|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
HANDLEY PAGE HASTINGS AND HERMES
Victor F. Bingham
This is the story of two Handley Page transport aircraft, and covers their design, development, testing and service. If you think that the story of transport aircraft is uninteresting we challenge you to read on. This is the story that illustrates the changing requirements and muddle post-war of the 'powers-that-be' in the RAF, MAP and BOAC. It illustrates the post-war problems that British aircraft manufacturers had to contend with and overcome, when neither the RAF nor the designated national carrier appeared to know what they wanted.
Handley Page, having produced the Halifax in many forms to serve the RAF in many roles, entered the post-war years with two projects, the HP67 Hastings military transport and the HP68 Hermes civil airliner. Both were conceived during the war and developed under the old concept of building and flying an aircraft shell to prove the basic concept and services, followed later by the fitting out of the aircraft for its roles. Both were adaptations of the Halifax airframe, and both were, under the pressure of the time and demands for improvements or changes of requirements, designed away from their original concept.
As will be seen, initially the Hastings and Hermes were so closely connected in their design that their story is closely entwined, the Hermes connection in the early years continually flitting in and out of the Hastings story - thus continually indicating the lack of awareness of the loss of time, as well as the amount of indecision. Also illustrated is Handley Page's commitment to providing the Royal Air Force with a large transport aircraft. This was the same team that would later design and produce the last and the best of the V-bombers, the same team that would be scattered to the winds when the firm was decimated by Government intervention.
Both aircraft had trials and tribulations, both served or entered war zones, both were well-built aircraft in the Handley Page tradition, both were interesting aircraft. Between 1948 and 1967 the Hastings was the major transport aircraft of RAF Transport Command, and for over 25 years served in one role or other in the RAF, RNZAF and the Ministry of Supply and its successors into the 1970s. It had its baptism on the Berlin Air Lift, was 'under fire' during the Suez War and the confrontation with Indonesia. It transported men and materials all over the world; east to Hong-Kong, Australia and Christmas Island, and west to the Americas - not to mention Greenland.
The Hermes was developed from its original 'tail dragger' configuration to become the Hermes IV and V with a comprehensive pressurisation system and a tricycle undercarriage. Handley Page's achievement both technically and commercially in respect of this final development away from the Halifax family, was born out of a real effort to get out of the tight strait-jacket of wartime military restrictions and to compete in the civil market. That this expenditure of effort and finance failed to bring in large orders for the Hermes IV does not reflect on the company and employees, for it was competitively priced and engineered. In the design and development of the systems and equipment for the Hermes IV was born the design and testing of equipment for the company's Victor bomber - ploughshares to swords.
The Hermes IV went into service with BOAC after delays, both technical and to lack of decision, only to be ousted by jet transport within two years. It then gave excellent and reliable service with the Independents for a number of years, both at home and overseas; like the Hastings, proving the soundness and strength of its construction.
|
|
|
|
|
