Hawker Hornbill
Hawker Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1925 · fighter
The Hawker Hornbill was a single-seat biplane fighter, the last Hawker military aircraft designed under George Carter. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Condor IV V12 of about 698 hp.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane layout with a water-cooled Rolls-Royce Condor V12 in the nose
- Single-seat fighter whose power plant and radiator gave trouble
- Only one example was ever built
A compact single-seat biplane with a large V12 engine in the nose; its water-cooling installation was the source of its development problems.
Specifications
- The Hawker Hornbill has a length of 8.1 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.45 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 301 km/h (187 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Design began in 1925 and the first flight took place in July 1925. Problems with the power plant and radiator meant the type never reached service with the Royal Air Force.
Variants
Only one aircraft was built, so there were no production variants.
Where you'll see it
The Hornbill never entered service. Its armament was a single .303 in Vickers machine gun.
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- Hawker Heron
- Hawker Horsley
- Hawker Cygnet
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- Bernard SIMB AB 14
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