Avro Aldershot
| Avro 549 Aldershot | |
|---|---|
 Prototype of the Avro Aldershot |
|
| Type: | bomber |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1921 |
| Commissioning: |
April 1924 |
| Number of pieces: |
17th |
The Avro 549 Aldershot was a single-engine biplane produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Avro . Designed as a long-range bomber, the Aldershot was the first development of a military aircraft by Avro after the First World War.
history
With the Aldershot, Avro chief designer Roy Chadwick developed the first machine from this manufacturer with a wing substructure made from tubular steel frames.
The cabin was designed on two floors. The pilot and co-pilot found space next to each other on the upper deck, and the machine was equipped with a double control system. Behind the pilot's seats was the place for the gunner who operated a Lewis machine gun. In the lower deck, accessible via a ladder from the upper deck, there was space for navigators and bombardiers.
The first two prototypes, known as Aldershot I, were intended for comparison flights with the competitor De Havilland DH.27 Derby . They were flown in by the Avro chief test pilot Bert Hinkler in early 1922 . The prototypes were equipped with a V12 Rolls-Royce Condor III engine . The tests led to modifications in the area of the oars.
So converted, one of the prototypes took part in the Hendon RAF display on June 24, 1922 and won one of the races held. This machine was then equipped on a trial basis at the Avro factory in Hendon with one of six 1,000 hp Napier Cub engines procured in 1919 by the British Department of Aviation at a unit price of £ 10,000. This water-cooled 16-cylinder unit had a weight of around 1,110 kg, so the airframe of the aircraft had to be reinforced for this enormous load. In addition, the assembly of a four-wheel main landing gear was necessary. As Aldershot II, this version first flew on December 15, 1922 in front of representatives of the Aviation Ministry. Bert Hinkler was able to impressively showcase the enormous power of this machine.
The Aldershot II was then presented on various occasions in Germany and Europe, but was upgraded to the original engine in October 1923.
The British Aviation Ministry ordered a series of 15 machines in 1923, identical in construction to the Aldershot I, but with the possibility of accommodating an internal bomb load of 2,000 lb (approx. 907 kg) in the fuselage of the machine. So these machines were delivered by Avro as the 549 Aldershot III. For the relatively short period of two years, the Aldershot III were with No. 99 Squadron in Bircham Newton, Norfolk, mainly as night bombers, before they were retired there and replaced by the twin-engine Handley Page Hyderabad .
One machine was tested with an 850 hp (634 kW / 862 PS) 6-cylinder in-line Beardmore Typhoon I engine and was given the designation Avro 549C Aldershot IV. The machine was flown in January 1927.
A standard Aldershot III was fitted with a steel landing gear and was designated the Avro 549M.
construction
The Avro 549 was a three-stemmed, braced biplane with folding wings of the same width. The wings consisted of a tubular steel frame construction covered with fabric. All four wings were provided with ailerons. There were two buoyancy aids on the top of the upper wings. The fuselage was a wooden structure clad with plywood in the cabin area, otherwise covered with fabric. The landing gear consisted of a rigid two-wheeled main landing gear and a rigid tail spur.
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Dates of the Aldershot III |
|---|---|
| length | 13.72 m |
| height | 4.65 m |
| span | 20.73 m |
| Wing area | 98.89 m² |
| Empty mass | 2862 kg |
| Max. Takeoff weight with full tank | 4882 kg |
| drive | a V12 Rolls-Royce Condor III engine with 485 kW (659 hp) |
| Top speed | 177 km / h |
| Marching speed | 148 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 4420 m |
| Range | approx. 1000 km |
| crew | 4th |
See also
literature
- AJ Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908 (Second ed.). Putnam, London 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8 .
- Francis K. Mason: The British Bomber since 1914. Putnam, London 1994, ISBN 0-85177-861-5 .
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
