Named after the bird of the same name, the Hoopoe was a private venture design proposal to meet Specification N.21/26 although the aircraft did not follow the specification closely. The Hoopoe was a single-seater biplane with an open cockpit and fixed undercarriage. Floats were also later tested.^[1]

Redesign of the wings changed the layout from a two-bay biplane to a single-bay configuration. Three engine types were fitted during the short trial period, two variants of the Bristol Mercury were later replaced by an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar and Panther with an increase in performance.

Trials at Felixstowe in 1929 with floats fitted showed that the aircraft was severely underpowered with the Mercury powerplant, requiring the change to the Jaguar engine. Service interest in the type had waned by autumn 1930 although the single prototype continued in development flying with Armstrong Siddeley and the Royal Aircraft Establishment until 1932 when the Hoopoe was scrapped.

Data from ^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
• Wingspan: 33 ft 2 in (10.11 m)
• Wing area: 288.5 sq ft (26.80 m²)
• Empty weight: 2,785 lb (1,263 kg)
• Gross weight: 3,910 lb (1,774 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 55 imp gal (66 US gal; 250 L)
• Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Panther III 14-cylinder radial engine, 560 hp (420 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 196.5 mph (316.2 km/h, 170.8 kn) at 12,500 ft (3,800 m)
• Service ceiling: 23,600 ft (7,200 m)
• Time to altitude: 6 min 40 s to 10,000 ft (3,000 m)

Armament

• Guns: 2x 0.303 in (7.7mm) machine guns

Related development

• Hawker Nimrod

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Gloster Gnatsnapper

Notes edit

Bibliography edit

• Flightglobal archive - Hawker Hoopoe, 1931