Hawker Woodcock

infobox Aircraft
name =Hawker Woodcock
type =Fighter
manufacturer =Hawker



caption =Hawker Woodcocks from No. 3 Squadron
designer =Capt. Thomson
W.G. Carter
first flight =March avyear|1923
introduced =avyear|1924
retired =
status =
primary user =Royal Air Force
more users =
produced =1924-1926
number built =64
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =Hawker DanecockThe Hawker Woodcock was a British single-seat fighter built by the Hawker Engineering Company as the first fighter to be produced by Hawker Engineering (the successor to Sopwith Aviation). It was used by the RAF as a night fighter in the 1920s.

Design and development

The Hawker Woodcock was designed as a night fighter in 1922. The chief designer was Capt. Thomson, but after the prototype was built, W.G. Carter took over as chief designer at the H.G. Hawker Engineering Company. The prototype was first flown with a 358 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine in March 1923 with F.P. Raynham at the controls. It featured a two bay wing with the inner struts at about one third span.

The prototype was rejected because of lack of manoeuvrability as well as suffering from a serious wing flutter and ineffective rudder control. Consequently, Carter changed the design, reducing the wing by two feet and making it a single bay type. The powerplant was changed to a Bristol Jupiter 380 hp engine. The modified design was designated the "Woodcock Mk II", first flying in July 1923. A number of accidents were suffered and the design was progressively strengthened until the structural weakness had been cured.

The Woodcock was armed with two Vickers machine guns, synchronised to fire through the propeller disk. The guns were mounted externally on each side of the fuselage, just below the edge of the cockpit.

Operational history

The first orders for the Woodcock were placed at the end of 1924, entering service in May 1925. A total of 64 aircraft were built. This total includes the two prototypes and one aircraft used for demonstration purposes. Once the aircraft's early structural problems were solved, the Woodcock proved popular with its pilots. It was replaced by the Gloster Gamecock in 1928. However some Woodcocks were still flying in 1936. Mason 1991, p. 106.]

Variants

;Woodcock Mk I: Single-seat night fighter prototype.;Woodcock Mk II: Single-seat night fighter for the RAF.;Hawker Danecock: Single-seat fighter aircraft for Denmark. Three aircraft were built.;L.B II Dankok: Single-seat fighter aircraft for the Danish Army Air Service, and the Danish Naval Air Service. A total of 12 were built under licence in Denmark.

Operators

; UK
* Royal Air Force
** No. 3 Squadron RAF
** No. 17 Squadron RAF

pecifications (Woodcock Mk II)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref=The British Fighter since 1912 Mason 1992, p. 169.]

crew=1
capacity=
length main= 25 ft 7 in
length alt= 7.80 m
span main= 34 ft 8 in
span alt= 10.57 m
height main= 9 ft
height alt= 2.74 m
area main= 356 ft²
area alt= 33.1 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 2,014 lb
empty weight alt= 915 kg
loaded weight main= 2,979 lb
loaded weight alt= 1,354 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)= Bristol Jupiter IV
type of prop= 9-cylinder radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 425 hp
power alt= 317 kW
power original=
max speed main= 123 knots
max speed alt= 141 mph, 227 km/h
more max speed= at sea level
cruise speed main= 90 knots
cruise speed alt= 103 mph Jackson 1973, p. 345.] , 166 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 243 nm
range alt= 280 mi, 451 km
ceiling main= 20,550 ft
ceiling alt= 6,270 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main= 8.37 lb/ft²
loading alt= 40.9 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main= 0.143 hp/lb
power/mass alt= 0.234 kW/kg
more performance=
* Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 8 min 20 secs
armament=
* 2 × .303 in Vickers machine guns on sides of fuselage.
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=
* List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force
see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Jackson, A.J. "British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 1, 2nd Edition". London: Putnam, 1973. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
* Mason, Francis K. "The British Fighter since 1912". Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1992. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
* Mason, Francis K. "Hawker Aircraft since 1920". London: Putnam, 1991. ISBN 0-85177-839-9.

External links

* [http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww15/f/508/9/0/3 Hawker Woodcock - drawing]
* [http://www42.tok2.com/home/avionroad/British%20Military/woodcock.jpgHawker Woodcock - model]