de Havilland DH.56 Hyena
de Havilland Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1925 · reconnaissance aircraft
The de Havilland DH.56 Hyena was a single-seat biplane fighter built in 1925 to meet an Air Ministry requirement for a fighter powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.07 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- British single-seat fighter biplane of the mid-1920s
- Jaguar radial engine in circular cowling
- Single-bay unequal-span biplane layout
A compact single-bay biplane with a prominent radial engine, fixed spatted undercarriage, and unequal-span wings — broadly similar to the DH.42 Dingo but with a more powerful engine installation.
Specifications
- The de Havilland DH.56 Hyena has a length of 9.07 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 13.11 m (43 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 209 km/h (130 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Only one prototype was constructed; it competed unsuccessfully against the Gloster Gamecock and other types in RAF fighter trials of 1925, and de Havilland did not pursue a production order.
Variants
A single prototype only; no production or variants were pursued.
Where you'll see it
Not adopted by the RAF; the Hyena represents one of several unsuccessful de Havilland military fighter bids of the interwar period.
Related aircraft
- de Havilland DH.66 Hercules
- de Havilland DH.50
- de Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird
- de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth
- Aichi Experimental Type 15-Ko Reconnaissance Seaplane
- Albatros L 65
- Ansaldo A.120
- Armstrong Whitworth Atlas
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