Designed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification C.3/44, the Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a long-range general-purpose transport that served with both the RAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force. A cantilever low-wing mono-plane with a tubby circular-section fuselage, its configuration included a conventional tail unit and retractable tailwheel landing gear, and it had power provided by four Bristol Hercules 101 radial engines in the first Hastings prototype (TE580).
This aircraft was flown for the first time on 7th May 1946, a second prototype following on 30th December 1946, and the initial Hastings C.Mk 1 production version began to enter service with the RAF's No. 47 Squadron of Transport Command in October 1948. Production aircraft were operated by a crew of five and could accommodate 30 paratroops with supplies, or 32 stretchers plus 28 sitting casualties, or 50 fully-equipped troops, or freight. The aircraft of No. 47 Squadron, and also of No. 297 Squadron, saw extensive service throughout the Berlin Airlift.
A total of 147 Hastings aircraft was built for the RAF (including the two prototypes) and these comprised 100 Hastings C.Mk 1, 43 Hastings C.Mk 2 and four Hastings C.Mk 4 machines. In addition, four Hastings C.Mk 3 transports were built and supplied to the RNZAF. The Hastings C.Mk 2 had Hercules 106 engines, a larger-area tailplane mounted lower on the fuselage and increased fuel capacity; all Hastings C.Mk 1s were modified subsequently to this configuration and were then redesignated Hastings C.Mk 1A. The RNZAF's Hastings C.Mk 3s were generally similar to the Hastings C.Mk 2, but powered by Hercules 737 engines, and the RAF's Hastings C.Mk 4s were equipped to accommodate four VIPs and their staff. Variants included the last six of the Hastings C.Mk 1 contract, which were completed as Hastings Met.Mk 1 aircraft for weather reconnaissance duties with Coastal Command, and eight Hastings C.Mk 1s which were converted as bomb aimer trainers for service with the Bomber Command Bombing School. Designated Hastings T.Mk 5, they had a large ventral radome and were equipped with radar bomb-sight equipment. The Hastings was retired from service with RAF Transport Command in early 1968, then being replaced by the Lockheed Hercules. Company designations H.P.94 and H.P.95 were allocated to the Hastings C.Mk 4 and Hastings C.Mk 3 respectively.