Avro 548
| Avro 548 | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Sport plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 1919 |
| Production time: |
1920-1925 |
| Number of pieces: |
35 |
The Avro 548 was a single-engine biplane produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro .
History and construction
In 1918, the development of the in- line engine had progressed so far that the rotary engine , which had been mainly used in aircraft series production, could be replaced. Alliott Verdon Roe also relied on this engine concept when developing a civil version of the Avro 504 .
The first tests began in October 1919 at the Hamble plant with the Avro 545, a converted 504 with a 90 hp (approx. 67 kW / 91 hp) Curtiss OX-5 engine and a water-cooled V8 engine with each one Side of the cockpit mounted coolers. However, this configuration proved impractical for the private market, partly because of the heavy engine and partly because of the complicated installation of the cooling system. The choice of engine ultimately fell on an 80 hp (approx. 60 kW / 81 PS) air-cooled Renault engine that operated on a four-blade propeller. The machine equipped in this way was given the designation Avro 548 and made its maiden flight at the end of 1919.
In this version, the aircraft had three individual cockpits and was initially equipped with a double control system, which was expanded again to carry two passengers. The chassis was identical to that of the 504, so it had the skid characteristic of the 504. The aircraft was presented to the public under the name "Avro Tourist" in July 1920 at the Olympia Aero Show in London .
A third machine was built and stationed in Hendon for demonstration and advertising flights. However, the poor economic situation destroyed Avro's hopes for a commercial success of this aircraft, and so the Avro 553 project , a trainer version of the 448, was not continued.
So initially only three more Avro 548s were produced, now with a pilot cockpit and a double cockpit for two passengers. One copy was sold to Uruguay . Another machine, an earlier 504K , was equipped with a 170 hp (approx. 127 kW / 172 hp) ABC Wasp-I engine. This copy was sold to the Welsh Aviation Company and won all three races of the Croydon Meeting for its new owner on September 17, 1921 . This machine later had great success under different owners in races and show flying events, but crashed during a flight on May 31, 1935.
Avro then made only three more 448 in 1924. However, made a number of modifications of existing by other aircraft manufacturer Avro 504 to version 548 in license , including in Canada and a copy in Australia . Since the individual manufacturers equipped their products according to their own ideas, the individual models differed in details. Some machines also served as test vehicles for different engine configurations.
The most powerful version was the 548A . The company Aircraft Disposal Co. paid in 1925 an Avro 504K cell with about 89 kW (122 hp) engine, the engine from Airdisco. This machine showed excellent flight characteristics.
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data Avro 545 | Data Avro 548 | Data Avro 548A |
|---|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 2 | ||
| length | 8.97 m | ||
| height | 3.18 m | ||
| span | 10.97 m | ||
| Wing area | 30.67 m² | ||
| Empty mass | 563 kg | 607 kg | 662 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 881 kg | 975 kg | |
| drive | an in-line Curtiss OX-5 engine; approx. 67 kW (92 PS) | an in-line Renault engine; approx. 60 kW (81 PS) | an in-line Airdisco engine; approx. 89 kW (122 PS) |
| Top speed | 129 km / h | 146 km / h | |
| Cruising speed | 113 km / h | 105 km / h | 135 km / h |
| Rate of climb | 106.7 m / min | 122 m / min | |
| Range with a full tank | approx. 340 km | approx. 280 km | approx. 480 km |
See also
literature
- 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.
