Avro 604
| Avro 604 Antelope | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | bomber |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
November 1927 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Avro 604 Antelope was a single-engine biplane made by the British manufacturer Avro .
history
In November 1927, the prototype of the Avro 604 Antelope , which Avro had designed for a light bomber in May 1926 on the basis of a tender by the British Aviation Department, took off on its maiden flight. The machine was powered by a Rolls-Royce F.XIB engine with an output of 358 kW (487 hp).
Competitive models were the Hawker Hart and the Fairey Fox II . The Ministry's specification required a top speed of around 260 km / h - an almost impossible task for the designers at the time. Test and comparison flights with the competing models were carried out on September 13, 1928 at Martlesham Air Force Base . The Hawker Hart prevailed as the winner.
An attempt by Avros to still get a series order by exhibiting the machine at the "Olympia Aero Show" in London in July 1929 failed, and no further 604 Antelope was built.
The prototype was handed over to the British Air Force for service with No.100 Squadron in Bicester. In July 1930, a double control was installed in the Avro plant in Hamble, and from September 1930 the Antelope was used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in Farnborough as a test vehicle for the Gloster-Hele-Shaw-Beacham variable pitch propellers. For this purpose, two different engines were installed in the aircraft, the 391 kW (532 hp) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IB and the 356 kW (484 hp) Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS.
In September 1933, the Avro 604 Antelope was decommissioned.
construction
The Avro 604 Antelope was a single-handled biplane. The metal wings were covered with fabric; the upper surfaces were provided with ailerons.
The landing gear consisted of a two-wheeled, oil and rubber sprung main landing gear and an unguided tail spur.
Technical specifications
| Avro 604 Antelope | |
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 2 (one pilot, one gunner / bomb gunner) |
| length | 9.50 m |
| height | 3.28 m |
| Wingspan / upper wing | 10.98 m |
| Wingspan / lower wing | 9.75 m |
| Wing area | 35.04 m² |
| Empty mass | 1292 kg (bomber) / 1315 kg (test machine) |
| Max. Takeoff weight fully fueled | 2058 kg (bomber) / 2064 (test machine) |
| drive | a Rolls-Royce F.XIB with 358 kW (487 PS) later: a Rolls-Royce Kestrel IB with 391 kW (532 PS) or a Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS with 356 kW (484 PS) |
| Top speed | 278 km / h (with F.IXB) |
| Cruising speed | 234 km / h (with F.IXB) |
| Summit height | 6700 m (with F.IXB) |
| Rate of climb | 450 m / min (with F.IXB) |
| Range | approx. 930 km (with F.IXB) |
| Armament | a Lewis MG, balanced with the wind, on an Avro mount ring approx. 225 kg bomb load |
See also
literature
- Aubrey J. Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908 . 2nd edition Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8 .
- Francis K. Mason: The British Bomber since 1914. Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1994, ISBN 0-85177-861-5 .
