Question about the Hawker Hotspur

[tomo pauk]

(with my appologies - Hotspur actually flew)

Question is about the size of the wing.
Layout of the undercarriage, as well as a good look strongly suggest that wing was what Hurricane had, not the big wing carried-over from the Henley. Speed figure from Wikipedia puts it in Hurricane category (despite the turret mock-up), ie. ~20 mph faster than Henley.
Wikipedia states:
The Hawker Hotspur was a Hawker Henley redesigned to take a Boulton-Paul semi-powered four gun turret.
and:
In the same fashion as the Henley, the Hotspur used standard Hawker Hurricane outer wing panels.

Granted, Wikipedia lists the 40-50 years old sources for this.

If someone has better information, I'd thank in advance

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 1991.

 

[tomo pauk]

From Aeroplane monthly 1991.

Thank you

Some other questions pop up now - speed of under 300 mph were recorded during the 'brief performance trials', when it caried the mock-up turret and ballast, that was 20 mph better than Defiant?? The article notes 316 mph, however - as good as the more slender and turret-less Hurricane.

Is there a convenient was of contacting Tony Buttler, perhaps he can shed some lights on this topic?

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 1991.

Thank you

Some other questions pop up now - speed of under 300 mph were recorded during the 'brief performance trials', when it caried the mock-up turret and ballast, that was 20 mph better than Defiant?? The article notes 316 mph, however - as good as the more slender and turret-less Hurricane.

Is there a convenient was of contacting Tony Buttler, perhaps he can shed some lights on this topic?

I think my dear Tony always watchs us,and if he has something new,he will respond.

 

[tomo pauk]

I think my dear Tony always watchs us,and if he has something new,he will respond.

<fingers crossed>

 

[Nik]

Was the '316 mph indicated' in a dive ??

Unless it was compared to a 'test' Hurricane with under-rated engine and pilot warily exploring envelope......

FWIW, there was an 'urban legend' that some early 'Hurricane' performance figures were deliberately munged to 'poison' a suspected 'leak' via not-so-neutral Neutrals...

 

[tomo pauk]

Was the '316 mph indicated' in a dive ??

I don't know.
Data sheets, however, note the true air speed (TAS) in the level flight, not the indicated air speed (IAS), let alone in dive. IAS is always lower than the TAS once the aircraft is a tad over the sea level, the difference increases with altitude. OTOH, max dive speeds are greater than max level speeds...
IMO, the actual speed - achieved in test, not just manufacturer estimate - of the Hotspur is yet to be unearthed (probably same is true for Henley).
For what is worth, the often quoted 286 mph max speed for Blenheim I was not achieved in real tests even after the turret and the wing gun were removed, the nose job was done, filling and smoothing the joints; all of this was a result of trying to make Blenheim a fast recon bird.

Unless it was compared to a 'test' Hurricane with under-rated engine and pilot warily exploring envelope......

I was comparing the speed figures of the two. Data sheet for Hurricane I, 316 mph.
Hotspur did have a bit a wider fuselage (for greater drag), however the radiator was probably better than what Hurricane had.