Napier-Heston Racer
Heston Aircraft Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1940 · light aircraft
The Napier-Heston Racer, also called the Heston Type 5 Racer, was a British single-seat racing monoplane of 1940 built to attempt the world air speed record. It was powered by a 2,450 hp Napier Sabre engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Multi-ducted belly scoop under the fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-seat low-wing racing monoplane of wooden construction
- Multi-ducted belly scoop under the fuselage
- Clear perspex canopy and hand-rubbed lacquer finish
A sleek wooden low-wing racer with thin symmetrical-section wings, a large belly scoop and a clear canopy.
Specifications
- The Napier-Heston Racer has a length of 7.5 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.77 m (32 ft).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Napier conceived it and Heston built it, with Saunders-Roe supplying wing spars of compregnated wood. It was designed around the then secret 24-cylinder Sabre and funded entirely by Lord Nuffield as a private venture. It first flew on 12 June 1940.
Variants
Only one was built and flown. Napier had ordered two in 1938, and the second, about 80 per cent complete, was never finished.
Where you'll see it
The first flight lasted about five minutes: with inadequate elevator control and an overheating engine, the pilot made a forced landing in which the aircraft crashed. The programme was then discontinued, and no record attempt was made.
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