Hawker Tomtit
Hawker Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · light aircraft
The Hawker Tomtit is a British training biplane from the late 1920s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.21 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with a frame of steel and duralumin tubes
- Instructor and trainee in open tandem cockpits
- Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose five-cylinder radial engine
The rear cockpit had a blind-flying panel and a hood for instrument instruction. Automatic slats of the Handley Page type were fitted.
Specifications
- The Hawker Tomtit has a length of 7.21 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.69 m (29 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 200 km/h (124 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
In 1927 the Royal Air Force wanted a replacement for the Avro 504N elementary trainer, with a metal airframe and an Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose engine. Sydney Camm designed the Tomtit, and the prototype was first flown by George Bulman at Brooklands in November 1928.
Variants
RAF aircraft had the 150 hp Mongoose IIIC. Hawker also built five civil Tomtits, one with a 115 hp A.D.C. Cirrus Major engine that was underpowered.
Where you'll see it
Between 1928 and 1931, 24 were delivered to the RAF for evaluation, but the Avro Tutor won the contract. Two went to Canada and four to New Zealand. Three civil aircraft were later owned by Wolseley.
Related aircraft
- Hawker Hart
- Hawker Osprey
- Hawker Harrier
- Hawker Audax
- Albatros L 74
- Albatros L 75 Ass
- Arado SC II
- Bartel BM 5
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 8,606 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.