| Dantorp | |
|---|---|
 The second Hawker Dantorp at Felixstowe, November 1932 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Torpedo bomber |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft |
| Primary user | Royal Danish Navy |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | 1933 |
| First flight | 19 September1932 |
| Retired | 1940 |
TheHawker Dantorp H.B. III was a Danish single-enginedbiplanebomber of the 1930s. The aircraft was a development of the BritishHawker Horsley designed for theDanish Navy, but differed in being powered by aradial engine and having a third crew member. Two examples were built in Britain as a precursor to licensed production in Denmark. Financial constraints meant this was not realised and the Hawker-built examples were the only aircraft produced. They served until theGerman invasion of Denmark in 1940.
The Hawker Dantorp was derived from the successfulHawker Horsley.[1] Originally designed to meetAir Ministry Specification 26/23 for a day bomber powered by a singleRolls-Royce Condor liquid-cooled engine, the Horsley entered service with theRoyal Air Force in September 1927.[2]
One example of the Horsley, serial number J8620, was equipped with anArmstrong Siddeley Leopard 14-cylinder twin-row air-cooled radial engine.[3] The Leopard was the most powerful radial engine in the world at the time and in consequence promised much better performance.[4] Meanwhile, another Horsley, J8612, had been equipped with floats and demonstrated that the aircraft could be operated from the water.[5] TheDanish Navy showed interest in these developments and, in 1930, ordered an aircraft type based on the design of the Horsley but equipped with the new engine and able to operate as a floatplane.[6] The aircraft was to be known as the Dantorp and was given the service number H.B.III.[7]
The Dantorp was a large single-engined two-baybiplane of composite wood and metal construction. Unlike the two seat Horsley, it had a crew of three, with an additional crew position between the pilot and observer/gunner.[8] The aircraft mounted a forward-facing .303 in (7.7 mm)Vickers machine gun, a .303 in (7.7 mm)Lewis gun in aScarff ring and could carry eight 50 kg (110 lb) bombs, two 551 kg (1,215 lb) bombs, one 1,500 lb (680 kg) bomb or a torpedo weighing 2,800 lb (1,300 kg).[9]
The aircraft was equipped to operate using interchangeable wheeled undercarriage and floats. The floats were designed as separate structures to allow for the carriage of a torpedo under the fuselage.[5]
The first Dantorp, serial number 201, was first flown on 19 September 1932, equipped with a wheeled undercarriage.[8] The second, 202, followed shortly afterwards and was first tested with floats in November 1932. The aircraft were flown extensively in Denmark from 1933, but it took until 1935 for there to be good results from launching torpedoes.[7] They were also tested as catapult-launched floatplanes for operations off warships.[6] However, these trials did not lead to the adoption of the tactic by the Navy. The aircraft continued to be flown for the rest of the decade and both aircraft were operational when Germany invaded Denmark in 1940 although their subsequent history is unknown.[10]
The Danish Navy purchased a licence to build a further ten aircraft at the Danish Naval Workshops (Orlogsvaerftet), but a shortage of funds meant that the licence was not taken up and no further aircraft were produced.[7]
Data from Hawker Aircraft since 1920[11]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)