Handley Page

Handley Page Limited
Company type	Private (initially public)
Industry	Aerospace manufacturing
Founded	June 17, 1909; 117 years ago
Founder	Frederick Handley Page
Defunct	March 1970
Fate	Voluntary liquidation
Headquarters	Radlett, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Frederick Handley Page (founder)
Products	Heavy bombers, airliners, commuter aircraft

Handley Page Limited was a pioneering British aerospace manufacturer established in 1909 by Frederick Handley Page. It holds the distinction of being the first UK aircraft company to offer shares to the public. Operating from its base at Radlett Aerodrome in Hertfordshire, the firm focused on producing heavy bomber aircraft and large airliner models until it commenced voluntary liquidation in 1970.

History

Frederick Handley Page began designing early biplane and monoplane aircraft at various sites, including Woolwich and Fambridge. The company was officially founded on 17 June 1909, marking the first British enterprise dedicated to aircraft manufacturing with public ownership.

In 1912, Handley Page established a production facility at Cricklewood, having relocated from Barking. Aircraft were assembled there and flown from the nearby Cricklewood Aerodrome, which subsequently served as the base for Handley Page Transport operations. Eventually, the factory was sold to Oswald Stoll and transformed into Cricklewood Studios, which became the largest film studio in Britain.

World War I

Throughout the First World War, Handley Page manufactured heavy bombers for the Royal Navy, targeting German Zeppelin production sites and aiming to retaliate against Zeppelin attacks on London by bombing Berlin. The Admiralty commissioned what was described as a "bloody paralyser of an aeroplane," leading to aircraft such as the O/100 (1915), the O/400 (1918), and the four-engine V/1500, designed with sufficient range to reach Berlin. The V/1500 entered service just as hostilities ceased in 1918.

During this period, women were employed at the Radlett factory, which also received visits from members of the royal family.

Interwar period

In early 1919, a Handley Page V/1500 named Atlantic was dispatched to Newfoundland with the goal of completing the first non-stop Transatlantic flight. However, it was preceded by a Vickers Vimy flown by Alcock and Brown in June of that year. Subsequently, on 9 October 1919, the Atlantic completed a flight into New York City via Canada, carrying the inaugural airmail shipment from Canada to the United States of America.

Following the war, some O/400 bombers were converted for civilian use on the London-Paris route under Handley Page Transport. Although the V/1500 was considered too large for commercial operations at that time, its design influenced the development of the O/400-based W.8, which became their initial purpose-built passenger airliner. This led to a series of two- and three-engine airliners employed by Handley Page Transport and exported internationally, including to Belgium.

In 1924, Handley Page Transport merged with two other carriers to create Imperial Airways, Britain's national airline, which operated several models from the W.8, W.9, and W.10 series. Meanwhile, Handley Page continued producing substantial biplane airliners such as the opulent Handley Page H.P.42, designed for Imperial Airways’ routes to Africa and India.

A notable innovation from Handley Page was the development of leading edge slats—known as the Handley Page Slat—an auxiliary airfoil that enhanced low-speed control and airflow at high angles of attack. This concept was simultaneously developed by German aerodynamicist Gustav Lachmann, who later joined Handley Page. The design generated considerable licensing income during the early 1920s.

By 1929, final assembly operations had shifted from Cricklewood Aerodrome to Radlett Aerodrome. The Cricklewood site was repurposed as Cricklewood Studios, becoming Britain’s largest film studio at that time. Production of aircraft components continued at Cricklewood until 1964 when the facility was sold; today, it is occupied by a Wickes home improvement store.

World War II

As the Second World War loomed, Handley Page introduced the HP.52 Hampden bomber, which took part in Britain's inaugural air raid on Berlin.

In response to a 1936 government specification calling for heavier aircraft with extended range, Handley Page put forward the HP.56, equipped with twin Rolls-Royce Vulture engines. This model was ordered alongside the Avro Manchester. However, due to ongoing difficulties with the Vulture powerplants, the Air Staff decided prior to prototype completion to redesign the HP.56 as a four-engine aircraft, leading to the creation of the HP.57 Halifax. The Halifax became Britain's second most-produced heavy bomber following the Avro Lancaster, which itself evolved from the Manchester into a four-engine design. Despite offering benefits such as improved crew protection, the Halifax struggled at higher altitudes and was subsequently adapted for roles including heavy transport and glider towing, with versions like the HP.70 Halton.

Postwar

Following WWII, the British Government prioritized jet-powered bombers for its nuclear deterrent strategy, collectively known as the V-Bomber fleet. Handley Page contributed with the HP.80 Victor, a four-engine aircraft featuring a crescent-shaped wing that saw extensive service as an aerial refueling tanker well beyond Handley Page’s operational lifespan.

In 1947, Handley Page acquired assets from the bankrupt Miles Aircraft, encompassing designs, tooling, and the Woodley facility near Reading. This acquisition led to establishing Handley Page (Reading) Ltd, responsible for developing significant projects such as the Herald airliner. Aircraft designed at Reading bore the HPR ("Handley Page (Reading)") designation.

Demise

Unlike many other prominent British aerospace firms, Handley Page resisted government initiatives to consolidate into larger conglomerates. By the late 1960s, British aviation was largely dominated by Hawker Siddeley and British Aircraft Corporation.

Failing to secure substantial government contracts or successfully develop large commercial aircraft, Handley Page’s last major design was the Jetstream, a compact turboprop commuter plane featuring a pressurized cabin accommodating 12 to 18 passengers. Primarily aimed at the U.S. regional airline market, it achieved moderate market penetration but arrived too late to halt the company’s decline.

After 61 years of operation, Handley Page entered voluntary liquidation in March 1970. The Jetstream design was subsequently purchased by Scottish Aviation at Prestwick and continued production following Scottish Aviation’s acquisition by British Aerospace in 1977.

Sites

Location of Cricklewood Factory
OS Grid Reference:	Template:Gbmappingsmall
Location of Radlett Aerodrome
OS Grid Reference:	Template:Gbmappingsmall

Radlett Aerodrome was established in 1929 as a grass-surfaced airfield serving Handley Page Civil Aircraft. Its runway was extended in 1939 to accommodate production of Halifax bombers. Prior to its closure, the airfield had two runways:

03/21 approximately
15/33 approximately

Following company closure in the 1970s, most control towers, hangars, and runways were dismantled. The southern boundary is now adjacent to the M25 Motorway, with remaining land owned by Lafarge Aggregates. The original runway surface was removed and replaced with grass; however, its outline remains visible from aerial views.

The aerodrome also appeared in the 1962 motion picture The Iron Maiden.

Naming Conventions

At the outset, Handley Page identified its aircraft models using single letters (A, B, C, and so forth). Starting with the Type E, designations incorporated a letter followed by a slash and a number to denote either horsepower or wingspan—for instance, O/100 indicated a wingspan of 100 feet. By 1923, having cycled through the alphabet, the company began reusing letters, which occasionally led to ambiguity. In 1924, Handley Page adopted a new system employing an HP prefix combined with sequential numbers for each model, retrospectively assigning these numbers to earlier designs (for example, the O/400 was redesignated as HP.16, while the W.8 became HP.18). Projects that were never constructed were excluded from this numbering.

After acquiring Miles Aircraft’s assets, the Reading design office introduced the HPR prefix (signifying Handley Page Reading) followed by numerals for their new developments such as the HPR.1 Marathon.

Initial Letter-Based Designations (before 1924)

Type A – 1909-1910 monoplane nicknamed "Bluebird"
Type B – 1909 biplane
Type C – 1910 monoplane rebuilt from Type A but never flown
Type D – 1911 monoplane known as "Antiseptic"
Type E – 1912 E/50 "Antiseptic" monoplane
Type F – 1912 F/70 military monoplane featuring side-by-side seating
Type G – 1913 G/100 crescent-wing biplane
Type H – 1913 monoplane projects H/70 and H/110 based on Types E and F
Type I – designation unused
Type J – possibly a bomber concept
Type K – 1913 K/35 biplane project; a smaller version of Type G
Type L – 1914 L/200 transatlantic biplane, never took flight; enlarged variant of Type K
Type M – 1914 M/200 coastal defense biplane project; landplane/seaplane derivative of L/200
- Type MS/200 – 1914 seaplane version of M/200
Type N – 1914 N/80 biplane proposal
Type O – 1915-1920 twin-engine bombers O/100 and O/400 plus airliners O/7, O/10, and O/11
Type P – 1916 P/320 biplane (later triplane) shipboard scout design
Type Q – designation unused
Type R – 1917 R/200 reconnaissance-fighter landplane/seaplane for Specification N.2B
Type S – 1917 S/400 flying boat concept derived from O/400
Type T – 1917 T/400 flying boat design; military derivative of O/400
Type T – 1922 Hanley biplane torpedo bomber for aircraft carriers
Type Ta – 1924 Hendon biplane carrier-based torpedo bomber
Type U – designation unused
Type V – V/1500 four-engine heavy bomber introduced in 1918
Type W – W/400 (later W/4), a 1919 airliner derived from O/400 transport models
Type X – X/4, an Airco DH.9A modified with slotted monoplane wings
Type Y – designation unused
Type Z – designation unused

Second Letter-Based Designations (1923)

C/7 Handcross – 1924 biplane day bomber reusing letter C
D/4 – HP.29 biplane transport proposal
D – HP.32 Hamlet model
E – HP.31 Harrow design
F – HP.37 shipboard fighter project meeting Specification O.22/26
H – HP.34 Hare aircraft
M – HP.36 Hinaidi II model

Numerical Identifications (1924-1970)

HP.1 – Type A monoplane design
HP.2 – Type B biplane configuration
HP.3 – Type C monoplane, rebuilt from HP.1; never achieved flight
HP.4 – Type D monoplane model
HP.5 – Type E monoplane variant
HP.6 – Type F monoplane aircraft
HP.7 – Type G biplane iteration
HP.8 – Type L biplane, remained unflown
HP.9 – Project for a Type M coastal defense plane
HP.10 – Scout biplane project, designated Type N
HP.11 – O/100 twin-engine bomber model
HP.12 – O/400 twin-engine bomber design
HP.13 – Shipboard scout project; started as Type P biplane, later converted to triplane
HP.14 – Prototype naval reconnaissance aircraft, Type R
HP.15 – Four-engine bomber known as V/1500 "Super Handley"
HP.16 – W/400 airliner configuration
HP.17 – Airco DH.9 modified with wing slots
HP.18 Hamilton – W/8 airliner model
HP.19 Hanley – Torpedo bomber variant
HP.20 – Airco DH.9A adapted with slotted monoplane wing
HP.21 – Monoplane fighter for US Navy, designated Type S
HP.22 – Single-seat sport monoplane developed for Lympne light aircraft trials
HP.23 – Another single-seat sport monoplane for Lympne competition
HP.24 Hyderabad – Heavy bomber biplane
HP.25 Hendon – Torpedo bomber aircraft
HP.26 Hamilton – W/8 airliner series continuation
HP.27 Hampstead – W/9 airliner model
HP.28 Handcross – Biplane used as day bomber
HP.29 – Transport project based on D/4 biplane design
HP.30 – W/10 airliner type
HP.31 Harrow – Carrier-capable torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft
HP.32 Hamlet – Six-passenger monoplane airliner variant
HP.33 Hinaidi I and Clive I – Heavy bomber and transport types
HP.34 Hare – High-altitude day bomber design
HP.35 Clive II – Heavy bomber model continuation
HP.36 Hinaidi II – Twin-engine bomber aircraft
HP.37 – Shipboard fighter concept developed to Specification O.22/26
HP.38 Heyford – Prototype biplane heavy night bomber series start
HP.39 Gugnunc – Experimental STOL and safety-focused biplane
HP.40 – Biplane seaplane project for Japanese 3MR5 specification
HP.41 – Biplane torpedo bomber proposal to Specification M.5/28; joint effort with Blackburn
HP.42 – Eastern route biplane airliner model
HP.43 – Three-engine biplane bomber-transport designed to Spec C16/28; later rebuilt as HP51
HP.44 Hinaidi III – Twin-engine bomber; proposed upgrade of HP36 with new engines
HP45 – Western route biplane airliner variant
HP46 – Biplane torpedo bomber designed to Specification M1/30
HP47 – General-purpose monoplane created to Specification G4/31
Reserved but unused: HP48, HP49
HP50 Heyford – Production version of the biplane heavy night bomber
HP51 – Prototype monoplane designed as bomber-transport to Specification C26/31
HP52 Hampden I – Medium bomber aircraft
HP53 Hereford – Swedish bomber project resulting in Hereford variant
HP54 Harrow – Bomber-transport model

Twin-engine heavy bomber designs: HP55, HP56 developed to Specifications B1/35 and P13/36

HP57 Halifax Mk.I, 58, 59, 61, 63 series
[[]] 64, 65 variants
[[]] Hastings B.I and BII (66) cancelled at war’s end; Hastings C1 and C2 (67) versions
[[]] Hermes I (68) airliner model
[[]] Hastings BII (69) cancelled in 1944
[[]] Halifax CVIII & Halton (70), Halifax AIX (71) paratroop transport types
[[]] Military transport projects HP72, HP72A (jet bomber leading to Victor), Hastings CIII (73)
[[]] Hermes II (74), Manx tailless research aircraft (75), Manx unarmed jet bomber study (75A)
[[]] Airliners and bombers: HP76-78 turboprop initiatives, Hermes III-V (79-82), Victor series including scale model HP87, research craft HP88
[[]] Hastings VI (89), Hermes IA-VII projects (90-92), Dufaylite wing modification for Miles Messenger (93)
[[]] Hastings VIP and RNZAF transport models (94-95), Victor military and civil projects (96-98), low-level bombers and reconnaissance-bombers (99-100)
[[]] Victor phase 3 and 6 developments (104,114), BLC military transports and missile research studies (105-106), supersonic bombers and transports programs (107-111)
[[]] VTOL "Jumping Jeep" concepts (112,118,120), flying wing airliners and tactical transports projects (113,116-117,122-123)
[[]] Military Herald and Jet Herald feederliners including STOL variants and proposals for Belgium Air Force (124-133)
[[]] Aerobus high-speed airliner and laminar-flow military transport designs (134-135), Jetstream twin-turboprop light transport aircraft (137)

Handley Page (Reading) aircraft designs

HPR.1 Marathon – 1948 transport model derived from the Miles M.60
HPR.1 (II) – 1950 concept for a fundamental trainer variant
HPR.2 Basic Trainer – 1950 trainer developed to meet Specification T.16/48
HPR.3 Herald – 1952 prototype airliner, later upgraded to Dart Herald configuration
HPR.4 Herald – planned production model following the HPR.3 design
HPR.4 (II) – 1953 turboprop adaptation proposal based on the HPR.3
HPR.5 Marathon (I) – 1949 test conversion of the Miles M.69 Marathon II
HPR.5 Marathon (II) – 1953 navigation trainers adapted from Miles M.69 T.II
HPR.6 – 1955 concept for a short-haul, high-capacity airliner
HPR.7 Dart Herald – 1957 turboprop passenger aircraft
HPR.8 – 1959 Dart Herald-based project designed as a car ferry

References

Notes

Bibliography

Barnes, C.H. Handley Page Aircraft since 1907 London, 1987 (2nd Edition, Revised by Derek N James)
Buttler, Tony. British Secret Projects: Fighters & Bombers 1935–1950. Hinckley: Midland Publishing, 2004.

External links