The Handley Page Hastings was designed as a long range transport and served in this capacity with both the RAF and the RNZAF from late 1948. It is of note that many Handley Page Hastings took part in the Berlin Airlift and in fact was destined to make the last operational flight of the airlift on the 6th October 1949. The RAF retired it's Handley Page Hastings C1 "tail dragger" transports in favour of newer designs like the C130 Hercules in the late 1960's. Eight of the surviving 151 Hastings originally produced were modified to a T.5 specification with a large ventral radome being fitted under the fuselage and operated by the RAF Bombing School Radar Flight OTU to train it's Vickers Valiant, Handley Page Victor and Avro Vulcan nuclear "V" bomber crews in radar bombing navigation, the last four aircraft being finally retired from the school in June 1977. Hastings T.5 Specifications: Crew: Five plus trainees
Length: 81 ft 3 in (24.8 m)
Wingspan: 113 ft 0 in (34.5 m)
Height: 22 ft 6 in (6.9 m)
Empty weight: 41,689 lb (18,910 kg)
Loaded weight: 75,000 lb (34,010 kg)
Engines: Four 1,675 hp (1,250 kW) Bristol Hercules 101 radial piston engines
Maximum speed: 343 mph (552 km/h) at 21,500 ft (6,550 m)
Range: 2,850 mi (4,590 km)
Service ceiling: 26,700 ft (8,140 m) |
