Hawker Hedgehog Amphibian
- Thread starter Maveric
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Just beat me to it!....... 
From Putnam's 'Hawker' :-
Designed to specification 37/22 and appearing in 1924 the Hawker Hedgehog was a 3-seat
fleet reconnaissance aircraft of fabric covered wooden construction. Engine was a Bristol
Jupiter IV radial. A novel feature on the aircraft was landing flaps on all four wings, along
with drooping ailerons.
In September 1924, the Hedgehog went to Martlesham Heath for Service Trials, which were
successful. However, the Air Ministry decided that it's performance was not sufficiently advanced
over the aircraft currently in service, and the requirement was cancelled. However, the aircraft
was purchased, and returned to Martlesham Heath for further trials with the drooping ailerons.
The aircraft's serial was N187.
"During June 1925 floats were substituted for the wheel undercarriage and N187 spent a short
period at Felixstowe (the Marine Aircraft Establishment, MAE). While at the MAE an amphibian
undercarriage was incorporated, and is believed that it was during tests on this that the
aircraft was wrecked and subsequently written off."
Span 40' 0 1/2", Length 30' 8 3/4", Height 12' 6", Wing area 480.7 sq ft.
cheers,
Robin.
From Putnam's 'Hawker' :-
Designed to specification 37/22 and appearing in 1924 the Hawker Hedgehog was a 3-seat
fleet reconnaissance aircraft of fabric covered wooden construction. Engine was a Bristol
Jupiter IV radial. A novel feature on the aircraft was landing flaps on all four wings, along
with drooping ailerons.
In September 1924, the Hedgehog went to Martlesham Heath for Service Trials, which were
successful. However, the Air Ministry decided that it's performance was not sufficiently advanced
over the aircraft currently in service, and the requirement was cancelled. However, the aircraft
was purchased, and returned to Martlesham Heath for further trials with the drooping ailerons.
The aircraft's serial was N187.
"During June 1925 floats were substituted for the wheel undercarriage and N187 spent a short
period at Felixstowe (the Marine Aircraft Establishment, MAE). While at the MAE an amphibian
undercarriage was incorporated, and is believed that it was during tests on this that the
aircraft was wrecked and subsequently written off."
Span 40' 0 1/2", Length 30' 8 3/4", Height 12' 6", Wing area 480.7 sq ft.
cheers,
Robin.
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Further to the above Hawker Aircraft Putnams entry, I also add this from the Putnams British Flight Testing 1920-1939.
"The Hedgehog was apparently privately produced as it was unmarked for its initial trials in September 1924 a year ahead of its rivals (Blackburn Airedale, Fairey Ferret) (my parentheses). The 1924 tests on the Hedgehog were favourably reported -'a nice kite', but performance was not much better than the Blackburn. In 1925 N187 returned to Martlesham with drooping ailerons among other changes, and although no report was written on these later trials one pilot commented 'damn bad'.
In this publication a picture of the Hedgehog with its original wheeled undercarriage is present, although I cannot unfortunately scan at the moment.
"The Hedgehog was apparently privately produced as it was unmarked for its initial trials in September 1924 a year ahead of its rivals (Blackburn Airedale, Fairey Ferret) (my parentheses). The 1924 tests on the Hedgehog were favourably reported -'a nice kite', but performance was not much better than the Blackburn. In 1925 N187 returned to Martlesham with drooping ailerons among other changes, and although no report was written on these later trials one pilot commented 'damn bad'.
In this publication a picture of the Hedgehog with its original wheeled undercarriage is present, although I cannot unfortunately scan at the moment.
- Joined
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- Messages
- 546
- Reaction score
- 1,074
Further to the above text, I was reading through the text on the Hedgehog on the BAe Systems Website. According to that website it differs from the Putnam text which stated that the aircraft was wrecked whilst with MAE t Felixstowe. According to BAe sources, which as a successor to the manufacturer could be thought to be more accurate, it states that the aircraft returned to landplane configuration after its tests with MAE. It then was used in deck landing trials on HMS Argus in September 1925. At the end of these trials it was fitted with a Jupiter VI radial of 450hp, and was renamed the Hedgehog II. By December 1926 it was back at Martlesham until moving onto the RAE at Farnborough in the Spring of 1927. It was known to have suffered a nose tipping incident on the 9th May 1927, and it is possible that this was the cause of the aircraft's demise, although no definite date of write off for the airframe is available.
