The Woodcock began as a 1922 night-fighter design troubled by severe wing flutter and unreliable engine installations. Hawker replaced its two-bay wings with a single-bay arrangement and worked through numerous engine combinations before settling on a serviceable configuration. The resulting fighter equipped two RAF squadrons and remained in service until 1928. The Air Ministry order gave the newly formed company breathing space, making the Woodcock an important bridge between Sopwith's collapse and Hawker's later naval aircraft.
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The Woodcock gives the new Hawker company breathing space
Hawker turned the troubled Woodcock prototype into an RAF night fighter whose production order helped the young company establish itself.