H.P.74 Hermes II
While development of the military Hastings was proceeding, the civilian Hermes was happening in parallel.
With the loss of the first "bare shell" Hermes prototype, work on the second fully furnished aircraft was temporarily halted while the immediate aerodynamic deficiencies were identified and corrected. With the design of the lengthened H.P.73 Hastings, a similar stretch was proposed for a Hermes II, to become the H.P.74 - but this stretch involved 80 inch plugs both fore and aft to rectify the centre of gravity issues of the H.P.73.
With the Hermes' design problems resolved, work recommenced on the second prototype now built to be the Hermes II prototype. Even before completion various upgrades were planned to the design, including turboprop engines. However due to the added time that would be required to implement, the aircraft first flew with the minimum of modifications as a flying shell for test purposes.
Only a single Hermes II was built. In line with the Hastings C.2, the tailplane was soon lowered, and the aircraft was used for development flying for the more advanced Hermes models.
In 1953 the Hermes II was transferred to the RAF, where it embarked on a career as a scientific research aircraft, flying with new design aerial cameras, prototype magnetic anomaly detector equipment, and geophysical survey equipment. The Hermes II was also used to trial the side-ways looking radar array for the T.S.R-2.When finally struck off charge in 1969 it was both the first and the last operational Hermes.