Handley Page Hermes

infobox Aircraft
name = HP.81 Hermes
type = Airliner
manufacturer = Handley Page



caption = From the sales Brochure for the Hermes.
designer =
first flight = 2 December 1945
introduced = 6 August 1950
retired =
status =
primary user = BOAC
more users =
produced =
number built = 29
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =
developed from = Handley Page HastingsThe Handley Page HP 81 Hermes was a British civilian airliner built by Handley Page in the 1940s and 50s. Closely related to Handley Page's Hastings military transport, the Hermes was a low wing monoplane powered by four piston engines. 29 were built, serving briefly with BOAC in the early 1950s and later with several charter airlines.

Design and development

The Hermes was built to meet the 1944 Air Ministry specification for a pressurised civil transport capable of carrying 34 first class or 50 tourist class passengers, at the same time as the RAF required a new transport to replace its Handley Page Halifaxs, for which Handley Page designed the very similar Handley Page Hastings. Jackson 1973, p.247.] Unlike the tail-wheel Hastings, the Hermes was planned to have a nose wheel undercarriage, although the first two prototypes, of which the first was an unpressurised "bare shell" and the second to be pressurised and fully equipped. Barnes 1976, pp.437—437.] It was intended to introduce the Hermes before the Hastings, but production was delayed after the first prototype (HP 68 Hermes 1), registered "G-AGSS" crashed on its maiden flight on December 2, 1945. Barnes 1976, p437.] Development of the civil Hermes was delayed to resolve the instability that caused the accident to the first prototype, and the chance was taken to lengthen the second prototype, producing the HP 74 Hermes II ("G-AGUB"), first flying on 2 September 1947.

Meanwhile, orders were placed on 4 February 1947 for 25 of the definitive HP 81 Hermes IV, fitted with a tricycle undercarriage and powered by 2,100 hp (1,570 kW) Bristol Hercules 763 engines, for BOAC and two HP Hermes V, powered by the Bristol Theseus turboprop engines. Barnes 1976, p.461.]

Operational history

While the first Hermes IV (registered "G-AKFP") flew on 5 September 1948, and production built up quickly, the early aircraft were overweight, partly due to the use of Hastings components, and were initially rejected by BOAC. Barnes 1976, p.465.] The Hermes finally entered service on 6 August 1950, taking over the West Africa service to Accra via Tripoli, Kano and Lagos, with services to Kenya and South Africa commencing before the end of the year. Jackson 1973, p.248—249.] The Hermes IV was used by BOAC on routes to West and South Africa. They were quickly replaced, however by the reliable Canadair Argonaut in 1952, although some re-entered service in July 1954 following the grounding of the de Havilland Comet, being retired again in December. Jackson 1973, p.249.]

This was not the end of the Hermes in airline service, however, as surplus aircraft were sold to charter airlines, with Airwork purchasing four in 1952, with others being operated by Britavia and Skyways, particularly in the trooping role. Jackson 1973, p.249—250.] Many of these aircraft were fitted with Hercules 773 engines which could run on lower octane fuel than the original Hercules 763s, being designated as Hermes IVA, returning to Hermes IV standards when fuel supplies improved. The last Hermes, flown by Air Links ltd, was retired on 13 December 1964, and was scapped nine days later. Jackson 1973, p.251.]

The two turboprop Hermes V were used for development of the Theseus engine, while the prototype Hermes II was given military markings and as "VX234" was used for various research and development programmes, including testing of airborne radars for the Royal Radar Establishment, being finally retired in 1969, the last of the Hermes. Barnes 1976, pp.473—474.] The fuselage of a Hermes IV (the former BOAC aircraft G-ALDG named "Horsa") is preserved at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Variants

All 29 aircraft were built at Radlett Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, England.

;H.P.68 Hermes 1:Prototype powered by four 1650hp (1231kW) Bristol Hercules 101 radial engines, one built.;H.P.74 Hermes 2:Prototype powered by four 1675hp (1250kW) Bristol Hercules 121 engines and a 13ft (4.57m) longer forward fuselage, one built.;H.P.81 Hermes 4:Production aircraft with tricycle landing gear and powered by four 2100hp (1567kW) Bristol Hercules 763 engines, 25 built.;H.P.81 Hermes 4A:Hermes 4 aircraft modified to use use 100 octane fuel with the engine re-designated Hercules 773, most converted back to Hermes 4 standard.;H.P.82 Hermes 5:Development aircraft with four 2490hp (1858kW) Bristol Theseus 502 turboporops, two built.

Operators

;BAH
* Bahamas Airways.;KUW
* Kuwait Airways;LBN
* Middle East Airlines;UK
* Air Links
* Air Safaris
* Airwork
* Britavia
* British Overseas Airways Corporation
* Falcon Airways
* Royal Radar Establishment
* Silver City Airways
* Skyways

Accidents and Incidents

*3 December 1945 - Hermes I G-AGSS the prototype Hermes crashed on the first test flight soon after take-off 3 miles from Radlett Aerodrome. The two Handley Page test pilots were killed.

*May 26 1952 - Hermes IV G-ALDN ("Horus"), en route from Tripoli, Libya, to Kano, Nigeria, flew off-course for several hours and ran out of fuel, crashing into the Sahara Desert south of Atar, Mauritania. The passengers and crew all survived the crash. They spent several days in the desert before making their way to an oasis, where First Officer Ted Haslam, who had suffered a head injury in the crash, died. [Fisher, John Hayes (Producer). (2003). Desert Rescue [Television series episode] . In "Meet the ancestors." London: British Broadcasting Corporation.]

*4 March 1956 - Hermes IV G-ALDW operated by Skyways Limited was destroyed on the ground by an explosion in the luggage compartment. The aircraft was at Nicosia Airport, Cyprus when an explosion (caused by a time-bomb) occurred 20 minutes before the aircraft was due to depart for the United Kingdom with 68 passengers. [" [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%200310.html Civil Aviation: Hermes Sabotage] ". "Flight". 16 March 1956, p.306.]

*5 November 1956 - Hermes IV G-ALDJ operated by Britavia crashed on night approach to Blackbushe Aerodrome, England. 7 of the 80 occupants died. [ICAO Accident Digest No.8, Circular 54-AN/49 (138-147)]

pecification (Hermes IV)

aircraft specification
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref = The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft Donald 1997, p.496]
crew=7
capacity=40 - 82 passengers
length main= 96 ft 10 in
length alt=29.52 m
span main=113 ft
span alt=34.45 m
height main=30 ft
height alt=9.15 m
area main= 1,408.0 ft²
area alt= 130.85 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 55,350 lb
empty weight alt= 25,159 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 86,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 39,092 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=Bristol Hercules 763
type of prop=radial engines
number of props= 4
power main= 2,100 hp
power alt=1,566 kW
power original=
max speed main= 350 mph
max speed alt= 304 kt, 567 km/h
cruise speed main= 270 mph (at 20,000 ft)
cruise speed alt= 234 kt, 437 km/h
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 2,000 miles (with 14,125 lb (6,420 kg) payload)
range alt= 3,242 km
ceiling main= 24,500 ft
ceiling alt= 7,470 m
climb rate main= 1,030 ft/min
climb rate alt= 314 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=*Handley Page Hastings
similar aircraft=*Avro Tudor
see also=
lists=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Barnes, C. H. "Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907". London: Putnam, 1976. ISBN 0 370 00030 7.
* Barnes, C. H. "Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907". London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.
* Clayton, Donald C. "Handley Page, an Aircraft Album". Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8.
* Donald, David (editor). "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Leicester: Blitz, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
* Jackson, A.J. "British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume 2". London:Putnam, Second edition 1973. ISBN 0 370 10010 7.

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=235 Hastings at British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://www.handleypage.com/Aircraft_hp81.html Hermes]
* [http://www.aeroplaneart.com.au/Images/JB_Avro_Tudor_II.jpgA picture of the Hermes II prototype "G-AGUB" - (note: picture is mislabelled as an Avro Tudor II)]