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Handley Page HP.81 Hermes
the similar-looking HP Hastings
Type	Airliner
Manufacturer	Handley Page
Maiden flight	2 December 1945
Primary user	BOAC
Number built	29

The Handley Page HP 81 Hermes was a civilian airliner of similar outward appearance to the military Handley Page Hastings. Unlike the tailwheel Hastings, the Hermes had a nose wheel undercarriage. It was intended to introduce the Hermes before the Hastings, but production was delayed after the prototype HP 68 Hermes I crashed on its maiden flight December 3, 1945. The next variant was the HP 74 Hermes II, which was a prototype with a lengthened fuselage. The production model HP 81 Hermes IV was fitted with 2,100 hp (1,570 kW) Bristol Hercules 763 engines, had a tricycle undercarriage instead of a tail-wheel and could carry up to 82 passengers. 25 of these were built, and they were used by BOAC on routes in West and South Africa.

When Hermes IV were fitted with later Hercules 773 engines, they were called Hermes IVA. Two Hermes V were built with the 2,220 hp Bristol Theseus turboprop engine. In general the Hermes went out of use in the 1960s. The fuselage of a Hermes IV (the former BOAC aircraft G-ALDG named Horsa) is preserved at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

Contents 1 Production 2 Operators 3 Accidents and Incidents 4 Specification (Hermes IV) 5 See also 6 External links

• H.P.68 Hermes I: 1 aircraft.
• H.P.74 Hermes II: 1 aircraft.
• H.P.81 Hermes IV: 25
• H.P.82 Hermes V: 2

All the aircraft were built at Radlett Aerodrome, Hertfordshire, England.

• Air Links.
• Air Safaris.
• Airwork.
• Bahamas Airways.
• BOAC.
• Britavia.
• Falcon Airways.
• Kuwait Airways
• Middle East Airlines
• Royal Radar Establishment (United Kingdom)
• Silver City.
• Skyways.

• 3 December 1945 - Hermes I G-AGSS the prototype Hermes crashed on the first test flight soon after take-off 3 miles from Radlett Aerodrome. The two Handley Page test pilots were killed.

• 4 March 1956 - Hermes IV G-ALDW operated by Skyways Limited was destroyed on the ground by an explosion in the luggage compartment. The aircraft was at Nicosia Airport, Cyprus when an explosion (caused by a time-bomb) occurred 20 minutes before the aircraft was due to depart for the United Kingdom with 68 passengers.^[1]

• 5 November 1956 - Hermes IV G-ALDJ operated by Britavia crashed on night approach to Blackbushe Aerodrome, England. 7 of the 80 occupants died.^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 7
• Capacity: 40 - 82 passengers
• Length: 96 ft 10 in ()
• Wingspan: 113 ft ()
• Height: 30 ft ()
• Wing area: 1,408.0 sq ft ()
• Empty weight: 55,350 lb ()
• Max takeoff weight: 86,000 lb ()
• Powerplant: 4× Bristol Hercules 763 radial, 2,100 hp () each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 350 mph
• Cruise speed: 270 mph (at 20,000 ft)
• Range: 2,000 miles (with 14,125 lb payload) ()
• Service ceiling: 24,500 ft ()
• Rate of climb: 1,030 ft/min ()

Related development

Handley Page Hastings

Designation sequence

H.P.56, 57 - H.P.59 - H.P.61 - HP.62 - H.P.63 - H.P.67 - H.P.68 - H.P.70, 71 - HP.75 - HP.80 - HP.81 - HP.82 - HP.88 -

• Hastings at British Aircraft Directory
• Hermes
• A picture of the Hermes II prototype G-AGUB - (note: picture is mislabelled as an Avro Tudor II)