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Aviation History
1933
1933 - 0022.PDF
FLIGHT, JULY 6, 1933 THE HANDLEY PAGE "HEYFORD" 2 Rolls-Royce " Kestrel " Engines i INCE the original Handley Page H.P.38 was designed, built and flown, there has been a change in load factors, etc., and the new " lleyford " night bomber, which is in effect the production version of the H.P.38, therefore differs considerably in some respects from the prototype ; so much so that it has been given a new works series number, and is identified as the H.P.50. Before the construction of the " Heyfords " crdered by the Air Ministry was undertaken, the Handley Page works at Cricklewood were thoroughly overhauled and re- equipped with new and improved machinery. Very exten sive use has been made of jigs, and the result of all these improvements, which one suspects to be largely due to Mr. Hamilton, who joined the firm as works manager about the time when the work on the " Heyfords " was begun, is at once evident in the form of vastly improved workmanship and finish. An interesting article could be written on the workshop methods used in producing the " Heyfords," but that would be outside the scope of these notes, which are intended to deal with the finished machine rather than with the methods by which it has been pro duced. As it is. wc have not the space this week to describe the " Heyford " completely, and we have, there fore, decided to divide the article into two instalments, the first, which follows, dealing with the structural aspects of the " Heyford," and the second, which we hope to publish later, to describe the finished machine, its lay-out and general equipment. In the notes which follow it is advisable to bear in mind that the •" Heyford " is an unorthodox aeroplane in the arrangement of its large components. The fuselage and two engine nacelles are placed immediately under the upper plane, while the lower centre section is uninter rupted by any such large bodies, and is, in fact, used as a receptacle for the bombs. This arrangement has intro duced certain changes in structural policy. The Fuselage Structurally speaking, the fuselage is built in four sepa rate sections joined together by bolted joints. Beginning at the nose, there is a forward portion which is of metal monocoque construction. Then follows a single-bay por tion, with very stout diagonal strut bracing in the side panels, which is in line with the wings. Aft of that is the main rear fuselage portion, with vertical and horizontal struts and tie rod cross bracing. Finally, the fuselage ter minates at the stern in a small unit which carries the tail and castering tail wheel. The front, monocoque, portion of the fuselage is of very neat and simple construction. It carries no very heavy weights (crew and their equipment only) and therefore a heavy primary structure has not been necessary. The longerons are built up of an outer curved corner strip and an inner strip of ' Omega " section. In the forward half of the monocoqua the lower longeron " omegas " are fairly shallow, while in the rear half they are deeper, to meet conveniently the tubular longeron of the rear fuselage portion. The " omegas " of the top longerons are shallow and of uniform depth throughout. Top and bottom longerons are connected by vertical formers of small, light-gauge strip of " omega " section. Like the longeron strips they are of Duralumin. The covering is " Alclad," riveted on in fairly large panels. The skin is reinforced by external stringers of shallow channel section, and the side of the rear half of the monocoque is reinforced by an internal diagonal member THE FUSELAGE : The front portion is a metal monocoque structure, while the rear is a steel tube wire-braced girder. (FLIGHT Photo.) 666
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