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"Halcyon Days, Croydon 1937"
by Barry Weeley
One of the most famous airliners of her day, the Handley Page HP.42W Horatius [G-AAXD] sits at Croydon airfield in 1937 awaiting passengers. Imperial Airways operated two HP.42 biplanes on the Continental services. The HP.42 offered accommodation for thirty-eight passengers in two luxurious saloons. A crew of five, including two stewards, saw to the safety and comfort of the passengers, including full-course meals are served in flight. Similar liners were used on the Empire routes with accommodation for twenty-four passengers. The Horatius was fitted with four 555 hp Bristol Jupiter engines and weighed, fully loaded, 13.4 tons, and had a cruising speed of 100 mph.
HP.42 Helena at Croydon
HP.42 Hengist at Croydon
Between 1931 and 1941 the HP.42 series serviced the British Imperial routes. There were two classes of the H.P. 42; the Heracles Class for the European routes, carrying 38 passengers and the Hannibal Class for the Intercontinental routes, carrying 24 passengers. The Hannibal Class were fitted with toilets and galleys. Stewards attended to the passengers serving full meals in-flight – a first by Imperial Airways and the HP.42. The H.P 42 was renowned for its safety and for its outstanding comfort. No HP.42 ever crashed during the 10 years of service and the 10,000,000 miles of flight.
Croydon Airfield (Aerodrome) was the cradle of British civil aviation and London's chief airport for twenty vital years between the World Wars. Croydon Airport had its genesis in 1915, when a new Royal Flying Corps defense station was formed alongside Plough Lane, Beddington, on New Barn Farm, formerly part of the Carew Estates; and, in l918, National Aircraft Factory No. 1 was built nearby with its own airfield. The future King George VI earned his wings here in 1919 with one of the training squadrons. The airfields were then known as Beddington and Waddon Aerodromes, respectively.
In March, 1920, the twin airfields were chosen to become the Customs Airport of London (after Hounslow had performed this function for nine months on a temporary basis) and renamed after the nearby town of Croydon.
In 1924, Imperial Airways was formed from the independent British airline operators then using the aerodrome, and in 1928 new buildings were erected along the newly-built Purley Way. Before and after 1928, Croydon was the scene of the start, or finish, of many record-breaking, pioneering and historic flights. Among the highlights are Cobham's return from his five-month African trip in 1926; Lindbergh's visit fresh from the first Atlantic solo flight in 1927; and Amy Johnson's return from Australia in 1930. But, day by day, routine flying continued, building up Britain's air links with the world.
2002 Wings Publishing
