Shipbucket

Seeing as how I couldn't even confirm it was the H.P.60, I didn't even try drawing it
The fins look they are asymmetric, whereas the Halifax were symmetric about the horizontal stabilisers, and the aircraft is significantly larger than a Halifax, so I hesitate in being able to even directly compare any component on that model to a Halifax.
I just included it here for a measure of completeness, and maybe someone here has access to data not in the general public domain ...

Reminds me of Bristol Beaubomber (Type 159), perhaps the two designs have something in common...

In the Tony Buttler's "British Secret Projects - Fighters & Bombers 1935-1950" this photograph (page 109) has indeed no description. Next to it is the drawing of Bristol 159 with Merlin powerplants (which looks roughly similar to it as well).
Maybe when the new edition of this book will eventually be available (probably not too soon, though) there will be some information about it available?

H.P.61 Halifax III

The definitive Halifax.



The prototype B.III was a converted B.II series 1, and so it was the only Hercules Halifax to have the Z-nose and original fins. As the development of the B.III was coincident with the development of the B.II and B.V the development of all aircraft proceeded in the same direction (except for the finally perfected tailwheel which was never adopted in the Merlin aircraft), so that the production B.III had all the improvements of the Merlin aircraft.
The B.III was to be fitted with the H2S radar, but initial aircraft were built without. Some aircraft were fitted with a ventral turret in the radar's location.
During the production run extended wingtips were included, and many early aircraft were retrofitted with the longer wingtips.
The large internal size of the Halifax (courtesy of it's secondary transport role), allowed the aircraft to be fitted with the bulky early electonic countermeasures equipment; Airborne Cigar, Window, Pipe Rack and Mandrel, both in Europe and to a lesser extent in the Pacific.
The A.III version lacked the dorsal turret, and was used to tow the Horsa and Hamilcar gliders for the glider assaults at the end of the war.
The use of the GR.IIIA in Coastal Command service was limited, and likewise the Met.IIIA aircraft received little service before the end of the war.
While no freighter version of the Mk.III was produced, some aircraft were converted to freighters to become the C.III. Although unarmed C.III's retained the rear turret.

Splendid work.

There is a certain je ne sais quoi to the ugly frumpiness of the Handley Page fleet. The drawings are excellent.

H.P.61 Halifax VI

When the improved and more powerful Hercules 100 became available in 1944, the higher performance Mk.VI was introduced. With minimal changes from the Mk.III, the Mk.VI retained the same HP model number.



In British service the Halifax remained locked in to the standard night bomber and Coastal Command camouflage schemes. Late in the war the Halifax started operating daylight raids, and USAAF-style tail daylight identification bands were adopted. Nose art was the only customisation adopted, and British aircraft almost exclusively kept the nose art to the port side (unfortunately SB "B" side) only.
The Halifax B.VI was supplied to the Free French Air Force, and while retaining the RAF colour scheme, the French applied unit badges and art to both sides of the nose. These aircraft were retained into post-war service.
With the post-war partition of India, several tired Halifaxes already stationed in India passed to the newly formed Royal Pakistan Air Force, and the fleet was supplemented with the purchase of an additional seven Halifaxes.
Although most Met.VI Halifaxes were withdrawn and squadrons disbanded in 1946, some aircraft remained in service, with the last Halifax sortie flown in 1952. Many of these aircraft were painted in a partial Coastal Command white finish.

H.P.61 Halifax VII

Delays with production of the Hercules 100 engine for the Mk.VI, led to an interim Mk.VII model being produced and entering service before the Mk.VI. The MK.VII had the revised fuel system designed for the Mk.VI, with no external difference obvious from the Mk.III. Again it retained the same model number as the Mk.III.



One of the few British aircraft to carry starboard nose art was RCAF "Vicky" of 408 Squadron.
The A.VII was the first model to be fitted with the ventral freight pannier instead of bomb bay doors.

HP's model numbering system now starts to run a little out of sequence.
With the war drawing to a close, HP started working on transport and advanced variations of the Halifax and allocating them model numbers, before coming back to the "bread and butter" of updates to the basic Halifax. With the long gestation time of new designs, versus the short time required to get relatively minor modifications flying, HP models in the H.P.60's and H.P.70's series started to fly in a chronology that didn't match their model number.

H.P.70 Halifax Mk.VIII



HP had been wanting to build a dedicated transport variant of the Halifax since enquiries from British Airways for a civil H.P.57 in 1938. HP started working on a design in 1942 as an extension of the B.II (special). Initial work led to the H.P.64, but as this was such a major redesign that less radical proposals were also submitted. These became the "Transport A" - a stripped down freighter conversion of the Halifax, the "Transport B" - an unarmed production Halifax freighter with pannier, and the "Transport C" - a new design transport and airliner. The Transport A was introduced as the C.III, while a development of the B.VI became the pure transport C.VIII
The Mk.VIII was produced solely as a transport, with the standard glazed nose, but no armaments. The tail turret was removed and the ventral pannier a standard fitting. As a transport the C.VIII finally allowed a Halifax to be operated in RAF day camouflage. The C.VIII only first flew in June 1945, and remained in RAF service only until 1948.

These Handley Page aircraft are great. I do not
remember ever seeing so many in chronological
order in books. It really shows how early models
led to the style of the later versions. Many thanks.