Handley Page Hastings

The Handley Page HP.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and manufactured by aviation company Handley Page for the Royal Air Force. Upon its introduction to service during September 1948, the Hastings was the largest transport plane ever designed for the service.

This is TG511 (T5) on display in the National Cold War Exhibition at the RAF Museum Cosford.

Development of the Hastings had been initiated during the Second World War in response to Air Staff Specification C.3/44, which sought a new large four-engined transport aircraft for the RAF.

The type was rushed into service so that it could participate in the Berlin Airlift.

Here you can see the engines, even if this BMP-1 gets in the way…

Another view of the Hastings with the Dakota in the background.

Hastings continued to be heavily used by RAF up until the late 1960s, the fleet being withdrawn in its entirety during 1977. The type was succeeded by various turboprop-powered designs, including the Bristol Britannia and the American-built Lockheed Hercules.

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