Avro Andover (1924)
| Avro 561/563 Andover | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Type: | Airliner , air ambulance |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 1924 |
| Number of pieces: |
4th |
The Avro 561 Andover was a single-engine biplane made by the British manufacturer Avro , which was used as a passenger aircraft.
history
In the early 1920s, the British Air Force, the Royal Air Force (RAF), tendered a successor model for the outdated Airco DH10 , which served the Cairo - Baghdad liner service on the so-called "Desert Air Route". This is how Avro constructed the 561 Andover , a three-post biplane. It was designed so that it could be used as an ambulance transport machine in addition to passenger service.
The fuselage was a completely new design, but the foldable wings, landing gear and tail unit were already components used in the Avro 549 Aldershot . The fuselage, which was divided into three sections, was a fabric-covered tubular steel frame construction and held a total of twelve passengers (six on each side of the aisle) or six stretchers. The passenger section of the fuselage was lined with plywood . The pilot and navigator sat in the open cockpit just below the wing leading edge; there was a passage from the cockpit to the passenger cabin. The most striking features of the Andover were the two large clad fuel tanks on the upper wing and the two large-volume exhaust pipes of the Condor III engine.
The first flight of the Andover probably occurred in June 1924 the public was presented the first machine on June 28, 1924. Since the "Desert Air Route" was delivered to Imperial Airways, part of the RAF came ultimately not a contract for the series production of Andover , therefore, Avro produced only three copies of this type, which were given to the RAF in Halton.
Variant of Avro 563 Andover
Despite the lack of commercial success of the 561 , Avro developed a modified machine as a one-off with the type designation Avro 563 Andover . It was a minimally modified 561 with an additional washroom and a luggage compartment.
After test flights in March 1925 in Hamble and Gosport , the twelve-passenger aircraft was loaned to Imperial Airways and flew on a trial basis in the service of this company in the summer of 1925 in canal traffic. This made the 563 the first Avro aircraft to be used in scheduled service. The 563 was handed over to the RAF by Imperial Airways in January 1927.
Military use
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Avro 561 Andover | Avro 563 Andover |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 2 (pilot, navigator) | |
| Passengers | 12 or 6 stretchers | 12 |
| length | 15.62 m | 15.72 m |
| height | 4.65 m | 4.91 m |
| Wingspan / upper wing | 20.73 m | |
| Wing area | 98.70 m² | 98.88 m² |
| Empty mass | 3166 kg | 3084 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 5216 kg | 4847 kg |
| drive | a Rolls-Royce Condor III with an output of 485 kW (659 hp) | |
| Top speed | 177 km / h | |
| Cruising speed | 145 km / h | |
| Summit height | 4115 m | 3050 m |
| Rate of climb | unknown | 122 m / min |
| Range | approx. 740 km | unknown |
See also
literature
- AJ Jackson: Avro Aircraft since 1908. Putnam Aeronautical Books, London 1990, ISBN 0-85177-834-8 .
