Handley Page Type W: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Early British airliner}}

|caption =Twin Eagle-engined W.8b

The '''W.8''' (also known as the H.P.18) was the company's first purpose-built civil airliner although it was a development of the wartime [[Handley Page Type O]]/400 bomber via the O/7, O/10 and O/11 transports. It had an enclosed cabin for (in most versions) 12 passengers, along with two crew in an open [[cockpit]], and has the distinction of being the world's first airliner to be designed with an [[Aircraft toilet|on-board lavatory]]. The prototype first flew on 4 December 1919, shortly after it was displayed at the 1919 [[Paris Air Show]] at [[Le Bourget]]. The W.8 was subsequently revised to give the W.8b, W.8e (H.P.26), W.9 (H.P.27) and W.10 (H.P.30). It was also the basis for the W.8d (H.P.24), the [[Handley Page Hyderabad]] bomber.

Prototype, holding 15 passengers, powered by two 450 hp (336 kW) [[Napier Lion]] engines. The original company designation was to have been '''Handley Page W/400'''.

To meet an Air Ministry ruling, the capacity was reduced to 12 passengers and the fuel tanks were moved from the engine nacelles to above the top wing. The engines were changed from the Napier Lion to the less powerful but more economical [[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] IX. In 1921 the [[Air Ministry]] ordered three aircraft, built as the W.8b, for use by [[Handley Page Transport]], and later by [[Imperial Airways]], on services to [[Paris]] and [[Brussels]].<ref>[http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1922/1922%20-%200038.html "The Handley Page W.8 B."] ''Flight'', 19 January 1922, <!-- description texts and 3-view general arrangement drawing --></ref><ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1922/1922%20-%200239.html "The Handley Page W.8B."], ''Flight'', 27 April 1922, <!-- more detailed description, photos, and drawings --></ref> Another aircraft was delivered to [[SABENA]] in 1924 and three more were license built by [[SABCA]] in Belgium.

Planned but unbuilt 1923 alteration of W.8b for 1923 with the same engines but seating 16 passengers in a cabin lengthened by removal of the radio compartment and a reduction of freight capacity. The fuel tanks would have been moved to the underside of the top wing and [[Slotted flap|slotted ailerons]] fitted.<ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1922/1922%20-%200669.html "The Handley Page W 8 C".] ''Flight'', 16 November 1922, <!-- description and drawings --></ref>

===W.8d===

The W.8d was the initial designation for the [[Handley Page Hyderabad]] heavy bomber.

To reduce the risks involved with engine failure, the W.8e was developed with one 360&nbsp;hp (270&nbsp;kW) [[Rolls-Royce Eagle]] IX in the nose and two 240&nbsp;hp (180&nbsp;kW) [[Siddeley Puma]]s in the normal position. The first W.8e was sold to [[Sabena]], which had ten more built in Belgium by [[SABCA]].<ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1924/1924%20-%200248.html "Handley Page Three-Engined Commercial Aeroplane for Belgium".] ''Flight'', 1 May 1924 <!-- description, photos, and drawings. (This article calls the aircraft a W.8f, and the W.8e and W.8f seem to have been almost identical.) --> </ref>

[[File:HP W.8f.jpg|thumb|right|{{center|Three-engined W.8f.}}]]

The W.8f was modified in 1929 as the W.8g with an improved [[empennage|tail and rudder]] design from the W.10 and the third engine was removed and the other two replaced with {{cvt|480|hp}} [[Rolls-Royce Kestrel|Rolls-Royce type F.XIIA]] engines.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Gunston |editor1-first=Bill |title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Propeller Airliners |date=1980 |publisher=Exeter Books |location=New York |isbn=0-89673-078-6 |page=14 |quote=... the W.8f Hamilton was brought up to W.10 standard under the designation W.8g, with two Rolls-Royce F.XIIA inlines.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Air Transport: The Air Fleet of Imperial Airways, Ltd. |journal=Flight |date=9 October 1931 |volume=XXIII |issue=41 |page=1024 |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1931/1931%20-%201094.html |access-date=9 August 2018 |quote= <!--... the 'Hamilton' G-EBIX was rebuilt as a twin-motored craft with the new Rolls-Royce 'F' motors towards the close of the year [1929].-->}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Jackson |first1=A.J. |title=British Civil Aircraft, 1919–1972: Volume II |date=1988 |publisher=Putnam |location=London |isbn=0851778135 |page=236 |edition=2nd |quote=(W8g) Two 480 h.p. Rolls-Royce F.XI.}} <!-- Note the specific version of the F differs from Gunston (1980); most online sources use Gunston's version. --></ref>

*On 10 July 1923, W.8 G-EAPJ ''Duchess of York'' of [[Handley Page Transport]] crashed at [[Poix, Marne]], France.<ref name="Jackson525">Jackson 1973, pp. 524-525</ref> Flying from [[Croydon Airport|Croydon]] to [[Paris - Le Bourget Airport|Paris]] it made a forced landing due to engine problems, after landing it ran into a sunken road and was destroyed, the pilot and mechanic were thrown clear and none of the seven passengers were injured.<ref name="Flight1923=0417">{{cite journal | title=London Terminal Aerodrome | journal= [[Flight International|Flight]] | page= 417| date= 19 July 1923 |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1923/1923%20-%200417.html}}</ref>

*On 21 October 1926, W.10 G-EBMS of [[Imperial Airways]] ditched in the [[English Channel]] {{convert|18|nmi|km}} off the English coast. All 12 people on board were rescued by FV ''Invicta''.<ref name=GEBMS>{{cite web|url=http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1926/1926-10.htm |title=ACCIDENT DETAILS |publisher=Plane Crash Info |access-date=8 March 2011}}</ref>

*On 15 February 1928, W.8b G-EBBG ''Princess Mary'' of Imperial Airways crashed at [[Abbeville]], France.<ref name="Jackson525" />

*On 17 June 1929, W.10 G-EBMT ''City of Ottawa'' of Imperial Airways [[1929 Imperial Airways Handley Page W.10 crash|ditched in the English Channel]] while on a flight from Croydon to Paris with the loss of seven lives.

*On 31 May 1930, W.9a VH-ULK of the Ellyou Goldfields Development Corporation crashed into a mountain near [[Salamaua]], [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name="Jackson525" /><ref name=ASNwb34217>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=34217 |title=ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 34217 |publisher=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=8 March 2010}}</ref>

*On 30 October 1930, W.8g G-EBIX ''City of Washington'' of Imperial Airways developed engine trouble and crashed at [[Neufchâtel-Hardelot]], [[Pas-de-Calais]], France, when en route from Boulogne to Croydon.<ref name="Jackson525" /> Three people died, and three were injured.<ref>"Imperial Airways Plane down near Boulogne", Western Times, Fri 31 October 1930, p16</ref>

*On 14 May 1932, W.10 G-EBMR '' City of Pretoria'' was flying a party of 16 passengers, including Mayor, Mayoress, and a 102-year-old woman as part of Alan Cobham's Air Circus. As the machine was landing in [[Mansfield]], "its wheels sunk into the ground and were torn off".<ref>"Flies at 102 – and crashes", ''Daily Herald'', 14 May 1932, p9</ref> There were no serious injuries, and the elderly passenger thought it was all part of the show and said she would happily go up again. Evidently the damage was quickly repaired as on 29 May carrying 15 passengers it made a forced landing at the Row Heath recreation ground in the [[Bournville]] District of [[Birmingham]] apparently due to a lack of fuel.<ref>"Birmingham Air Thrill", ''Birmingham Gazette'', 30 May 1932, p1</ref>

*On 22 September 1934, W.10 G-EBMM ''Youth of New Zealand'' (renamed from ''City of Pretoria'' according to the newspaper,<ref name=BucksHerald>"Air Disaster at Aston Clinton", ''Bucks Herald'', 29 Sept 1934, p11</ref> but registration indicates it was ''City of Melbourne'') of [[Alan Cobham|Sir Alan Cobham's]] National Aviation Displays crashed at [[Aston Clinton]], [[Buckinghamshire]], [[United Kingdom]].<ref name="Jackson525" /> The airliner had recently been used for a mid-air refuelling of an [[Airspeed Courier]] aircraft being used by Cobham for an attempted non-stop flight to India. After this it returned to Ford Airfield (near Arundel) to have the extra fuel tank and piping removed,<ref name=BucksHerald/> it was then flying back via Portsmouth to Coventry and had stopped to refuel at [[Heston Aerodrome]]. About 30 minutes after take-off it crashed into a field, killing all four crew. The Inspector of Accidents concluded that the probable cause was a fracture of a main bolt that secured the bracing wires of the front spar to the tailplane. The failure of the bolt was probably metal fatigue, and would cause a loss of flight control. The aircraft had been involved in an early accident when the tailplane had been swapped with one from another aircraft, but after 50 hours of flying since the repair it was not thought that the bolt had been disturbed.<ref name="Times46904">

{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Four Victims Of Air Crash Ministry Expert's Theory, A Fractured Bolt |department=News |date=6 November 1934 |page=16 |issue=46904 |column=D}}</ref>

==Specifications (W.8f Hamilton)==

[[File:Handley Page W.8B 3-view Flight January 19, 1922.jpg|thumb|Three-view of a twin-engine Handley Page W.8B]]

{{Aircraft specs

|prime units?=imp

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|crew=2

|length ft=60

|length in=1.5

|length note=

|span ft=75

|span in=2

|span note=

|height ft=17

|height in=0

|height note=

|wing area sqft=1456

|wing area note=

|empty weight lb=8600

|empty weight note=

|gross weight lb=13000

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|max takeoff weight lb=

|max takeoff weight note=

|fuel capacity=

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Powerplant

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|eng1 number=1

|eng1 name=[[Rolls-Royce Eagle|Rolls-Royce Eagle IX]]

|eng1 type=V-12 water-cooled piston engine

|eng1 hp=360

|eng1 note=in the fuselage nose

|eng2 number=2

|eng2 name=[[Siddeley Puma]]

|eng2 type=6-cylinder water-cooled in-line piston engines

|eng2 hp=240

|eng2 note=between the wings

|prop blade number=4

|prop name=fixed-pitch propellers

|prop dia ft=<!-- propeller aircraft -->

|prop dia in=<!-- propeller aircraft -->

|prop dia note=

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Performance

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|max speed mph=103

|max speed note=

|cruise speed mph=85

|cruise speed note=

|stall speed mph=

|stall speed note=

|never exceed speed mph=

|never exceed speed note=

|minimum control speed mph=

|minimum control speed note=

|range miles=

|range note=

|combat range miles=

|combat range note=

|ferry range miles=

|ferry range note=

|endurance=<!-- if range unknown -->

|ceiling ft=13000

|ceiling note=

|climb rate ftmin=

|climb rate note=

|time to altitude=

|lift to drag=

|wing loading lb/sqft=8.93

|wing loading note=

|fuel consumption lb/mi=

|power/mass={{cvt|0.065|hp/lb}}

*{{cite journal |last1=Warner|first1=Edward P.|title=Les avions de ligne au banc d'essai en 1921|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=May 2008 |issue=462 |pages=44–55 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=Airlines on the Test Bench in 1921}}

[[Category:1920s British airliners]]

[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]