The real world H.P. 65 Super Halibag.
Exactly, except skinnier and no turbo
Hercules 38s. But the single-spar laminar-flow wing stays
BTW: This is another case of no images showing for me (maybe because of the whatifmodellers link?).
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The 'Even Skinnier' Halifax - the Handley Page H.P.75 HastingsThe Handley Page H.P.75
Hastings was derived from two unbuilt H.P.60
Halifax derivative concepts. One was the H.P.72 - a variant of the unrealized H.P.70
Hull heavy bomber. The H.P.72 was to have had turbocharged engines and incorporate a pressurized cockpit and tail position (with a return to the remotely-controlled turrets of the original H.P.59A
Halifax). That original H.P.72 concept died along with the rest of the H.P.70 series but the Air Ministry remained intrigued with the possibilities for a moderately-pressurized cockpit.
The second was the H.P.80 heavy bomber concept which basically matched a stretched H.P.60
Halifax fuselage with a wider-span version of the H.P.70
Hull laminar-flow wing. Other than length and span, the biggest difference between the H.P.70 concept and the H.P.80 was the latter's use of an entirely new tricycle undercarriage. The H.P.75
Hastings was to combine features from both earlier concepts. The biggest challenge for the design team was the unavailability of the powerful 18-cylinder Bristol
Centaurus engines.
The Air Ministry stipulated the use of much lower-powered Bristol
Hercules radials which precipitated a major redesign. The resulting H.P.75
Hastings retained the pressure cockpit and nose barbette from the original H.P.72. The H.P.72's short-span laminar-flow wing was also retained but mated to a slimmer fuselage. This reduced the H.P.75's bombload but this was judged acceptable for a dedicated 'Pathfinder' aircraft. The
Hastings also adopted the H.P.80's tricycle undercarriage - nose gear of which displaced the semi-retractable H2S radar scanner.
On the H.P.75
Hastings, the H2S radome was relocated to the former belly turret position. That turret gave way to twin, lower-fuselage gun hatches for flexible 0.5-inch Brownings. The armament was rounded out with H.P.70 tail and mid-upper turrets and the chin barbettes. The latter gun position was remotely-controlled by the bomb-aimer. The mid-upper was a Frazer-Nash FN-160 manned turret armed with two Vickers 15 mm cannons. The tail turret was also armed with twin 15 mm Vickers but had no commonality with the twin-gun H.P.60 tail turret. The new tail position cocooned the gunner in armour plates with his reflector sight viewed through armour glass and the whole enclosed within a heated 'bubble' of Perspex. [1]
(
Top) First prototype Handley Page H.P.75
Hastings with Bristol
Beaufighter cowlings for its four
Hercules engines.
Ironically, the H.P.75's new cockpit section was not pressurized - this now seen as unnecessary for the pathfinder role. [3] The new nose shape was more aerodynamic while allowing for the future possibility of introducing modest pressurization. With pressurization abandoned for the moment, the opportunity was taken to let more glazing into the nose section of the second prototype H.P.75
Hastings. This aircraft also featured glazed escape hatches in its upper fuselage - increasing natural interior lighting while improving emergency egress.
The major external change on the second H.P.75 were more streamlined Handley Page-designed cowlings for its 600-series
Hercules engines. This series of
Hercules also exchanged Bristol's traditional cowling-nose exhaust-collector ring in favour of a new rearward-directed exhaust system. The second H.P.75 was finished in a SEAC scheme as this was now the intended major area of
Hastings operations. However, the War in the Pacific ended before the
Hastings entered full production. Handley Page proposed that the partially-complete airframes on its Radlett line be completed to H.P.75C maritime patrol standards but this was rejected by the RAF in favour of conversions of the more plentifully-available Avro
Lancaster.
(
Bottom) The unrealized Handley Page H.P.70
Hull heavy bomber as proposed
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[1] It was intended that the new tail turret eventually be upgraded with Automatic Gun-Laying using a
Village Inn radar system.
[2] The use of exhaust-driven turbo-superchargers was also abandoned as unnecessary at an early stage in the H.P.75 design process.
[3] This series of
Hercules also exchanged Bristol's cowling-nose exhaust-collector ring in favour of a new rear-facing exhaust system.