In the late 1950s Handley Page was occupied not only with Herald and Victor production, but also research and design work on various projects, including the unbuilt twin-Bristol Orpheus-engined H.P.113 high-speed executive transport, incorporating scoop intakes in the rear fuselage and a complex boundary-layer-control system.
The Handley Page PH.13 jet transport tor executives and V.I.P.s has been designed for demonstrating the practical feasibility of the laminar-flow technique for application to long-range aircraft. Wing span 71 ft. 3 in., length 71 ft. 6 in., height 17 ft.: cruising speed 528 rn.p.h.; range 4,330 miles: engines: two Bristol Orpheus turbojets installed in rear fuselage.