Hawker Duiker

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Duiker
Type reconnaissance
Manufacturer H.G. Hawker Engineering Co. Ltd
Maiden flight July 1923
Number built 1

The Hawker Duiker was an unusual, but unsuccessful aircraft. It was the first design at Hawker under a new chief designer, Captain Thomson, in 1922. Much of the equipment and parts were proprietary and made by another aircraft company, Vickers, which also shared the airfield at Brooklands. The Duiker was a parasol wing monoplane in a period where the biplane held sway.

[edit] design and development

The Duiker was a tender for an Army reconnaissance aircraft to Air Ministry specification 7/22.

The Duiker had an all-wood structure. The wing had a slight sweep-back, which gave rise to instability at all speeds, and even caused the separation of the wing from the rear struts. The fin was rather small and was typical of Sopwith design in shape. An Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine was initially used, but this was later changed for a Bristol Jupiter IV. The first flight took place in July 1923. Only one aircraft was built.

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: one, pilot
  • Length: 31 ft 5 in (9.58 m)
  • Wingspan: 48 ft 5 in (14.76 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 7 in (3.23 m)
  • Empty weight: 3,950 lb (1,792 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 4,700 lb (2,132 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Bristol Jupiter IV 9-cylinder radial engine, 389 hp ()
  • * Designed Maximum Weight: 4,940 lb (2,241 kg)

Performance

Climb: 20 min 25 sec to 10,000 ft


[edit] References