Armstrong Whitworth AW27
| Armstrong Whitworth AW27 | |
|---|---|
 AW.27 Ensign G-ADTC 1940 |
|
| Type: | four-engine airliner |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: | |
| Commissioning: |
October 1938 |
The Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign ("flag" or "ensign") was a four-engine airliner made by the British manufacturer Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft and offered space for forty passengers. It was created in the 1930s for the airline Imperial Airways , which used it on routes in Europe and Asia, which were continued with seaplanes to Australia and South Africa.
construction and development
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft began developing the AW27 in 1934 at the request of Imperial Airways. The first aircraft was ordered in September 1934 and delivery was expected in 1936. In 1935, the airline added eleven more aircraft to the order. Two more models were ordered in 1937.
The Ensign was a cantilever high-wing aircraft that was constructed using light metal alloys. The landing gear legs attached to the inner engine pods were hydraulically retractable, and there was a tail wheel under the stern. The cockpit was designed for two pilots and a navigator. The passenger area consisted of several cabins. Either 40 passengers could be accommodated in four cabins, or three cabins were offered that could accommodate 27 people during the day and 20 people at night.
Since the manufacture of the Whitley bomber was a priority for the Royal Air Force , the development of the Ensign was delayed. Manufacturing had to be relocated from the main plant in Coventry to the Air Service Training Ltd workshops in Hamble . There were further delays due to change requests from Imperial Airways. The maiden flight therefore took place on January 24, 1938 . Despite the low engine power, the aircraft received its approval and began regular service between London and Paris in October 1938 .
use
By Christmas 1938, three more Ensigns had been completed and were destined to bring the holiday mail to Australia. Due to technical problems, none of the three machines reached the destination. All models already built therefore received new and more powerful Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IXC engines, each with 634 kW, as well as other improvements.
When war broke out in 1939, eleven machines were in use, and a twelfth was about to go into service. In October all machines were confiscated and then transported between London-Heston and Paris- Le Bourget . Three machines were lost to enemy action in 1940. Another one fell into the hands of the German troops damaged and was put back into service after being converted to Daimler-Benz engines.
The last two machines from the Imperial order received the more powerful Wright Cyclone radial engine and were delivered as the AW27A Ensign Mk. 2 . The new drive allowed it to be used at high temperatures and at great altitudes. Between 1941 and 1943 all other Ensigns were converted to this engine.
The BOAC , the successor to the Imperial, then used the aircraft on the routes between Africa and India. When one of these models had to make an emergency landing in West Africa, it came into the possession of the Vichy troops and was only used by the French, after renewed motorization by the German air force. Some of the remaining aircraft were parked to serve as spare parts donors. The last flight took place in 1946, the remaining seven Ensigns were scrapped the following year.
Civil users
Military users
.svg){kind=small}
-
France ( Vichy regime )
Incidents
From the first flight in 1938 to the end of operations in June 1946, there were three total losses with Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign, all in 1940. No people were killed.
Technical data (AW27A)
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 pilots, 1 navigator, 2 flight attendants |
| Passengers | 40 in 4 cabins (Europe), 27 in 3 cabins (Asia) |
| length | 34.80 m |
| span | 37.50 m |
| height | 7.20 m |
| Wing area | 227.6 m² |
| payload | 5,450 kg |
| Empty mass | 15,900 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 25,200 kg |
| Cruising speed | 290 km / h |
| Top speed | 330 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 7,300 m |
| Range | 2,200 km |
| Engines | 4 × Wright-GR-1820-G102A star motors with 820 kW (1,115 PS) each |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ accident statistics Armstrong Whitworth AW.27 Ensign , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 9 March of 2019.