Handley Page H.P.20
Handley Page · United Kingdom · first flew 1921 · fighter
The Handley Page H.P.20 was a single-seat fighter prototype developed by Handley Page in 1921, built partly as a vehicle to test the company's automatic wing slat technology on a combat aircraft.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.15 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Early 1920s British single-seat fighter prototype
- Handley Page's first post-WWI fighter attempt
- Biplane with slotted wing research application
A large single-engine biplane with noticeably broad wings consistent with slat experiments; the wide-span configuration appears oversized for a single-seat fighter of the period.
Specifications
- The Handley Page H.P.20 has a length of 9.15 m (30 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.5 m (48 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Handley Page had pioneered the leading-edge slat and used the H.P.20 to evaluate its application to fighter aircraft. The prototype was tested in 1921 but did not attract Air Ministry orders, as Handley Page was better known as a heavy bomber manufacturer. The slat research, however, proved invaluable for later Handley Page airliners.
Variants
A single prototype was built.
Where you'll see it
The H.P.20 never entered RAF service.
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- Handley Page Hyderabad
- Handley Page Type W
- Handley Page W.8
- Handley Page W.8f
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- Fokker PW-5
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