The Handley Page Basic Trainer (H.P.R.2) was a British
training aircraft of the 1940s. It was a single-engine, low-wing
monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes.
A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...
with a fixed
tailwheel undercarriage
Undercarriage is the part of a moving vehicle that is underneath the main body of the vehicle. The term originally applied to this part of a horse-drawn carriage, and usage has since broadened to include:
*The landing gear of an aircraft.
*The ch ...
.
Development
The H.P.R.2 was developed by
Handley Page
Handley Page Limited was a British aerospace manufacturer. Founded by Frederick Handley Page (later Sir Frederick) in 1909, it was the United Kingdom's first publicly traded aircraft manufacturing company. It went into voluntary liquidation a ...
Reading Ltd as a basic trainer in response to
Air Ministry Specification T16/48 for a trainer to replace the ageing
Percival Prentice
The Percival Prentice was a basic trainer of the Royal Air Force in the early postwar period. It is a low-wing monoplane with a fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Front seating was in a side-by-side configuration with a rear seat provided.
Desig ...
.
The Basic Trainer first flew in May 1950. Testing showed it to be a trickier and less forgiving aircraft than the rival Percival P.56. Although Handley Page were confident that the H.P.R.2 could be improved, the
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the Government of the United Kingdom with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964. It was under the political authority of the Secretary of State ...
elected to order the P.56 into production as the
Provost. Two prototypes (WE496 c/n HPR.142 and WE505 c/n HPR.143)
were built and flown but no orders resulted.
Specifications (Basic Trainer)
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
* Barnes, C. H. ''Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907''. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. .
* Bridgman, Leonard. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1951–52''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd, 1951.
* Clayton, Donald C. ''Handley Page, an Aircraft Album''. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. .
External links
{{Handley Page aircraft
1940s British military trainer aircraft
Basic Trainer
A trainer is a class of aircraft designed specifically to facilitate flight training of pilots and aircrews. The use of a dedicated trainer aircraft with additional safety features—such as tandem flight controls, forgiving flight characteristi ...