Handley Page Type W
The Handley Page W.8, W.9 and W.10 were British two- and three-engine medium-range biplane airliners designed and built by Handley Page.
| Type W | |
|---|---|
| Twin Eagle-engined W.8b | |
| Role | Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Handley Page |
| First flight | 2 December 1919 |
| Introduction | 1921 |
| Retired | 1934 |
| Primary users | SABENA Imperial Airways |
| Number built | 25 |
| Variants | Handley Page Hyderabad |
The W.8 (also known as the H.P.18) was the company's first purpose-built civil airliner although it was a development of the wartime Handley Page Type O/400 bomber via the O/7, O/10 and O/11 transports. It had an enclosed cabin for (in most versions) 12 passengers, along with two crew in an open cockpit, and has the distinction of being the world's first airliner to be designed with an on-board lavatory. The prototype first flew on 4 December 1919, shortly after it was displayed at the 1919 Paris Air Show at Le Bourget. The W.8 was subsequently revised to give the W.8b, W.8e (H.P.26), W.9 (H.P.27) and W.10 (H.P.30). It was also the basis for the W.8d (H.P.24), the Handley Page Hyderabad bomber.