# Handley Page Manx

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HP.75 Manx Modern radio-controlled model of the Manx General information Type Experimental National origin United Kingdom Manufacturer Handley Page Designer Gustav Lachmann Number built 1 History First flight 11 June 1943

The **Handley Page HP. 75 Manx** was a British [experimental aircraft](/source/Experimental_aircraft) designed by [Handley Page](/source/Handley_Page) that flew test flights in the early 1940s for possible transport, bomber and fighter aircraft projects. It was notable for its unconventional design characteristics, being a twin-engine [tailless design](/source/Tailless_aircraft) of [pusher configuration](/source/Pusher_configuration).

## Design and development

The Manx (named after a well-known breed of [stub-tailed housecat](/source/Manx_(cat)))[1] was built to participate in a flight research program investigating problems associated with tailless aircraft. The partially-[swept wings](/source/Swept_wing) supported the vertical stabilizers of a [twin tail](/source/Twin_tail), with [elevons](/source/Elevon) for pitch and roll control.

Construction of the prototype was subcontracted to [Dart Aircraft](/source/Dart_Aircraft) of Dunstable.[2] There were serious issues encountered early in the development phase that caused a delay in the testing program. After it was delivered in 1939, redesigns had to be made because the Manx was too heavy, and there were also structural integrity issues with the main [spar](/source/Spar_(aviation)).

An unorthodox aspect of the Manx design incorporated into the aircraft was that the main [undercarriage](/source/Landing_gear) was retractable, while the nose gear remained fixed.

[Taxi](/source/Taxiing) tests began in early 1940, but inspection revealed serious deterioration of the wing structures, which required extensive repair.[3] These and further problems delayed the maiden flight until June 1943 (sources conflict as to whether it was 11 or 25 June.) The first flight was terminated early when the [canopy](/source/Canopy_(aircraft)) was lost in mid-flight, but the pilot managed to land the plane safely. In December 1945 the Manx's regular crew were killed flying the [Handley Page Hermes](/source/Handley_Page_Hermes) prototype. The Manx had accumulated only about 17 hours of flight time over approximately 30 flights when flight tests were finally terminated in April 1946. The sole example built was scrapped in 1952.

## Specifications (HP.75 Manx)

Handley Page Manx

*Data from* Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II[4]

**General characteristics**

- **Crew:** two, pilot and flight test observer

- **Length:** 18 ft 1 in (5.5 m)

- **Wingspan:** 40 ft 0 in (12.2 m)

- **Wing area:** 246 sq ft (22.9 m2)

- **Empty weight:** 3,000 lb (1,361 kg)

- **Gross weight:** 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)

- **Powerplant:** 2 × [de Havilland Gipsy Major](/source/De_Havilland_Gipsy_Major) 4-cyl. inverted air-cooled inline piston engines, 140 hp (100 kW) each

**Performance**

- **Maximum speed:** 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)

- **Service ceiling:** 15,000 ft (4,600 m)

## See also

**Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era**

- [Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52](/source/Armstrong_Whitworth_A.W.52)

- [Kayaba Ku-4](/source/Kayaba_Ku-4)

- [Miles Libellula](/source/Miles_M.39B_Libellula)

**Related lists**

- [List of experimental aircraft](/source/List_of_experimental_aircraft)

- [List of tailless aircraft](/source/List_of_tailless_aircraft)

## References

### Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Brookes 2011, p. 6

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Exper_p5-6_2-0)** Barnes 1980, pp.5–6.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Exper_p7_3-0)** Barnes 1980, p.7.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Bridgeman, Leonard. "Handley Page Manx." *Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II*. London: Studio, 1946. p. 126. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1 85170 493 0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1_85170_493_0).

### Bibliography

- Barnes, Chris. "Tailess Experimental". *Aeroplane Monthly*, January 1980, Volume 8 No. 1. pp. 4–9.

- Barnes, C. H. *Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907*. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-85177-803-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-85177-803-8).

- Clayton, Donald C. *Handley Page, an Aircraft Album*. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7110-0094-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7110-0094-8).

- Brookes, Andrew. *Victor Units of the Cold War*. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2011.

- Jackson, A.J. *British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 2*. Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1973 (2nd Edition). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-370-10010-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-370-10010-7)

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Handley Page Manx](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Handley_Page_Manx).

- [Handley Page Manx](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930170928/http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=234) – British Aircraft Directory

- [Handley Page H.P. 75 Manx](https://web.archive.org/web/20070217130702/http://www.handleypage.com/Aircraft_hp75.html) – British Aircraft Directory

- [Handley Page HP.75](https://web.archive.org/web/20090107205207/http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/HANDLEY%20PAGE%20HP75.htm) – British Aircraft of World War II

- [History of the flying wing](http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/flying%20wings/britain.htm) – Century of flight

- [Handley Page HP.75 Manx](http://www.diseno-art.com/encyclopedia/strange_vehicles/handley_page_hp75_manx.html) – diseno-art.com

v t e Handley Page aircraft Company designations Letters Type A Type B Type C Type D Type E Type F Type G Type H Type K Type L Type M Type N Type O Type P Type R Type S Type T Type Ta Type V Type W Type X Numbers HP.1 HP.2 HP.3 HP.4 HP.5 HP.6 HP.7 HP.8 HP.9 HP.10 HP.11 HP.12 HP.13 HP.14 HP.15 HP.16 HP.17 HP.18 HP.19 HP.20 HP.21 HP.22 HP.23 HP.24 HP.25 HP.26 HP.27 HP.28 HP.29 HP.30 HP.31 HP.32 HP.33 HP.34 HP.35 HP.36 HP.37 HP.38 HP.39 HP.40 HP.41 HP.42 HP.43 HP.44 HP.45 HP.46 HP.47 HP.48 HP.49 HP.50 HP.51 HP.52 HP.53 HP.54 HP.55 HP.56 HP.57 HP.58 HP.59 HP.60 HP.61 HP.62 HP.63 HP.64 HP.65 HP.66 HP.67 HP.68 HP.69 HP.70 HP.71 HP.72 HP.73 HP.74 HP.75 HP.76 HP.77 HP.78 HP.79 HP.80 HP.81 HP.82 HP.83 HP.84 HP.85 HP.86 HP.87 HP.88 HP.89 HP.90 HP.91 HP.92 HP.93 HP.94 HP.95 HP.96 HP.97 HP.98 HP.99 HP.100 HP.101 HP.102 HP.103 HP.104 HP.105 HP.106 HP.107 HP.108 HP.109 HP.110 HP.111 HP.112 HP.113 HP.114 HP.115 HP.116 HP.117 HP.118 HP.119 HP.120 HP.122 HP.123 HP.124 HP.125 HP.126 HP.127 HP.128 HP.129 HP.130 HP.131 HP.132 HP.133 HP.134 HP.135 HP.137 Role Bombers O/100 O/400 V/1500 HP.13 Hendon Hanley Hare Hyderabad Handcross Harrow (1) Hinaidi HP.47 Heyford HP.51 Hampden Hereford Harrow (2) Halifax Victor Airliners O/400 O/7 O/10 O/11 W.8 W.9 W.10 Hamlet HP.42 HP.45 Hermes Marathon Dart Herald Jetstream Experimental Type L Gugnunc Gyrojet Manx HPS HP.20 HP.88 HP.115 Transports Clive HP.51 Harrow/Sparrow Halifax C.VIII Halton Hastings

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Handley Page Manx](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Manx) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Manx?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.