Airspeed AS 39

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Airspeed AS 39
Airspeed AS 39 Fleet Shadower
Type: Reconnaissance plane
Design country:

United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom

Manufacturer:

Airspeed

First flight:

October 17, 1940

Commissioning:

-

Number of pieces:

1 prototype

The Airspeed AS 39 Fleet Shadower was a British project of a reconnaissance aircraft during the Second World War, which was specially designed for the role of a fleet observer. It should take off from aircraft carriers and, thanks to its good slow flight characteristics, be particularly suitable for observing opposing fleets at night over long periods of time.

The basis for the development was the requirement OR.52 (OR = Operational Requirement), from which the specification p. 23/37 emerged in 1937, which required a three-seat aircraft that could take off from aircraft carriers. It should be able to fly for at least six hours at a speed of 38  knots , have very good visibility, should not exceed a certain size in order to be accommodated on aircraft carriers, and should be able to fly as quietly as possible at the lowest possible speed. Another design that was built based on this specification and therefore looked very similar to the AS 39 was the General Aircraft GAL 38 . The most noticeable differences were in the landing gear , which on the AS 39 was designed as a nose wheel version with an extended landing gear leg , and in the tail unit , which on the AS 39 consisted of a triple tail unit with relatively small tail surfaces.

The wings of the AS 39 were made of wood and were deliberately designed to be watertight so that the aircraft could stay afloat longer in the event of a ditching. The hull was made of metal. The observation room at the bow could be removed if necessary. What was unusual for a 4-engine aircraft was the ability to manually fold the wings backwards so that it could be placed on an aircraft carrier to save space. Of the two prototypes ordered , only one was built: N1323. The first flight took place on October 17, 1940. The GAL 38 and the AS 39 had finally reached a minimum speed of 35 knots. With the appropriate wind, they could even fly backwards relative to the ground. With the AS 39, this was achieved through a complex system of pneumatically and hydraulically controlled flaps.

However, the flight characteristics did not meet expectations. If only one of the engines failed, the flight characteristics were particularly poor. The competition was no better with the GAL 38 either. The specification p. 23/37 was finally withdrawn in February 1941, since there was no alternative to the Pobjoy Niagara V engines for this purpose .

Technical specifications

Parameter Data
crew 3
length 12.20 m
height 3.17 m
span 16.25 m
Empty mass 2085 kg
Max. Takeoff mass 3140 kg
drive four Pobjoy Niagara V with 97 kW (130 PS) each
Top speed 202 km / h
Minimum speed 53 km / h
(full power at sea level)
Service ceiling 4480 m

See also

Web links

Commons : Airspeed Fleet Shadower  - collection of images, videos and audio files

literature

  • DH Middleton: Airspeed's Fleet Shadower , Airplane Monthly, March 1977, pp. 123-126.