Hawker Woodcock

Hawker Woodcock

Country: UK

Type: Fighter

Manufacturer: Hawker

Service: 1924 - 1928

First Flight: March 1923

Production: 64

The Hawker Woodcock was a British single-seat fighter built by the Hawker Engineering Company as the first fighter to be produced by Hawker Engineering (the successor to Sopwith Aviation). It was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a night fighter in the 1920s.

The first orders for the Woodcock were placed at the end of 1924, entering service in May 1925. A total of 64 aircraft were built. This includes the two prototypes and one aircraft used for demonstration purposes. It was replaced by the Gloster Gamecock in 1928. However some Woodcocks were still flying in 1936.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ( Woodcock Mk II)

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 25 ft 7 in (7.80 m)
Wingspan: 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m)
Height: 9 ft (2.74 m)
Wing area: 356 ft (33.1 m)
Empty weight: 2,014 lb (915 kg)
Loaded weight: 2,979 lb (1,354 kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Bristol Jupiter IV 9-cylinder radial engine, 425 hp (317 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 123 knots (141 mph, 227 km/h)
Range: 243 nm (280 mi, 451 km)
Service ceiling 20,550 ft (6,270 m)
Wing loading: 8.37 lb/ft (40.9 kg/m)
Power/mass: 0.143 hp/lb (0.234 kW/kg)
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 8 min 20 secs

Armament

2 x .303 in Vickers machine guns on sides of fuselage.