Handley Page Hastings

So few books have been written about one of the better known long range RAF transport aircraft which supplied the RAF's airfields in Europe, the Middle and Far East in post World War 2 through to the 1960s that it was decided to make a festure of it in the Warpaint series. The Hastings first came to prominence when the newly equipped No. 47 Squadron joined the Berlin Airlift based at Schleswigland carrying all sorts of supplies but mainly coal to the beleagered city. It was used as a passenger aircraft carrying up to 50 and as a parachute dropping aircraft for both freight and soldiers. Otherwise it hauled up to 80,000 lbs of cargo almost anywhere in the world. Apart from the Mk.1 its range was improved by underwing fuel tanks as the C.Mk.1A and again with improved range as the Mk.2. A VIP version saw four C.Mk.4s in service with the inovation of hydraulic air stairs. The Royal New Zealand Air Force proved to be the only overseas customer for the aircraft. The complete history has been written by Alan W. Hall with many photographs both black and white and colour including some of the Hastings used by the Experimental Establishments. A 1:72nd scale plan and all colour schemes used by the Hastings has been provided by Richard J.Caruana