URL : https://www.valka.cz/Handley-Page-Harrow-t114567#398763
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Handley Page HP-54 Harrow
Brief history:
The british ministry of aviation issued in 1935 specifications B.29/35, in which were the technical requirements for the rapidly producible, simple bomber aircraft, which could be included as soon as possible to the armament of the RAF. The RAF need a bomber, because it was necessary to start a new vyzbrojovací program.
The company Handley Page Ltd. design and subsequently quickly built one prototype twin-engined bomber HP-54, a prototype with the serial number of K6933 was zalétnut 10. 10. 1936. He was a high-wing with a bulky torso, which bore the indelible design the characters of an older prototype of the HP-51, after all, it could be a new aircraft built so quickly. The skeleton of the fuselage was all-metal, coated canvas, the drive was two engines, the Pegasus X power 610 kW (830 hp). The crew was five strong, and for your defense could lead the fire of three motor-controlled střelišť with kulometnými twins. To the bomb bay, it was possible to hang up to 1 362 kg of bombs.
Already on the basis of the submitted project was agreed to order 100 production aircraft, their production began at the end of 1936 and the last aircraft was delivered in the version of Harrow Mk.II (the engines of the Pegasus XX) in December 1937. The RAF is immediately zařazovalo to the services of their bomber squadrons, replacing the outdated Vickersy Virginia and got into the armaments for the following squadrons: 37., 75., 115., 214. and 215.. Their career as a bomber, however, was short, in 1939 they were already the most downloaded from bomber units and transferred to the 271. transport squadron, or to the training. Nine aircraft was at 782. squadron FAA.
After adjustment for transport tasks took Harrow 20 fully armed troops or the weight of the corresponding cargo. Modification consisted of the installation of a new slightly pointed fore and aft of the aircraft, often these aircraft were called on behalf of the Sparrow, among others, have proved their worth in September 1944, during the evacuation of the wounded from the airborne operations at Arnhem.
I have to mention about the operation Mutton, which lasted from September 1940 to July 1941. This operation is associated with the aircraft, Harrow on 93. squadron the RAF. It was a protibombardérovou operation in which the aircraft Harrow brought over and before the association of German bombers, anti-aircraft mines LAM (Long Aerial Mine) and started to release them in osmnáctimetrových intervals. Each Harrow bore 120 of these min. Mina was stored in the holster, after launch, it suffered at speeds of 5 m/s on padáčku, in case there was a second pilot, who pulled out a metal string long 609 m, this stretched out the string should reach to the association of German aircraft after contact with the enemy aircraft release their own mine, that after the ropes went up to the plane and its explosion, aircraft destroyed, or at least seriously damaged the explosion půlkilogramové charges. The whole case (mina) had the weight of the 6 320 grams. In July 1941 the actions of Mutton ended up with a weak result - one aircraft destroyed of course, and three probably.
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Handley-Page-Harrow-t114567#398767
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