Hawker Duiker
Hawker Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1923 · fighter
The Hawker Duiker was a British single-seat low-wing monoplane fighter prototype of 1923, one of the earliest monoplane fighter designs to emerge from what became Hawker Aircraft. It was built to a specification for a light single-seat fighter but did not proceed to production.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.58 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
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Spot it by:
- British inter-war single-seat low-wing monoplane fighter prototype
- Open cockpit with a large radial engine in a rounded nose
- Clean monoplane configuration unusual for its 1923 date
An unusually clean low-wing monoplane for its era, with a large air-cooled radial engine, open cockpit, and fixed undercarriage; progressive compared to the biplanes that dominated 1920s RAF service.
Specifications
- The Hawker Duiker has a length of 9.58 m (31 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.76 m (48 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 201 km/h (125 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed by Sydney Camm's predecessor team at H.G. Hawker Engineering (soon to become Hawker Aircraft), the Duiker was submitted to Air Ministry Specification 26/23. The RAF showed little interest in monoplane fighters at the time, and the biplane configuration remained dominant for another decade. Only one prototype was built.
Variants
Single prototype only; no production variants were developed.
Where you'll see it
Never entered RAF service; evaluated only at the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment.
Related aircraft
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