Handley Page H.P.42

Handley Page · United Kingdom · first flew 1930 · airliner

A stately four-engined biplane airliner that was the largest in regular service when it entered use with Imperial Airways.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	4 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	28.1 m fuselage
T — Tail	Twin fin

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Spot it by:

Large four-engined biplane airliner of the 1930s (drawn as single wing pair, note)
Two engines on the upper wing and two on the lower wing
Boxy enclosed cabin and a twin-fin tail, slow and stately

A very large biplane with four engines split between upper and lower wings and a twin-fin tail. Its sheer size and graceful, slow lines mark it out as a 1930s Empire airliner; no examples remain to view.

Specifications

The Handley Page H.P.42 has a length of 28.1 m (92 ft).
It has a wingspan of 39.6 m (130 ft).
Its maximum speed is 193 km/h (120 mph).
Typical crew: 4 flight crew.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Prototype 'Hannibal' first flew on 14 November 1930 and the type entered Imperial Airways service in 1931. Powered by four Bristol Jupiter radials, it carried passengers in spacious, comfortable cabins on Empire routes across Europe, Africa and India, earning a strong reputation for safety.

Variants

Built in two sub-types: the long-range H.P.42E (Eastern) and the higher-capacity H.P.42W (Western, for European routes). Eight were built in total.

Where you'll see it

An icon of inter-war British air travel. None survives — all were lost or scrapped by the early years of the Second World War — but the aircraft is well documented in British aviation collections and at Brooklands, home of much Imperial Airways heritage.

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