World War II AircraftThe Handley Page HP.42/45 was the world's largest airliner in regular use when it entered service with Imperial Airways in 1931. Of all-metal construction except for fabric covering of wings and tail surfaces; eight aircraft were built; in two versions. The HP.42; powered by four 490 hp Bristol Jupiter XIF engines; was intended for Empire services and had a longer range than the HP.45; which employed four 555 hp supercharged Jupiter XFBMs and was intended for higher-density European operation; Imperial designated them HP.42E and HP.42W respectively and all were given names beginning with H. The prototype; G-AAGX Hannibal; is illustrated here and first flew on 14 November 1930. Although not fast with a cruising speed of only 90-100 mph; the HP.42 in both its forms soon established a reputation for comfort and safety. When the HP.42s were finally withdrawn from civil service on 1 September 1939; the eight aircraft had flown more than ten million miles between them without any major accidents or fatalities to passengers or crew. The only one not to survive until the Second World War was Hengist; burned in an airship hangar fire at Karachi in 1937; the others were impressed for RAF service in early 1940 and none survived as airworthy beyond that year. The HP.42's safety record came to an end when Hannibal was lost over the Gulf of Oman on 1 March 1940; no trace of the aircraft; the eight men on board or the mail it was carrying was ever found.Illustration (Tim Brown); 2019.