| Hedgehog | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Naval reconnaissance |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft |
| Status | Prototype |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1924 |
TheHawker Hedgehog was a three-seatreconnaissancebiplane, to be used for naval scouting, produced to meetAir Ministry Specification 37/22.
It was designed in 1923, and had its first flight the next year, piloted byF. P. Raynham.The crew consisted of the pilot, an observer and an air gunner. Its construction was typical of the period: a wooden structure covered with fabric. The powerplant was a nine-cylinderBristol Jupiter IV radial engine driving a two-bladed wooden propeller.
While testing was successful, on completion of the flight tests, the project was cancelled. This was due to the Hedgehog's performance not being sufficiently better than the existing aircraft used for naval reconnaissance, theAvro Bison andBlackburn Blackburn. Consequently, only one prototype was built. The armament of the aircraft was one fixed forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm)Vickers gun and one .303 in (7.7 mm)Lewis gun on aScarff ring in the rear cockpit. The aircraft was fitted with floats that contained wheels to enable use as anamphibian. The wings could be folded, so that the width was reduced to 16 ft 7½ in (4.87 m) for storage.
Data from Hawker Aircraft since 1920[1]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
