Avro 557
| Avro 557 Ava | |
|---|---|
 First prototype of the Avro Ava |
|
| Type: | Torpedo bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1924 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Avro 557 Ava was a biplane - bomber of the British manufacturer Avro .
history
Avro chief designer Roy Chadwick designed the Avro 556 torpedo bomber with two 1000 bhp (746 kW / 1014 hp) Napier Cub engines in November 1923; Later it was decided to develop a long-range coastal defense bomber and night bomber with the designation Avro 557 from the already existing designs.
The first prototype had a machine gun stand each in the bow and stern as well as an additional space for a third rifleman in a gondola, called "dustbin" (garbage can). This prototype was able to carry either a 2000 lb (approx. 907 kg) bomb load or a 21 inch (approx. 0.5 m) whitehead torpedo , with two uncovered, water-cooled Rolls-Royce Condors as propulsion III engines with 650 hp (485 kW / 659 hp) each.
The open cockpit offered space for two pilots side by side and was equipped with double controls. The wooden structure was equipped with folding wings in view of the eventual use on naval ships, and a double horizontal stabilizer worked in the stern. Although this first prototype had already been produced in 1924, it was not presented to the public until July 3, 1926.
Another year passed before the second prototype was shown on July 3, 1927. This machine was - different from the first prototype - a metal construction with straight instead of rounded wing ends. Due to a change in the British standard torpedo, the British naval aviators no longer needed this machine, and so there was no series production of the 557, which Avro had received the name Ava internally.
Technical specifications
|
Avro 557 (1st prototype) (Data of the 2nd prototype, if known, in brackets) |
|
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 18.82 m |
| height | 5.99 m |
| Wingspan | 29.51 m (29.06 m) |
| drive | two V12 Rolls-Royce Condor III engines with 485 kW (659 hp) each |
| Top speed | approx. 155 km / h |
| crew | 5 (pilot, co-pilot, 3 bombardiers) |
| Empty weight | 6035 kg |
| Max. Takeoff weight | 9283 kg |
The fact that there were construction plans for a single-seater monoplane, also known as the Avro 557, is certainly interesting, but it was never built. These plans - dated January 5, 1923 - show a fuselage of the Avro 552 with the landing gear of the Avro 504 N, equipped with a Wolseley Viper engine. Wire-braced Parasol wings were provided on a central pylon as the supporting structure.
Based on the drawing, the following key data were calculated for this aircraft:
- 726 kg total weight
- 1111 kg total weight
- 177 km / h top speed
- 305 m / min climb rate
- 6100 m summit height
See also
literature
- Francis K. Mason: The British Bomber since 1914. Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1994, ISBN 0-85177-861-5 , pp. 156-157.
- AJ Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908. (2nd edition) Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8 , pp. 209-211.
- Peter Lewis: The British Bomber since 1914. (third edition) Putnam, London 1980, ISBN 0-370-30265-6 , pp. 416-417.
