Hawker Hind, Old Warden 2007 ©Nigel Key
ROLE
Light Bomber / Trainer.
FIRST FLIGHT
12 September 1934.
The Hawker Hind was developed from the Hawker Hart as a light bomber by Sidney Camm of Hawker Aircraft Limited.
The Hind's structure was manufactured from Steel and Duralumin with the wings covered with doped fabric, and powered by a Rolls Royce Kestrel V engine.
The Hawker Hinds improvement on the Hart were a tail wheel instead of a tail skid, a cutaway rear cockpit for better field of view and an improved exhaust system.
The prototype, K2915, made its first flight on the 12th of September 1934 and with a few modifications the first production Hawker Hind flew on the 4th of September 1935.
PRODUCTION
The Hawker Hind was produced from 1935 to 1938, with 528 built.
ENGINE
Rolls Royce Kestrel V engine, producing 640 hp.
ARMAMENT
1 x Vickers 0.303” machine gun
1 x Lewis 0.303” machine gun
500 lb (227 kg) Bomb load
The Hawker Hind went into service with the RAF in November 1935 and eventually equipped 20 Squadrons.
The Hawker Hind was phased out of front line service by 1937 being replaced by the Fairey Battle and Bristol Blenheim.
At the outbreak of World War II the Hawker Hind was retained in the Army co-operation role with 613 Squadron prior to being replaced by the Hawker Hector in 1939.
The main role of the Hawker Hind during WWII was as an intermediate training aircraft replacing the Tiger Moth.
| Crew - 2 in tandem |
| Wing Type - Bi-plane |
| Length - 29ft 7in (9.05m) |
| Wingspan - 37ft 3in (11.36m) |
| Height - 10ft 7in (3.26m) |
| Empty Weight - 3,251lb (1,474kg) |
| Max. Weight - 5,298lb (2,403kg) |
| Max. Speed - 186 mph (297 km/h) |
| Range - 430 miles (688 km) |
