Hawker Hoopoe

1928

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Hawker Hoopoe

H G Hawker Engineering's first essay into the realm of the single-seat shipboard fighter, the Hoopoe, was built as a private venture and was flown for the first time in 1928. Intended for operation with either wheels or floats, the Hoopoe was a two-bay staggered all-metal biplane powered by a 450hp Bristol Mercury II ninecylinder radial. Found to be seriously underpowered when first tested as a float fighter in 1929, the Hoopoe prototype was re-engined with a 520hp Mercury VI. Subsequently returned to the manufacturer after official handling trials at Felixstowe, the Hoopoe was fitted with a new single-bay wing cellule, a 400hp 14- cylinder two-row Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar V engine, and reverted to a wheel undercarriage for a further service assessment at Martlesham Heath. Various structural refinements were introduced and the Hoopoe was once again re-engined, this time with a 560hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther III. The prototype of the Nimrod fleet fighter had meanwhile commenced flight test, however, and thus interest in the Hoopoe had become no more than academic by mid-1930. The following data relate to the Hoopoe in its final form with Panther III engine.

3-View 
Hawker Hoopoe IIA three-view drawing of Hawker Hoopoe II (1274 x 1146)

Specification 
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight1761 kg3882 lb
  Empty weight1270 kg2800 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan10.11 m33 ft 2 in
  Length7.47 m25 ft 6 in
  Wing area26.80 m2288.47 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed315 km/h196 mph

Comments
Klaatu83, e-mail, 08.04.2015 19:29

This looks like a radial-engine version of the Hawker Fury. The radial engine spoiled the Fury's beautiful appearance, and probably added considerable drag as well. The engine in the illustrations is probably the A-S Panther.

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