De Havilland DH 77

Designed for Specification F.20/27 which called for a short-range, fast-climbing, lightly-loaded single-seat interceptor fighter, the D.H.77 was designed by W G Carter in close collaboration with F B Halford. Halford designed for the fighter a supercharged air-cooled engine of low frontal area which was built by D Napier, as the Napier H type and later known as the Rapier I, of 301 hp. Of mixed construction, the wing had two steel spars and wooden ribs with fabric skinning, and the fuselage, also fabric-covered, a box girder of steel tube with wooden formers. The D.H.77 carried an armament of two 7.7mm Vickers guns and flew early in December 1929.

 The sole prototype was purchased by the Air Ministry and after the completion of official trials was used primarily for Rapier engine development. It was fitted, in December 1932, with a 295 hp Rapier II, the Hawker Hornet biplane (renamed Fury) having been selected for production as the RAF's first standard interceptor.

Engine: Napier H / Rapier I, 301 hp
Take-off weight: 1 034 kg
Empty weight: 751 kg / 1656 lb
Wingspan: 9.80 m / 32 ft 2 in
Length: 7.44 m / 24 ft 5 in
Height: 2.44 m / 8 ft 0 in
Wing area: 15.14 sq.m / 162.97 sq ft
Max. speed: 327 km/h / 203 mph