1937 Hawker Demon K8203 for Private Sale
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One of Europe’s top specialist auctioneers of collectors’ vehicles, H&H are also successful sellers of selected items by private treaty, and are delighted to now be offering the only airworthy Hawker Demon fighter remaining in the world today.

The result of a painstaking 35,000-hour, 18-year restoration, K8203 is understood to have been the 23rd of a third batch built by Boulton-Paul’s Wolverhamton plant to Specification 8/34. Delivered in October 1937, it was initially assigned to No.64 Squadron at RAF Church Fenton, and it is their livery that adorns the aircraft again now. Following spells at No.9 Maintenance Unit at RAF Cosford and No.9 Air Observer’s School at RAF Penrhos, it was apparently pensioned off as a ground training aid for No.1 Service Flying Training School, RAF Netheravon in September 1940. From this point the history is less well documented, but K8203 is thought to have ended up at No.413 (Aldershot) Squadron of the ATC some three years later, with the rear fuselage eventually finding its way into the RAF Museum’s storage facility at Cardington.

The fuselage was acquired by the vendor from Aero Vintage in July 1991, together with a fin, rudder, tailplane, elevators, centre-section, plus some parts of the wings and under-carriage. Other components were rescued from an Irish tip and the supercharged Rolls-Royce Kestrel VDR engine came from Australia, having been originally installed in a Royal Australian Air Force Demon. The over-riding intention was to make the finished aircraft as historically accurate as possible and a great deal of research and development went into the refurbishment of original parts and the manufacture of replacement ones as required. The task of bringing the Demon back to life was entrusted to SkySport Engineering of Sandy, Bedfordshire and a full account of this marathon achievement appeared in the December 2009 issue of Aeroplane Monthly.

Apparently the CAA inspector assigned to the project delayed his retirement specifically so he could personally sign off the test flight programme, and, having been grounded for almost 70 years, the restored Demon finally took to the skies once more in June 2009. Following completion of the test flights at RAF Henlow, a CAA permit was issued the following month, allowing K8203 to make its airshow debut at Old Warden on August 2. The aeroplane is now hangared at this airfield – the home of the world-renowned Shuttleworth Collection – and is regularly displayed there and elsewhere by Stuart Goldspink.

As befits such a superbly restored aeroplane, the Demon has already won two major awards since returning to the skies:

1. The 2010 Historic Aircraft Association’s Conrod Trophy for an ‘outstanding contribution to the preservation and safe operation of historic aircraft’ (awarded to SkySport Engineering).

2. The Freddie March Spirit of Aviation Trophy. This was presented at the concours d’elegance during last year’s Goodwood Revival meeting, to which only 25 of the world’s finest early aircraft are invited each year.

Further details of this unique and exciting opportunity are available from Deanne Walsh at H&H via: UK Telephone – 08458 334455; Non UK Telephone - +44 1925 210035; Email - deanne.walsh@handh.co.uk. For information about H&H’s auctions and other private treaty sales, log onto http://www.handh.co.uk.

-Ends-

Editors notes:

BACKGROUND

On entering service in 1930, Sydney Camm’s Hawker Hart bomber proved so much quicker than the RAF’s existing fighters that the potential for a fighter version of the newcomer was self-evident and developed without delay. Following initial evaluation of two prototypes at RAF Martlesham Heath, a batch of six Hart Fighters was duly completed in 1931 and placed for development with No.23 Squadron at RAF Kenley. The adaptation was considered successful and in 1932 a contract was raised for the manufacture of an initial run of 17 such aircraft, the first of which took to the skies in February 1933. By now the bi-plane had been renamed the Hawker Demon, some 240 of which were ultimately ordered by the RAF and a further 64 by the Royal Australian Air Force. Due to pressure of work at the H G Hawker Engineering Company, production of the last 59 Demons was subcontracted to Boulton-Paul Aircraft. In their time, Demons equipped six regular RAF and five Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons and saw service in the Abyssinia crisis of 1935. Some examples were still in service a decade after the aircraft’s introduction.

SPECIFICATION

Engine
Single 600 hp Rolls-Royce supercharged Kestrel VDR unit driving a two-bladed Watts wooden propeller

Weight
3336 lb empty; 4464 lb loaded

Dimensions
Span – 37 ft 2 in; length – 29 ft 7 in; height – 10 ft 5 in; wing area – 347 square feet

Performance
Maximum speed – 182 mph at 16,000 ft; time to 10,000 ft, 7 minutes 25 seconds; ceiling – 24,500 ft

Armament
Twin forward firing 7.7 mm Vickers machine guns; one dorsal ring-mounted Lewis gun

Crew
Two – pilot plus observer/gunner