Avro Tutor
A.V. Roe's Type 621 Tutor[1][2] was a two-seat British radial engined biplane from the interwar period. It was a simple but rugged initial trainer that was used by the Royal Air Force as well as many other air arms worldwide.
Design and development
The Avro Model 621 was designed by Roy Chadwick as an Avro private venture metal replacement for the Avro 504. Conceived as a light initial pilot trainer, the biplane design featured heavily staggered equal span, single bay wings; the construction was based on steel tubing (with some wooden components in the wing ribs) with doped linen covering. A conventional, fixed divided main undercarriage with tail skid was used in all but the latest aircraft, which had a tail wheel.
The Model 621 was powered either by a 155 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV (180 h.p.) or IVC (240 h.p.) engine; later Lynx powered models had the engine enclosed in a Townend ring cowling. The Mongoose powered version was called the 621 Trainer and the more numerous Lynx engined aircaft the Tutor. The Tutor also differed by having a more rounded rudder.
The first flight of the prototype G-AAKT was either late in 1929 or early in 1930.
Operational history
Production was started against an order for three from the Irish Free State and 21 Trainers from the Royal Air Force. The RAF required a replacement for the wooden Avro 504, and after three years of trials against other machines such as the Hawker Tomtit it was adopted as their basic trainer, supplanting the 504 in 1933 and remaining in this role until 1939. As well as the 21 Trainers a total of 381 Tutors and 15 Avro 646 Sea Tutors were eventually ordered by the RAF. Subsequently, the Model 621 achieved substantial foreign sales. A.V. Roe and Co exported 29 for the Greek Airforce, 6 for the Royal Canadian Airforce, 5 for the Kwangsi AF, 3 for the Irish AF (where it was known as the Triton) and 2 for each of the South African and Polish AFs. In addition 57 were licence built in South Africa, and three licence built by the Danish Naval Shipyard.
29 Tutors were exported to the Greek Airforce and at least 30 licence built in Greece by KEA
Known for its good handling, the type was often featured at air shows. Over 200 Avro Tutors and five Sea Tutors remained in RAF service at the beginning of the Second World War.
The 621 was designed as a military trainer and few reached the civil registers. In the 1930s, in addition to ten prototypes and demonstrators, two were used by Alan Cobham's Flying Circus and two trainers were retired from the RAF into private use. One 621 was used from new by Australian National Airways. After the war another four ex-RAF 621s appeared on the civil register.
Variants
- Avro 621 Trainer (Mongoose powered)
- Two-seat primary training aircraft.
- Avro 621 Tutor (Lynx powered)
- Two-seat primary training aircraft.
- Avro 621 Tutor II
- One aircraft was modified into a two bay biplane.
- Avro 621 survey version
- three built and served in what was the Tanganyika.
- Avro 646 Sea Tutor
- Two-seat seaplane fitted with twin floats. 15 built
Operators
- Czechoslovak Air Force in exile operated at least 1 aircraft in 310 Fighter Squadron RAF[3].
- Danish Air Force operated 5 aircraft, 3 locally produced.
- Royal Canadian Air Force operated 6 aircraft[4].
- Chinese Nationalist Air Force (Kwangsi Airforce ) operated 5 aircraft.
- Iraqi Air Force operated 3 aircraft.
- Irish Air Corps operated 3 aircraft.
- Hellenic Air Force operated at least 59 aircraft, 30 of which were locally produced[5].
- Polish Air Force received 2 aircraft.
- South African Air Force operated 60 aircraft, 57 locally produced.
- Royal Air Force received 417 aircraft.
Survivors
K3215/G-AHSA flies in the Shuttleworth Collection. Used for communication duties during the Second World War, struck off December 1946 and purchased by Wing Commander Heywood. After suffering engine failure in the early stages of the filming of Reach for the Sky, it was purchased by the Shuttleworth Collection and restored to flying condition.
Up to the end of 2003 G-AHSA was still flying as K3215 in RAF trainer yellow, as seen in the main image. Since Jan 2004 it has flown painted (image right) as K3241 in the colours of the Central Flying School. Built in 1933, the real K3241 served RAF College Cranwell, until transferred to the CFA in 1936.
Specifications (Tutor)
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General characteristics
- Crew: Two (student & instructor)
Performance
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
- Thetford. O. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57, London:Putnam, 1957.
- Vančata, Pavel. "Cechoslováci v zahraničním odboji". Revi (bi-monthly magazine) #65. Ostrava-Poruba: REVI Publications, 2006. ISSN 1211-0744 (Czech language).
- Official Greek Air Force site, info about 621 Tutor
- Avro 621 Tutor (RCAF)
External links
