Hawker Tomtit
The Hawker Tomtit was designed by Sydney Camm to meet an Air Ministry specification for a new generation of training/communications aircraft to supersede the long serving Avro 504 series of trainers in RAF service.
About 40 Hawker Tomtits were delivered to the RAF in 1930 and served with the Central Flying School and No 3 Flying Training School, with other aircraft going to Technical Training Stations.
By 1932 all the Tomtit trainers were withdrawn from training programmes in favour of the Avro Tutor and distributed to various units for use as communication aircraft.
About this aircraft
This aeroplane was the last Tomtit to be built and is the sole surviving example. It was flown as a ‘hack’ during WWII by Alex Henshaw of pre-war Mew Gull fame.
By 1949 it was owned by Neville Duke who displayed it regularly until he sold it to Hawker Aircraft in 1951. They presented it to the Shuttleworth Collection in 1956 and it returned to Hawker-Siddeley at Dunsfold in 1967 to be restored to its original service livery.
Specification
| Title | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Two seat biplane |
| Design purpose | Trainer & communications |
| Wingspan | 28ft 6in |
| Overall length | 23ft 8in |
| Weight | 1,100lbs |
| Max speed | 124mph |
| Year | 1931 |
| Manufacturer | Hawker Aircraft Limited |
| Engine | 150hp Armstrong-Siddeley Mongoose IIIc |
| Engine type | 5-cylinder radial |
| Era | Interwar |
| Status | General Collection |
| Registration | G-AFTA |
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