The Hawcon monoplane, was so called as it was a combination of the Hawk and Falcon design features and was built for the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, for the purpose of investigating the effect of wing thickness on the speed of an aircraft.
Four different sets of wings were built, with root thickness-to-chord ratios of 15 per cent, 20 per cent, 25 per cent and 30 per cent. From a structural point of view the thicker wings were the most advantageous, and also provided useful internal space suitable for housing engines, undercarriages or fuel tanks, while the thinner wings, although theoretically faster, were very heavy, owing to the amount of material required to ensure the necessary strength and rigidity.
The result of tests with the various wings was somewhat surprising, as there was only 5 mph difference between the four sets. From this, however, it will be appreciated that for all round utility the thick wing is the better proposition, and that it will occupy a prominent position in future aerodynamic development.