British Aircraft Swallow
| British Aircraft Swallow | |
|---|---|
 British Aircraft Swallow II |
|
| Type: | Light aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
1933 |
| Commissioning: |
1933 |
| Production time: |
1933 to 1938 |
| Number of pieces: |
135 |
The British Aircraft Swallow , also British Klemm Swallow , was a light aircraft produced by the British manufacturer British Klemm Airplane Company . This type is a licensed and slightly modified replica of the Klemm Kl 25 developed by Klemm Leichtflugzeugbau GmbH .
history
With the Klemm Kl 25, Hans Klemm had developed a light aircraft that enjoyed great interest at home and abroad. A total of over 600 copies have been sold, some of them to owners from the United Kingdom . UK dealer Major EF Stephen saw further sales opportunities for the aircraft in the UK market. Stephen acquired the license rights for the Kl 25 and founded the British Klemm Airplane Company in 1933. The company, which was based at London Air Park in Hanworth , Middlesex , was to recreate the pattern. However, manufacturing in Great Britain required an adaptation of the design. The changes mainly consisted of adapting to British dimensions and standards. However, numerous customers at Klemm had also criticized the inadequate exchangeability of spare parts, which resulted from the more manual production at Klemm . Stephen tried to improve the dimensional accuracy of the parts and thus the interchangeability by adapting the design and production. At the same time, Stephen had structural reinforcements made to meet British airworthiness standards. The most noticeable difference, however, was the changed engine. The Pobjoy Cataract and the Salmson 9 were available as engines , both air-cooled radial engines and significantly more powerful than the Daimler aircraft engine originally used in the Class 25 .
The British Aircraft Swallow took off on its maiden flight from Hanworth in November 1933. 28 copies had been made by 1935.
In 1934, the company had launched a modern successor to the Swallow with the three-seater cabin low-wing aircraft British Klemm Eagle with retractable landing gear . In the following year, the company changed its name to British Aircraft Manufacturing , also to emphasize the independence of the Eagle's design . In the same year, an improved version of the Swallow , which was called Swallow II , was also released. It differed from its predecessor in its rounded surface ends and a modified shape of the top of the fuselage. In addition to the Pobjoy engine, the Blackburn Cirrus Minor was also an air-cooled in- line engine . A total of 107 copies of the Swallow II had been produced by the end of production in 1938.
construction
Like the Kl 25 , the Swallow was a wooden construction. The aircraft was designed as a cantilever low wing . The wings could be folded back to save space when parking and to be able to transport the aircraft more easily. The hull was completely covered with plywood. The surfaces and oars were covered with fabric. Pilot and passenger sat one behind the other in the fuselage. The low landing gear with a wide track was not retractable. The curb weight of the version with the Salmson engine was around 15 kg above the curb weight of the version with the Pobjoy engine. With the same maximum permissible total weight, the payload was lower. The manufacturer attached particular importance to the fact that the machine could easily be moved by one person on the ground.
variants
From 1933 to 1935, a total of 28 copies of the original Swallow were made. It can be easily distinguished from the successor by the straight edges of the surfaces and rudders, similar to the Kl 25 . The aircraft was motorized either with a Salmson 9 with 75 HP or a Pobjoy Cataract with 85 HP. In the version with the Salmson engine, only six copies were made.
The Swallow II was built in 107 copies from 1935 to 1938. Wing ends, trailing edge of the rudder and the end of the tailplane were more rounded or exposed than on the predecessor. The top of the fuselage was also changed. The Pobjoy Cataract with 85 HP or the Blackburn Cirrus Minor with 90 HP were available as engines. Of the total of 107 aircraft built, 60 got the Cataract engine, the rest the Cirrus.
commitment
The Swallow was considered to be a robust and safe aircraft. Most of the specimens were bought by private buyers who used the machine as a sport and light touring aircraft. But numerous flying clubs also procured the Swallow and used them as a training aircraft. Although it sold quite well, the Swallow never reached the popularity of the de Havilland DH60 , which was aimed at the same market segment and sold over two thousand times.
With the outbreak of the Second World War , numerous Swallow were confiscated by the Royal Air Force and used as training aircraft for beginner training with the Air Training Corps . Some of the Swallows joined the Glider Training Squadron in late 1940. This unit of the Royal Air Force, which was part of the Central Landing Establishment , was stationed at the RAF Ringway airfield near Manchester . The propellers of the Swallows have been removed, instead tow couplings have been attached to the leading edge of the wings. The Swallows were towed individually, in pairs or in groups of three by Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bombers withdrawn from the front line . With the aircraft, pinpoint landings were carried out on target points that were marked on the airfield. These tests served to validate possible uses of gliders for landing companies .
A Swallow was drafted by the Royal New Zealand Air Force in September 1939 and was used as a liaison aircraft until April 1940 .
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 1 |
| length | 8.0 m |
| span | 13.0 m |
| Empty mass | 424 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 683 kg |
| Top speed | 176 km / h |
| Cruising speed | 157 km / h |
| Landing speed | 51 km / h |
| Climb performance | 4 m / s |
| Range | 670 km |
| Engine |
Salmson 9 , air-cooled radial engine, 70-75 hp Pobjoy Cataract , air-cooled radial engine, 75–80 hp |
Whereabouts
About 17 swallow survived the Second World War, some of which are still preserved in an airworthy condition. Without exception, these are Swallow II .
See also
literature
- AJ Jackson: British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1 . London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10006-9 .
- RA Scholefield: Manchester Airport . Stroud: Sutton Publishing Ltd, 1998. ISBN 0-7509-1954-X .
- JRSmith and Antony L. Kay: German Aircraft of the Second World War . London: Putnam, 1972. ISBN 0-85177-836-4 .
- Peter Korell: England-Australia - The longest air race in the world . In: Flieger-Revue extra. Edition 6, Müller Buch und Zeitschriften Verlag, 2004.
Web links
- Photo Collection (English)
- Flight issue November 15, 1934 (English)
