HS 748

HS 748
Name	Handley Page HS 748
Caption	Handley Page HS 748 in service
Type	Regional airliner / transport
Manufacturer	Handley Page
First flight	24 June 1960
Introduced	1963
Status	Retired / limited service

HS 748 The HS 748 is a British twin-engined turboprop regional airliner and transport developed by Handley Page during the late 1950s and early 1960s for short-haul services alongside types such as the Fokker F27 Friendship, Avro 748 concept and competing with the Douglas DC-3 heritage. It served civil and military customers including British European Airways, Indian Air Force, Royal Air Force, and operators across Africa, Asia, and South America, providing rugged performance on unprepared fields, comparable to the Nord 262 and Antonov An-24.

Development

The programme originated at Handley Page following studies influenced by requirements from British European Airways and export prospects to India and Australia, aiming to replace piston airliners like the Vickers Viking and meet orders alongside the Fokker F27 Friendship. Early design work involved collaboration with suppliers such as Rolls-Royce and De Havilland, using turboprop powerplants related to the Rolls-Royce Dart family and lessons from the Handley Page Hermes. Prototypes conducted maiden flights and flight testing against competitors like the Vickers Viscount and Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Trident to secure orders from carriers including Cambrian Airways and military procurement agencies such as the Royal Air Force.

Design

The aircraft featured a high-mounted wing, robust landing gear and a fuselage cross-section optimized for up to 58 passengers, tailored for regional networks like those of British European Airways, Airwork and Ansett-ANA. Powerplants were turboprops supplied by companies including Rolls-Royce and incorporated propellers from Hamilton Standard and Dowty Rotol, enabling operations from short runways used by carriers such as Aer Lingus. Systems and avionics drew on suppliers linked to programmes like the De Havilland Comet and Hawker Siddeley HS 748 design lineage emphasized maintainability for operators such as Air India and Royal Australian Air Force.

Operational history

The type entered service with British European Airways and saw extensive use by regional airlines including East African Airways, Nigeria Airways, and Pakistan International Airlines, as well as military users like the Indian Air Force and Royal Air Force for transport, calibration and surveillance missions. Deployments included operations in remote areas of Papua New Guinea, Kenya, and Peru where counterparts like the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter and Antonov An-12 were also active. The HS 748 proved capable in freight, passenger and special mission roles, sometimes being converted for tasks similar to conversions on the Fokker F27 Friendship and Lockheed C-130 Hercules in terms of robustness and field performance.

Variants

Numerous marks and conversions paralleled variants from manufacturers like Fokker and De Havilland. Military transport and maritime patrol versions paralleled roles fulfilled by the Avro Shackleton and Fairey Gannet. Civil passenger variants were adapted for cargo operations akin to modifications made on the Douglas DC-3 and Britten-Norman Islander, while indigenous conversions in countries such as India and Australia produced localised freighter and aerial survey configurations.

Operators

Major civil operators included British European Airways, Aerolineas Argentinas, Ansett-ANA, Aer Lingus, Air India, Pakistan International Airlines, East African Airways, Nigeria Airways, and regional carriers across Africa, Asia, Oceania, and South America. Military and government operators included the Royal Air Force, Indian Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal New Zealand Air Force, and coastguard or calibration units in nations such as Peru and Kenya.

Accidents and incidents

Several hull losses and accidents involved operators including British European Airways, Air India, and various African and Asian carriers, occurring in contexts similar to incidents involving types such as the Fokker F27 Friendship and Antonov An-24. Causes ranged from controlled flight into terrain, icing and weather-related events comparable to accidents seen by the De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, to runway excursions in remote airfields used by carriers like Airwork.

Specifications

General configuration: twin turboprop, high wing, twin-engine layout with capacity comparable to the Fokker F27 Friendship family; typical seating 40–58 depending on layout like some Vickers Viscount installations. Powerplant options included versions of the Rolls-Royce Dart series driving two three- or four-bladed propellers from manufacturers such as Hamilton Standard and Dowty Rotol. Performance parameters and dimensions were tailored for short-field operations as required by operators including British European Airways and Ansett-ANA.

Category:1960s British airliners Category:Handley Page aircraft