Shipbucket

H.P.94 Hastings C.4

Following on from the unbuilt Hermes IA, the final Hastings C.2 of the first batch was produced as a VIP passenger transport, as the H.P.94 Hastings IIA.



In 1951 another three were produced, and had now been redesignated as the Hastings C.4. These aircraft were similar in concept to the Hermes airliner, having no cargo door and instead a hydraulic folding entry stairs.

H.P.95 Hermes C.3

Also following on from the Hermes IA demonstrator tour, New Zealand ordered four Hastings C.3's with engines optimized for better take-off rather than long-range cruise. As they were produced after the first VIP transport they were given a later HP model number, but allocated the Mk.3 as the VIP model was only renamed afterwards to become the Mk.4.



New Zealand were the only foreign operator of the Hastings, and the last C.3 was the last Hastings off the production line.

An effective bomber evolved to a very beautiful airliner.

The Hermes, especially the lengthened versions of her, is a beautiful aircraft, but I've always found the Hastings ungainly, due to the conventional landing gear and the wide fuselage. Still, an excellent aircraft.

Great work!

H.P.67 Hastings T.5

Hastings C.1 aircraft were used for trials of the H2S Mk.9 radar, and when completed one aircraft was sent to the Bomber Command Training School for assessment as a replacement for the Avro Lincoln in the role of radar bombsight trainer for V-bomber aircrew. The aircraft was found to be particularly suitable and became the prototype Hastings T.5. Eight aircraft were converted to T.5 standard.



In addition to operating as crew trainers, T.5 aircraft were used for maritime reconnaissance, monitoring Icelandic fishing vessels during the Cod Wars. The last operational Hastings T.5, a veteran of the Cod Wars, is now on static display at Newark Air Museum.

H.P.67 Hastings test aircraft

Outside of squadron service, several Hastings aircraft were used for testing purposes.



To work through the disastrous tailplane problems of the Hermes, the prototype Hastings was used to test various modifications. The engines were experimentally angled up a few degrees, a Gurney flap (without even knowing of its existence) was added to the rudder, and variations tried with recontoured leading edges for the rudder end elevators - all changes invisible at FD scale. Experiments were also tried with anhedral (downsloped) and dihedral (upsloped) horizontal stabilisers. In the end these experiments lead to the extended, lower tailplane of the C.2.
One of the early test aircraft was fitted with Sapphire jet engines. This aircraft was also modified to text the H.P.80 Victor crew escape doors. It is very interesting to think that the prototype H.P.67, as the last gasp of piston engined transports, was being engineered at exactly the same time as the prototype H.P.80 Victor advanced jet bomber.
The C.1 aircraft that was used to revised lowered tailplane subsequently used for the C.2 retained its tail and was subsequently upgraded to C.1A standard, becoming the only aircraft with both the lowered tail and wing tanks. This aircraft was retained for testing, being the first aircraft fitted with an extended radar nose.
Painted in a very garish high visibility scheme, one aircraft was modified for parachute testing at the RAE.
While not converted to become a Met.1, a standard C.1 was used by the Meteorological Research Flight, fitted with a unique underslung weather radar. This aircraft was eventually retired when replaced by the Hercules W.2 "Snoopy".
WD480 was modified to carry a ventral pannier for top secret maritime trials. The pannier included a retractable ASV radome and sonobuoy stowage. Still retaining the now empty pannier this aircraft was used as a camera ship for air-to-air photography at the SBAC Farnborough airshows in the mid-1970's.
Another aircraft fitted with an avionics pod and nose sensor was used for radio and navigation aid testing until the early 1970's.

Great!

Really excellent work!
This must have taken a lot of painstaking research.

I'm always surprised how stumpy the Hastings/Hermes was and yet sometimes in photographs it never looks that fat, I think perhaps the white-top RAF colour scheme helps to break up the bulk of the fuselage on the eye.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

H.P.67 Hastings external loads

No review of the Hastings would be complete without covering its external load carrying capacity.



Continuing the work started with the Halifax and the Universal Freight Container, the external payload container was renamed the Paratechnican, and modified for fitment to the Hastings. The system worked well, until a paratechnicon malfunctioned and damaged the rear of the test Hastings causing the aircraft to crash. The programme was then terminated.
As a separate development, strengthened rails were fitted to the belly of the Hastings to allow the carriage of two jeeps, with the ability to individually paradrop them in flight. This system was used successfully during exercises both in England and the Middle East.