Avro 531
| Avro 531 Spider | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Fighter plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
April 1918 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Avro 531 Spider is a project for a single-seat biplane fighter aircraft from the British manufacturer Avro .
history
Avro developed this aircraft on its own initiative, without a corresponding order from the British Air Force, in the hope that this order would follow if the design was successful.
The first flight took place in April 1918; the machine was driven by a Le Rhône rotary engine with an output of 81 kW (110 hp). This engine was later exchanged for a more powerful Clerget engine to improve flight performance.
The machine had two wings of different lengths (the lower wing was considerably smaller than the upper one, almost a one-and-a-half-decker) and consisted of a fabric-covered wooden structure, the lower wing was planked with wood.
If the 531 Spider had been mass-produced, the aircraft would have been extremely economical to manufacture, as its construction was designed in such a way that a large contingent of components from 504K that were no longer assembled could have been used.
It was also decided to use rigid welded struts between the wings, which made assembly easier.
An interesting construction detail was a round recess in the upper wing, which should allow the fighter pilots to see upwards.
Although the flight tests showed that the 531 Spider was a manoeuvrable and solid aircraft, there was no order for Avro, because the Air Force had opted for the competitor Sopwith Snipe as a future RAF fighter. So it stayed with the one produced copy.
A second - probably slightly modified - machine, the individual parts of which had already been manufactured and which was to be given the designation 531A, was no longer built; the parts were likely used to build the Avro 538 .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 6.25 m |
| Wingspan / upper wing | 8.69 m |
| Wing area | 17.56 m² |
| Empty mass | 437 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 688 kg |
| drive | a Clerget rotary engine with 96 kW (approx. 130 PS) |
| Top speed | 193 km / h |
| Rate of climb | 4 minutes at an altitude of 1525 m |
| Range | approx. 400 km |
| Armament | a 7.7 mm synchronized Vickers machine gun |
See also
literature
- David Donald (Ed.): The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Barnes & Noble Books, New York 1997, ISBN 978-0-7607-0592-6 .
- AJ Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908. Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8 .
- Michael JH Taylor: Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions, London 1989, p. 93.
