Hawker Hind

The British Hawker Hind was a Royal Air Force light bomber of the inter-war years produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was developed from the Hawker Hart day-bomber introduced in 1931.

Design and development
An improved Hawker Hart bomber defined by Specification G.7/34, was purchased by RAF as interim aircraft while more modern monoplane bombers such as the Fairey Battle were still in development. Structural elements were a mixture of steel and duralumin with the wings being fabric covered while the main differences compared to the earlier Hart was a new powerplant, (the Rolls Royce Kestrel V) and the inclusion of refinements from the earlier derivatives such as the cut-down rear cockpit developed for the Demon. The prototype (Serial number K2915) was constructed very rapidly due to Hawker's development work for other proposals, and made its first flight on September 12, 1934. A variety of changes were subsequently incorporated ("ram's horn" exhaust manifolds, Fairey-Reed metal propeller and engine improvements) with the first production Hind (K4636) flown on 4 September 1935.

Operational history
The Hind went into service in November 1935 and eventually equipped 20 RAF bomber squadrons. A number were also sold to foreign customers including Afghanistan, the Republic of Ireland, Latvia, Persia (Iran), Portugal, South Africa, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. By 1937, the Hind was being phased out of front line service, replaced by the Fairey Battle and Bristol Blenheim, and with many of the Auxiliary Air Force squadrons changing role to fighter or maritime patrol units. At the outbreak of the Second World War 613 Squadron retained the Hind in the Army co-operation role before re-equipping with the Hart derivative, the Hawker Hector, in November 1939. The Hind found a new career in 1938 as a training aircraft, representing the next step up from basic training on Tiger Moths. It continued in use as an intermediate trainer during the Second World War. Hind trainers were also operated by Canada and New Zealand.

In 1941, Hinds flew combat missions in their original role as light bombers against Axis forces - South African Hinds were employed against Italian forces in Kenya, during the East African Campaign and Yugoslav Hinds were used against the Germans and Italians

Iranian Hinds were used briefly against Allied forces during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran. The Imperial Iranian Air Forces's bases were subsequently occupied by the Allies and their aircraft were either destroyed or dismantled by the invading British.

Variants

 * Hind Mk I
 * Two-seat light bomber aircraft for the RAF, powered by a 477 kW (640 hp) Rolls-Royce Kestrel piston engine.


 * Afghan Hind
 * Similar to the Hind Mk I, four aircraft fitted with Rolls-Royce Kestrel V engines, plus another four aircraft fitted with Kestrel UDR engines; eight built for Afghanistan.


 * Latvian Hind
 * Two-seat training aircraft, powered by a Bristol Mercury IX radial piston engine; three built for Latvia.


 * Persian Hind
 * Modified version of the Hind Mk I, powered by a Bristol Mercury VIII radial piston engine; 35 built for Persia.


 * Portuguese Hind
 * Similar to the Hind Mk I, two aircraft built as bombers, two aircraft built as trainers; four built for Portugal.


 * Swiss Hind
 * Two-seat unarmed communications aircraft; one built for Switzerland.


 * Yugoslav Hind
 * Modified version of the Hind Mk I, two aircraft fitted with Rolls-Royce Kestrel XVI piston engines, one aircraft fitted with a Gnome-Rhone Mistral engine; three built for Yugoslavia.

Operators

 * 🇦🇫 Afghanistan
 * Afghan Air Force acquired 28 aircraft in 1938, the final example retiring in 1957.
 * 🇨🇦 Canada
 * Royal Canadian Air Force
 * 🇮🇷 iran
 * Imperial Iranian Air Force
 * Irish Air Corps
 * Latvian Air Force
 * Royal New Zealand Air Force acquired 78 aircraft of which 63 entered service, primarily as trainers 1940-1943. The other 15 were lost to enemy action in transit.
 * No. 3 F.T.S. Ohakea RNZAF
 * No. 6 Squadron RNZAF
 * No. 20 Squadron RNZAF
 * No. 21 Squadron RNZAF
 * No. 22 Squadron RNZAF
 * Portugal Air Force
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * South African Air Force
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * 🇿🇦 South Africa
 * South African Air Force
 * Swiss Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * Royal Air Force
 * Royal Air Force


 * No. 12 Squadron RAF
 * No. 15 Squadron RAF
 * No. 18 Squadron RAF
 * No. 21 Squadron RAF
 * No. 24 Squadron RAF
 * No. 34 Squadron RAF
 * No. 40 Squadron RAF
 * No. 44 Squadron RAF
 * No. 49 Squadron RAF
 * No. 50 Squadron RAF
 * No. 52 Squadron RAF
 * No. 57 Squadron RAF
 * No. 62 Squadron RAF
 * No. 63 Squadron RAF
 * No. 64 Squadron RAF
 * No. 82 Squadron RAF
 * No. 83 Squadron RAF
 * No. 88 Squadron RAF
 * No. 90 Squadron RAF
 * No. 98 Squadron RAF


 * No. 103 Squadron RAF
 * No. 104 Squadron RAF
 * No. 106 Squadron RAF
 * No. 107 Squadron RAF
 * No. 108 Squadron RAF
 * No. 110 Squadron RAF
 * No. 113 Squadron RAF
 * No. 114 Squadron RAF
 * No. 139 Squadron RAF
 * No. 142 Squadron RAF
 * No. 185 Squadron RAF
 * No. 211 Squadron RAF
 * No. 218 Squadron RAF
 * No. 267 Squadron RAF


 * No. 500 Squadron RAF
 * No. 501 Squadron RAF
 * No. 502 Squadron RAF
 * No. 503 Squadron RAF
 * No. 504 Squadron RAF
 * No. 602 Squadron RAF
 * No. 603 Squadron RAF
 * No. 605 Squadron RAF
 * No. 609 Squadron RAF
 * No. 610 Squadron RAF
 * No. 611 Squadron RAF
 * No. 613 Squadron RAF
 * No. 614 Squadron RAF
 * No. 616 Squadron RAF


 * undefined
 * Royal Yugoslav Air Force

Survivors
An airworthy ex-Afghan Hind flies with the Shuttleworth Collection. Others are on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon and the Canada Aviation Museum. Several former Royal New Zealand Air Force Hinds are being restored/reconstructed by the Subritzky family / The Classic Aircraft Collection at Dairy Flat near Auckland, of which at least NZ1517/K6687, and NZ1535/K6721 are under restoration to airworthy condition; substantial parts are also held for NZ1518/K6717, NZ1528/L7184, NZ1544/K6810 and NZ1554/K5465. Another former RNZAF Hind is being restored for static display at MoTaT. The remains of other Hinds were recently located in Afghanistan.