07/31/2023. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The first fighter to be produced by Hawker Engineering (the successor to Sopwith Aviation), the Woodcock was designed by Captain B. Thomson to meet Specification 25/22 calling for a single-seat night interceptor fighter. Of wooden construction with fabric skinning, the Woodcock was a two-bay biplane with variable-camber flaps and a 358 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar II fourteen-cylinder radial. Mounting an armament of two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers guns, and serialed J6918, the Woodcock was flown in 1923, but its qualities proved disappointing.
Lacking maneuverability, it suffered serious wing flutter and an ineffectual rudder. Several revisions of the vertical tail were undertaken, and the Jaguar engine was replaced by a Bristol Jupiter, but the Woodcock failed to find favor during evaluation at Martlesham Heath. Further development was discarded in favor of a thoroughgoing redesign that led to the Woodcock Mk.II.
The task of redesigning the Woodcock was undertaken by W.G. Carter, who, in fact, retained little of the original design apart from the fundamental fuselage structure. A new single-bay wing cellule was adopted, with marginally increased incidence and chord, and reduced sweepback. The fuselage decking was recontoured, tail surfaces were redesigned and the armament was repositioned. Powered by a 380 hp Bristol Jupiter IV nine-cylinder radial like that eventually installed in the original Woodcock, but featuring individual cylinder helmets, the new prototype Woodcock Mk.II (J6988) was flown by F.P. Raynham early in 1924.
The redesigned fighter overcame most of the shortcomings of its progenitor, and a contract was placed on behalf of the RAF before the end of 1924. Similarly armed to the original fighter prototype, the Woodcock Mk.II was awarded successive contracts, a total of 64 being built (J7512 to J7517, J7724 to J7737, J7783, J7960 to J7977, J8292 to J8316), with deliveries being completed in 1927. The type served with RAF Fighter Squadrons No. 3 and No. 17 and several service and test units until 1928, some late production examples being fitted with the Jupiter IV uprated to 416 hp. The pictured J7971 was delivered to No. 17 (F) Sqn. in July 1926."
