Avro Curtiss-type
| Avro Curtiss-type | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Sport plane , seaplane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 19, 1911 |
| Number of pieces: |
1 |
The Avro Curtiss type was a single-seat biplanes - aircraft of the British manufacturer Avro .
General
In the early days of the company, Avro not only produced its own designs, but also built machines based on the model of competing aircraft on request.
In the summer of 1910, an aircraft based on the Farman machine model was initially made to order for a businessman from Bolton. However, this machine was powered by an Avro engine, just like a young lady from Belfast's machine that Avro supplied with parts for her own construction.
In 1911, at the request of a Captain Wakefield, Avro manufactured a machine based on the model of the American aircraft manufacturer Glenn Curtiss , already completely different in appearance from the usual Avro designs: with upper and lower wings of different span.
The machine, powered by an approx. 37 kW (approx. 51 HP) Gnome engine, was manufactured in the factory in Manchester and brought to the factory in Brooklands, where it took off on its first flight on June 19, 1911 and was flown in there.
On July 7, 1911, the plane was dismantled, taken to Windermere , the largest lake in England, and there by Capt. Wakefield converted into England's first real seaplane, if you disregard the short trials with the Avro Type D. The first water start took place on November 25, 1911. In the following period, the machine quickly became known to the public and was nicknamed "Lakes Water Bird".
There followed many successful flights with the water bird, which came to an abrupt end on the night of March 30, 1912, when a storm destroyed the hangar and the aircraft; the damage to the aircraft was irreparable. Some parts of the machine are still owned by the Wakefields in Windermere today.
The propeller was used in the "Water Hen", an aircraft that Capt. Wakefield built in late 1912.
construction
The Avro Curtiss-type was a two-legged biplane with an uncovered hull, which tapered to a point at the bow and stern. The wings consisted of a covered wooden structure. The landing gear consisted of an approximately 3.65 m long central float made of mahogany and 2 cylindrical support floats, attached to the wing tips of the lower wing.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 11.10 m |
| height | 2.84 m |
| span | upper surface: 12.50 m lower surface: 9.75 m |
| Wing area | upper area: 33.91 m² |
| Empty mass | approx. 345 kg |
| Takeoff mass | approx. 513 kg |
| drive | a gnome engine; approx. 37 kW (approx. 51 PS) |
| Top speed | approx. 72 km / h |
| Summit height | approx. 245 m |