The Handley Page HP.14, also designated Handley Page R/200 was a prototype
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
naval reconnaissance aircraft of
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, capable of operating from the decks of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
s or as a
floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...
. Only three were built, the
Parnall Panther
The Parnall Panther was a British carrier-based, spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed and developed by Parnall and Sons in the latter years of the First World War, continuing in service until 1926. A total of 150 Panthers were built by ...
being preferred.
Design and development
The R/200 was designed in 1917 to meet an
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
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* Admiralty, Tra ...
requirement for a two-seat reconnaissance fighter capable of operating either as a floatplane or from the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers, the flush deck
''HMS Argus'' and the partly converted cruiser
''HMS Furious''. The R/200 was a small single-bay
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) geared
Hispano-Suiza 8
The Hispano-Suiza 8 is a Internal combustion engine cooling, water-cooled V8 engine, V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914 that went on to become the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers ...
V-8 engine with a frontal radiator. Handley Page received an order for six prototypes in summer 1917.
[Barnes 1976, pp. 117–118.]
The first two prototypes, fitted with floats were flown in December 1917, with the third prototype, fitted with a wheeled undercarriage flying in February 1918. Test results were poorer than the competing
Parnall Panther
The Parnall Panther was a British carrier-based, spotter and reconnaissance aircraft designed and developed by Parnall and Sons in the latter years of the First World War, continuing in service until 1926. A total of 150 Panthers were built by ...
, and as Handley Page was concentrating on production and development of the
O/400 and
V/1500 heavy bombers, the remaining three prototypes, together with a prospective production order for 20 aircraft were cancelled in March 1918.
[Barnes 1976, pp. 120–121.]
Specifications (R/200) (landplane)
See also
References
*Barnes, C. H. ''Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907''. London: Putnam, 1976. .
*Bruce, J.M. ''British Aeroplanes 1914–18''. London:Putnam, 1957.
External links
Handley Page R/200– British Aircraft Directory
{{Handley Page aircraft
1910s British military reconnaissance aircraft
Carrier-based aircraft
Biplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1917