Matthew Willis, an enthusiast of all things Fairey, delves into the history of the RAF’s first monoplane bomber
Fairey’s new design followed the re-emergence of the night bomber
The Fairey Hendon was conceived when only incremental improvements over World War One bombers were expected, and entered service during a period of runaway technological advancement. It was born at a time when the RAF’s night-bombing force was a niche speciality with just a handful of squadrons, and emerged when the huge RAF strategic bombing fleet was taking shape. It was first sketched out during the ‘Ten-Year Rule’ with no likelihood of conflict with a peer nation on the horizon, and entered production with imminent global war a virtual inevitability. At the outset, it was generations in advance of its competitors, and when it went into front-line service, was already obsolescent.
Relatively little has been written about the Hendon, despite the significant milestone of being the RAF’s first monoplane bomber. Much of what has been committed to print contains significant inaccuracies, and confusion over even seemingly straightforward matters such as the aircraft’s dimensions and crew numbers and roles. Very little was recorded beyond the basics when i…
