed gear. There were no less than nine submissions for this spec, including: The Blackburn B-7, Bristol Type 120, Fairey G.4/31, Handley Page H.P.47, Hawker P.V.4, Parnall G.4/31, Vickers G.4/31, Vickers Wellesley, and the Westland PV-7.

 

[Capt. Vick]

Like that Vickers G.4/31

 

[Glider]

To be honest, I find this a massive embarrassment. All these companies had been designing aircraft for years, yet any notion of basic aerodynamics, use of modern technology, inspiration, anything was just thrown out of the window, ignored and/or forgotten.
Strapping a torpedo to the bottom of a DC2 would have been better than these

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Strapping a torpedo to the bottom of a DC2 would have been better than these

Yeah, but that's a foreign product. Can't have that, now, can we?