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HANDLEY PAGE HAMPDEN

    The Hampden was a truly outstanding aircraft that was one of the last bombers to enter RAF service before the outbreak of WWII. This aircraft was so fast and manoeuverable that the makers dubbed it "a fighting bomber" and gave the pilot a fixed gun to fire. The three movable guns were considered sufficient without the weight penalties of heavy turrets. Nearly the equal of the larger Whitley and Wellington in regards to range and payload, it was nearly as fast as the Blenheim and carried twice the load twice as far.

    The Hampden was a pleasant aircraft to fly and thanks to flapped and slatted wings had a relatively slow landing speed of 73 mph. One of the only drawbacks of the type was the relatively cramped crew positions which led the air crews to dub it "the flying suitcase". The Hereford was an attempt to improve the performance of the Hampden and 100 were built by Shorts Brothers but never became operational. These were later converted to the Hampden standard.

    Initially used in daylight raids against German targets, the Hampden suffered heavily when faced with single-engined fighters despite it's performance. The type was withdrawn from operations and refitted with heavier armament and armor. This refitted type resumed operations but was limited to night bombing missions though some were used in minelaying roles as well as a torpedo bomber over the North Sea.

- Specifications

Sources:
Gunston, Bill - The Encyclodepia of the Worlds Combat aircraft, 1976, Chartwell Books, Inc., New York
BRITISH AVIATION RESOURCE CENTER > BOMBERS > HAMPDEN > PREVIOUS PAGE