The photo is the prototype K8309, probably at Brooklands. The rear crew trapezoidal access door may be seen below the turret.
The Hotspur was a single engine, low wing aircraft monoplane, designed as a two, pilot and gunner, crew fighter to F.9/35. It used Hurricane wings (without the machine guns) and tail assembly. It had all metal structure wings with fabric covering and of a thickness to chord ratio of about 18.5% at the root tapering to about 13% at the tip. Its fuselage, using the same construction principles as the Hurricane. The designed armament was a semi power (traverse) gun turret with 4 x 0.303 inch Browning machine guns, mounted behind the pilot, and a forward firing 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun in the forward fuselage. The propeller and engine and radiator installation were the same as the Henley.
K8309, the only Hotspur, first flew from Brooklands on 14 June 1938. It was fitted with a wooden mock-up of the gun turret and ballasted to the full weight of the a Boulton-Paul turret, guns and ammunition. Development as a fighter was discontinued.
The gun turret was replaced by a glazed rear cockpit for an observer and the aircraft was used by RAE Farnborough for flap and dive break testing. It may have been fitted with all metal wings. On 12 February 1942, its pilot made a forced landing at Yateley Common, Hampshire and it was presumably scrapped.
There was only one prototype Hotspur and it did not enter into production.
The Henley did not enter into Service use.
The wings were originally fabric covered but the drawings on the left do not show this. It may have been fitted later with all metal wings. The upper drawing on the right shows the aircraft with the modified rear cockpit configuration of the RAE Farnborough flying period. The lower drawing at the right shows the original configuation with the gun turret.
The following performance figures relate to the original configuration with the mock-up gun turret.
| Mark | Prototype | |
Engine |
Merlin II | |
Span ft:in |
40:6 | |
| Weights lb Empty Normal Loaded Maximum Loaded |
| |
| Speed mph at Sea Level Speed mph at Altitude : kft |
- | |
| Altitude Performance Initial climb : fpm Minutes to kft Service Ceiling kft (100 fpm) |
| |
| Range miles With __ gal internal fuel |
| |
| Armament | As designed, 4 x 0.303 inch Browning machine guns, with ___ rpg in Boulton-Paul gun turret and 1 forward firing 0.303 inch Vickers machine gun, with ___ rounds in forward fuselage. |
As far as I am aware, the only Hotspur no longer survives.
This may be obtained from several dedicated Web Sites including:
1) Hawker Hotspur Wikipedia
The following publication also contain information:
1) Hawker Aircraft since 1920, Francis K. Mason, Putnam, 1961, 1971 and 1991, ISBN 1 85177 839 9
By Tim Hammond May 2010, Revised and Index added August 2010.
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