Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow
Handley Page · United Kingdom · first flew 1936 · bomber
The Handley Page Harrow was a twin-engined RAF heavy bomber rushed into service as a 1930s stop-gap, but which spent most of the Second World War as a transport instead.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × piston, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Deep, slab-sided fuselage; the transport conversions gained a streamlined nose fairing and the nickname 'Sparrow' |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Twin-engined high-wing monoplane with a fixed undercarriage
- Deep, slab-sided fuselage; the transport conversions gained a streamlined nose fairing and the nickname 'Sparrow'
- Glazed nose and dorsal turret positions from its bomber origins
The deep, boxy fuselage and fixed undercarriage on a high-wing twin give it a distinctly ungainly look next to sleeker contemporary bombers.
Specifications
- The Handley Page H.P.54 Harrow has a length of 25.04 m (82 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 26.95 m (88 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 322 km/h (200 mph).
- Typical crew: 5.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Built to Specification B.29/35 as a fast-track bomber to expand RAF squadron numbers, the Harrow was a monoplane derivative of the earlier three-engined H.P.43 biplane, first flying on 10 October 1936. A hundred were produced across two variants, but by the end of 1939 it had already been displaced from front-line bombing and converted to carry troops and casualties, including service as an air ambulance.
Variants
Mk.I and Mk.II variants differed mainly in engine fit; no dedicated transport variant was built, existing bombers simply being repurposed.
Where you'll see it
Withdrawn after the war, no complete Harrow survives today, though its fixed-gear, high-wing silhouette is well documented in period RAF photographs.
Related aircraft
- Handley Page Hampden
- Handley Page Halifax
- Handley Page H.P.42
- Handley Page H.P.50 Heyford
- Armstrong Whitworth Whitley
- Blenheim
- Breda Ba.88 Lince
- Dornier Do 19
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