Handley Page Limited — A Complete Aircraft Design Legacy

Handley Page Limited — A Complete Aircraft Design Legacy

Handley Page Limited — A Complete Aircraft Design Legacy

Handley Page Limited was one of Britain's oldest and most distinguished aircraft manufacturers, founded in 1909 by Frederick Handley Page. Over six decades the company produced an extraordinary range of designs — from fragile pre-war monoplanes to the swept-wing Avro Victor-rivalling HP.80 Victor, one of the RAF's V-bombers. This article presents the complete HP design series, from HP.1 through HP.137, followed by the Handley Page (Reading) HPR sub-series.

HP Main Series

Early Designs (HP.1–HP.10)

  • HP.1 – Type A monoplane
  • HP.2 – Type B biplane
  • HP.3 – Type C monoplane, never flew; rebuilt from HP.1
  • HP.4 – Type D monoplane
  • HP.5 – Type E monoplane
  • HP.6 – Type F monoplane
  • HP.7 – Type G biplane
  • HP.8 – Type L biplane, never flew
  • HP.9 – Type M coastal defense aircraft project
  • HP.10 – Type N biplane scout project

World War I Era (HP.11–HP.16)

  • HP.11 – O/100 twin-engine bomber
  • HP.12 – O/400 twin-engine bomber
  • HP.13 – Type P biplane (later triplane) shipboard scout project
  • HP.14 – Type R prototype naval reconnaissance aircraft
  • HP.15 – V/1500 "Super Handley" four-engine bomber
  • HP.16 – W/400 airliner

Interwar Period (HP.17–HP.50)

  • HP.17 – Airco DH.9 fitted with wing slots
  • HP.18 Hamilton – W/8 airliner
  • HP.19 Hanley – torpedo bomber
  • HP.20 – Airco DH.9A fitted with slotted monoplane wing
  • HP.21 – Type S monoplane fighter for US Navy
  • HP.22 – single-seat sport monoplane for Lympne light aircraft trials
  • HP.23 – single-seat sport monoplane for Lympne light aircraft trials
  • HP.24 Hyderabad – biplane heavy bomber
  • HP.25 Hendon – torpedo bomber
  • HP.26 Hamilton – W/8 airliner
  • HP.27 Hampstead – W/9 airliner
  • HP.28 Handcross – biplane day bomber
  • HP.29 – D/4 biplane transport project
  • HP.30 – W/10 airliner
  • HP.31 Harrow – carrier-based torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
  • HP.32 Hamlet – six-passenger monoplane airliner
  • HP.33 Hinaidi I and Clive I – heavy bomber & transport
  • HP.34 Hare – high-altitude day bomber
  • HP.35 Clive II – heavy bomber
  • HP.36 Hinaidi II – twin-engine bomber
  • HP.37 – shipboard fighter project to Spec. O.22/26
  • HP.38 Heyford – prototype biplane heavy night bomber
  • HP.39 Gugnunc – experimental STOL/safety biplane
  • HP.40 – biplane seaplane project for Japan for 3MR5 design
  • HP.41 – biplane torpedo bomber project to Spec. M.5/28; joint tender with Blackburn
  • HP.42 – eastern biplane airliner
  • HP.43 – three-engine biplane bomber transport to Spec. C.16/28; later rebuilt as HP.51
  • HP.44 Hinaidi III – twin-engine bomber; proposed re-engining of HP.36
  • HP.45 – western biplane airliner
  • HP.46 – biplane torpedo bomber to Spec. M.1/30
  • HP.47 – general purpose monoplane to Spec. G.4/31
  • HP.48 – reserved but not used
  • HP.49 – reserved but not used
  • HP.50 Heyford – production variant, biplane heavy night bomber

World War II Era (HP.51–HP.71)

  • HP.51 – prototype monoplane bomber-transport to Spec. C.26/31
  • HP.52 Hampden I – medium bomber
  • HP.53 – bomber project for Sweden, led to the HP.53 Hereford
  • HP.54 Harrow – bomber-transport
  • HP.55 – twin-engine heavy bomber design to Spec. B.1/35
  • HP.56 – twin-engine heavy bomber design to Spec. P.13/36
  • HP.57 Halifax Mk.I – four-engine heavy bomber
  • HP.58 Halifax Mk.II – four-engine heavy bomber project; cancelled due to armament problems, name transferred to HP.59
  • HP.59 Halifax Mk.II – four-engine heavy bomber
  • HP.60 Halifax Mk.IV – heavy bomber project for B.1/39, not built
  • HP.61 Halifax Mk.III – four-engine heavy bomber
  • HP.62 Hampden II – medium bomber
  • HP.63 Halifax V – four-engine heavy bomber
  • HP.64 Halifax transport – airliner to Spec. C.15/43
  • HP.65 Halifax IV "Super-Halifax" – project with low drag 113 ft (34 m) wing, turbo supercharged Hercules engines
  • HP.66 Hastings B.I and B.II – Halifax project to Spec. B.27/43, provisional name, abandoned at end of war
  • HP.67 Hastings C1 and C2 – military transport
  • HP.68 Hermes I – airliner
  • HP.69 Hastings B.II – Halifax project with turbo-blower exhaust Hercules 100, provisional name; order cancelled 1944
  • HP.70 Halifax C.VIII & Halton – transport & airliner
  • HP.71 Halifax A.IX – paratroop transport/glider tug

Post-War & Jet Age (HP.72–HP.100)

  • HP.72 – military transport project to Spec. C.15/45
  • HP.72A – four-engine swept wing jet bomber project; led to HP.80 Victor
  • HP.73 Hastings C.III – transport project
  • HP.74 Hermes II – airliner developed from the HP.68 Hermes I
  • HP.75 Manx – tailless research aircraft for possible transport, bomber and fighter aircraft projects
  • HP.75A – unarmed high-speed swept wing jet bomber project; led to and eclipsed by the HP.72A
  • HP.76 – 34 passenger, twin turboprop airliner to Brabazon 2B
  • HP.77 – as HP.76 but with two Bristol Theseus engines to Brabazon 2B
  • HP.78 – four-engine turboprop airliner project to Brabazon 2B; four-engine derivative of HP.76
  • HP.79 Hermes III – four-engine turboprop airliner project; originally designated HP.74
  • HP.80 Victor – four-engine bomber to Spec. B.35/46
  • HP.81 Hermes IV – airliner
  • HP.82 Hermes V – airliner
  • HP.83 – Hermes airliner to Spec. C.2/47 (Brabazon III) with four Bristol Hercules 663 engines
  • HP.84 – airliner to Spec. C.2/47
  • HP.85 – Hermes airliner to Spec. C.2/47 with two Bristol Proteus coupled turboprops and single-spar wing
  • HP.86 – Hermes airliner to Spec. C.2/47 with four Bristol Hercules 663 engines and single-spar wing
  • HP.87 – 1/3 scale radio-controlled Victor glider
  • HP.88 – Victor research aircraft, wings and tail on Supermarine Attacker
  • HP.89 Hastings VI – transport project
  • HP.90 Hermes IA – project civil combi freighter
  • HP.91 Hermes VI – lightened Hermes IA project
  • HP.92 Hermes VII – as HP.91 but with four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines
  • HP.93 – Dufaylite wing for Miles Messenger
  • HP.94 Hastings C.4 – VIP transport project to Spec. C.115P
  • HP.95 Hastings C.3 – transport for RNZAF
  • HP.96 – Victor military transport project
  • HP.97 – Victor civil airliner project
  • HP.98 – Victor target-marker project
  • HP.99 – "Daisy Cutter" low-level bomber project
  • HP.100 – long-range, high-speed reconnaissance-bomber to Spec. OR.330

Advanced & Final Projects (HP.101–HP.137)

  • HP.101 – proposed military version of HP.97
  • HP.102 – boundary level control airliner; superseded by HP.108
  • HP.103 – BLC conversion of Jet Provost
  • HP.104 – phase 3 Victor bomber project
  • HP.105 – BLC military transport to Spec. C.132D
  • HP.106 – missile design studies
  • HP.107 – supersonic bomber project to Spec. OR.330
  • HP.108 – four-engine jetliner, rival to Boeing 707
  • HP.109 – supersonic transport project
  • HP.110 – supersonic transport project
  • HP.111 – strategic jet transport/freighter project, partially based on Victor
  • HP.111C – civil version of HP.111
  • HP.112 – "Flying Jeep" project; eclipsed by HP.118
  • HP.113 – "laminarized" 12-seat commuter project
  • HP.114 – phase 6 Victor bomber project
  • HP.115 – low speed delta wing research aircraft
  • HP.116 – tactical freighter studies
  • HP.117 – 200–300 passenger flying wing airliner project
  • HP.118 – VTOL "Jumping Jeep" project; eclipsed by HP.120
  • HP.119 – 3/10 scale model for HP.117
  • HP.120 – 2-man VTOL convertible "Jumping Jeep" project
  • HP.121 – not used to avoid confusion with de Havilland DH.121
  • HP.122 – VTOL transport project to Spec. OR.351
  • HP.123 – HP.111-based BLC military tactical transport project to Spec. OR.351
  • HP.124 – Military Herald project
  • HP.125 – tactical VTOL variant of HP.124 to NATO requirement NMBR-4
  • HP.126 – All-Wing Aerobus 100 passenger airliner
  • HP.127 – Jet Herald feederliner development
  • HP.128 – short-range supersonic transport project
  • HP.129 – Mini Herald 30 passenger feederliner
  • HP.130 – BLC conversion of HS.125
  • HP.131 – improved HP.124 with ramp; offered to Belgium in 1965 along with HP.132 and HP.133
  • HP.132 – STOL variant of HP.131
  • HP.133 – STOL variant of HP.131; offered to Belgium Air Force in 1965, but rejected
  • HP.134 – Ogee Aerobus high-speed airliner
  • HP.135 – high-wing laminar-flow military transport
  • HP.136 – not used to avoid confusion with de Havilland DH.136
  • HP.137 Jetstream – twin-turboprop light transport aircraft

Handley Page (Reading) Designs — HPR Series

The Reading division of Handley Page produced its own sub-series of designs, primarily focused on civil transport and training aircraft.

  • HPR.1 Marathon – 1948 Miles M.60 transport
  • HPR.1 (II) – 1950 Basic Trainer derivative project
  • HPR.2 Basic Trainer – 1950 basic trainer to Spec. T.16/48
  • HPR.3 Herald – 1952 airliner prototype; converted to Dart Herald standard
  • HPR.4 Herald – projected production version of HPR.3
  • HPR.4 (II) – 1953 projected turboprop derivative of HPR.3
  • HPR.5 Marathon (I) – 1949 Miles M.69 Marathon II test bed conversion
  • HPR.5 Marathon (II) – 1953 Miles M.69 T.II navigation trainers
  • HPR.6 – 1955 short-range high-density airliner project
  • HPR.7 Dart Herald – 1957 turboprop airliner
  • HPR.8 – 1959 car ferry project based on Dart Herald

This article is part of the Online Aviation Library British Aviation series. Primary-source documentation for many of these aircraft types — including original factory manuals, engineering drawings, and service publications — is available in our British Aviation collection.