HAWKER HIND

The British 'Hawker Hind' was an Royal Air Force light bomber of the inter-war years produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was developed from the Hawker Hart day-bomber introduced in 1931.

Contents

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Survivors

Specifications (Hind)

References

External links

Related content

Design and development

An improved Hawker Hart bomber defined by Specification G.7/34, was purchased by RAF as interim aircraft while more modern monoplane bombers such as the Fairey Battle were still in development. Structural elements were a mixture of steel and duralumin with the wings being fabric covered while the main differences compared to the earlier Hart was a new powerplant, (the Rolls Royce Kestrel V) and the inclusion of refinements from the earlier derivatives such as the cut-down rear cockpit developed for the Demon. The prototype (''K2915'') was constructed very rapidly due to Hawker's development work for other proposals, and made its first flight on September 12, 1934. A variety of changes were subsequently incorporated ("ram's horn" manifolds, Fairy-Reed metal propeller and engine improvements) with the first production Hind (''K4636'') flown on 4 September 1935.

Operational history

The Hind went into service in November 1935 and eventually equipped 20 RAF bomber squadrons. A number were also sold to foreign customers including Afghanistan, Eire (Ireland), Latvia, Persia (Iran), Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. By 1937, the Hind was being phased out of frontline service, replaced by the Fairey Battle and Bristol Blenheim. The Hind found a new career in 1938 as a training aircraft representing the next step up from basic training on Tiger Moths. It continued in use as an intermediate trainer during the Second World War.
Hind trainers were also operated by Canada and New Zealand.
In 1941, Hinds flew combat missions in their original role as light bombers. South African Hinds were employed against Italian forces in Kenya, Yugoslav Hinds were used against the Germans and Italians while Iranian Hinds were used briefly when invading Allied British and Soviet contingents attacked Iran.

Variants

;Hind I
:Two-seat light bomber aircraft for the RAF.

Operators

;Afghanistan

★ Afghan Air Force acquired 28 aircraft in 1938, the final example retiring in 1957.
;Canada

★ Royal Canadian Air Force
;

★ Imperial Iranian Air Force
;

★ Irish Air Corps
;

★ Latvian Air Force
;

★ Royal New Zealand Air Force acquired 78 aircraft of which 63 entered service, primarily as trainers 1940-1943. The other 15 were lost to enemy action in transit.
;

★ Portugal Air Force
;South Africa

★ South African Air Force
;

★ Swiss Air Force
;

★ Royal Air Force
;Yugoslavia

★ Royal Yugoslav Air Force

Survivors

An airworthy ex-Afghan Hind flies with the Shuttleworth Collection. Others are on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Canada Aviation Museum. Several former Royal New Zealand Air Force Hinds are being restored/reconstructed by the Subritzky family / The Classic Aircraft Collection at Dairy Flat near Auckland, of which at least NZ1517/K6687, and NZ1535/K6721 are under restoration to airworthy condition. Substantial parts are also held for NZ1518/K6717, NZ1528/L7184, NZ1544/K6810 and NZ1554/K5465. The remains of other Hinds were recently located in Afghanistan.

Specifications (Hind)

References

External links

★ Hawker Hind

★ British Aircraft of world War II: Hawker Hind

★ The Hawker Hind in Canada

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