Handley Page Dart Herald

Handley Page Dart Herald
Tim Rees · GFDL 1.2 · source
Name	Handley Page Dart Herald
Role	Regional turboprop airliner
Manufacturer	Handley Page
First flight	1955 (prototype as HP.123), 1958 (Dart Herald)
Introduced	1959
Status	Retired from mainline service
Primary user	Multiple worldwide operators

Handley Page Dart Herald The Handley Page Dart Herald was a British twin-engined turboprop regional airliner developed in the 1950s by Handley Page to serve short-haul routes for carriers such as British European Airways, Austrian Airlines, and various flag carrier and independent regional operators. Conceived amid post‑war expansion at aeronautical firms like de Havilland, Vickers-Armstrongs, and Avro, the type sought to combine the reliability of the Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop with low operating costs and rapid turnaround on regional networks. It entered service during the era of transitional air transport dominated by types such as the Fokker F27 Friendship, Britten-Norman Islander, and Vickers Viscount.

Development

The Herald's genesis traces to design studies at Handley Page and former projects influenced by wartime research at Royal Aircraft Establishment, de Havilland Aircraft Company, and the revived post-war British industry consolidation debates involving The British Aircraft Corporation and Short Brothers. Initial prototypes derived from the company's HP.111/HP.123 concepts, paralleling contemporaneous work at Hawker Siddeley and Fairey Aviation. The move to turboprop power followed developments in the Rolls-Royce Dart and operational experience from airlines including British European Airways and Aer Lingus demonstrating demand for 40–50 seat feeder aircraft on networks linking hubs such as Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, and regional fields. Certification relied on inspections by the CAA and coordination with authorities like the Federal Aviation Administration for potential export markets. Financing and export promotion involved discussions with entities such as the Export Credits Guarantee Department and presentations at airshows including the Farnborough Airshow and Paris Air Show.

Design

The Herald featured a high-mounted straight wing, large rectangular fuselage cross-section, and a pressurised cabin with a single-aisle layout targeting commuter operators such as British European Airways and charter firms like Dan-Air. Structure work reflected techniques from Handley Page Halifax and component metallurgy influenced by suppliers associated with Rolls-Royce and English Electric. Flight controls, avionics and systems drew upon standards used by de Havilland Comet and Vickers Vanguard programmes, while the passenger interior space aimed to compete with the Fokker Friendship by offering rapid boarding and freight conversion options favoured by carriers like Aer Lingus and Sabena. The powerplant choice of Rolls-Royce Dart variants gave the Herald commonality with types operated by British European Airways and regional operators across Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Operational history

The Herald entered service with operators in Europe and later saw export sales to airlines in Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. Early operators included British European Airways, Austrian Airlines, and independents such as Dan-Air, each deploying the type on scheduled services linking secondary airports and larger hubs like Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport. The aircraft participated in fleet patterns similar to those of the Fokker F27 Friendship and Vickers Viscount, adapting to commuter roles, inclusive charters, and niche freight services. Sales and operations intersected with leasing arrangements managed by companies resembling Rolls-Royce finance arms and international brokers at exchanges such as the London Stock Exchange-listed aviation groups. Over time many operators retired the type in favour of jets like the BAC One-Eleven, Fokker F28 Fellowship, and turboprops including newer ATR 42 types, while some aircraft continued in secondary roles with cargo specialists and flying schools influenced by organisations such as Flight International and regional maintenance centres.

Variants

Several production and proposed variants were developed to meet airline needs and export requirements, echoing the proliferation of subtypes seen with the Boeing 737 family and Airbus A320 later. These included versions with different Rolls-Royce Dart engine ratings, seating configurations for 40–50 passengers to align with CAA regulations and airline route planning by carriers like British European Airways and Austrian Airlines, as well as freight conversions mirroring trends with types like the Handley Page Herald (note: variant naming conventions avoided here per sourcing constraints). Proposed stretched or shortened derivatives were studied in the milieu of competing programmes from Fokker, Short Brothers, and Hawker Siddeley but development was constrained by market shifts toward jets and corporate decisions at Handley Page.

Operators

Operators spanned national flag carriers, independents, and charter companies. Notable airlines included British European Airways, Austrian Airlines, Dan-Air, Aer Lingus, and several African carriers patterned after state-owned groups of the era such as Kenya Airways-style organisations and Ethiopian Airlines-like operators. Smaller regional and cargo specialists across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Americas also employed the type, with maintenance and overhauls performed at facilities comparable to BAE Systems-era MRO centres and independent overhaul shops.

Accidents and incidents

As with contemporary types from Fokker and Vickers, the Herald experienced a number of accidents and incidents over its service life, investigated by authorities akin to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and national aviation safety boards. Events prompted airworthiness reviews by regulators and modifications echoing broader industry responses following occurrences involving aircraft like the de Havilland Comet and Vickers Viscount, influencing maintenance practices and operational procedures at airlines such as British European Airways and Dan-Air.

Category:British airliners