Airspeed AS 8
| Airspeed AS 8 Viceroy | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Racing plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Airspeed |
| First flight: |
August 1934 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Airspeed AS 8 Viceroy ( English for Viceroy ) was a light twin-engine racing aircraft in low-wing design from Great Britain . Only one machine was made.
history
The aircraft was developed from the Airspeed AS 6 Envoy specifically for the MacRobertson air race . The main difference was the more powerful engines than the early AS 6 and the lack of windows on the fuselage. The machine received an increased fuel capacity, with the additional tanks being housed in the fuselage.
The first flight took place in August 1934. The machine with the registration G-ACMU was used by N. Stack and SL Turner in the MacRobertson air race. In Athens, however, they had to give up the race due to problems with the wheel brakes.
During the Spanish Civil War , the AS 8 Viceroy was used as a reconnaissance aircraft or light bomber on the side of the nationalists.
construction
The wing was self-supporting and had a V-shape on the outer sections. It tapered from trunk to tip and was made of wood with fabric covering. It was designed with two spars. The profiles NACA 2221 on the wing root and NACA 2212 on the wing tip were used. The hull was also made of wood. In the front it was planked with plywood , in the back it was covered with fabric. To reduce the landing speed, landing flaps were installed. The tail unit was also cantilevered and conventionally arranged.
The main landing gear was retractable. The two hydraulically damped main landing gear legs were movably attached to the front wing spar and retractable to the rear. In order to be able to land safely in the event of a failure of the chassis mechanics, the tires protruded slightly from their shafts. There was a non-retractable tail wheel in the stern.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 |
| length | 10.50 m |
| span | 15.90 m |
| height | 2.80 m |
| Wing area | 31.50 m² |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 2860 kg |
| Top speed | 338 km / h |
| Range | 2260 km |
| Summit height | 3850 m |
| initial rate of climb | 5.10 m / s |
| Engines | two supercharged 7-cylinder radial engines Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah VI with 280 HP (206 kW), each of which drives a 2-blade propeller |
literature
- DH Middleton: Airspeed - The Company and its Airplanes. , Terence Dalton, 1982, ISBN 0-86138-0096 .
