| Airspeed | |
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HW100 - 45000
UAW55 - 105000 RRW100 - 175000 PKRR - 7500 |
Airspeed Ltd. avantgardey - nona / pani / moca / fuka / seira / nagano / ayane / oya / sono / harune / miyuu / macchan / aimu / kotone / kohana / chacha / ui. Airspeed Company type - Private Ltd Industry - Aeronautical engineering Founded - 1931 Defunct - 1951 Fate - Merged Successor - de Havilland Headquarters - Founded in York, England . moved to Portsmouth, England Key people - A.H. Tiltman / Nevil Shute Norway Products - Aircraft Parent - de Havilland (1940-1951) Airspeed Limited was established in 1931 to build aeroplanes in York, England, by A. H. Tiltman and Nevil Shute Norway (the aeronautical engineer and novelist, who used his forenames as his pen-name). The other directors were A. E. Hewitt, Lord Grimthorpe and Alan Cobham. Amy Johnson was also one of the initial subscribers for shares. Foundation Airspeed Ltd. was founded by Nevil Shute Norway (later to become a novelist as Nevil Shute) and designer Hessell Tiltman. In his autobiography, Slide Rule: Autobiography of an Engineer, Norway gives an account of the founding of the company and of the processes that led to the development and mass production of the Oxford. He received the Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society for his innovative fitting of a retractable undercarriage to aircraft. Early operations The AS.1 Tern, the first British high-performance glider (sailplane), was built to get publicity, and attract more capital, by setting British gliding records. A glider was able to fly in two or three months while the design office and workshop was being set up in half of an empty bus garage, on Piccadilly in York. Shute flew the Tern's first test flight. In 1932, Airspeed produced the AS.4 Ferry, a three-engined, ten-passenger biplane designed specifically for Sir Alan Cobham. In March 1933, the firm moved to Portsmouth where the City Council gave generous terms for a factory building constructed to Airspeed's requirements at the local airport. The first Airspeed Courier was flown from there in 1933, followed by the first of a twin-engined development of the Courier, the Airspeed Envoy, in 1934. Both the Courier and the Envoy were made in small numbers. In the same year, a long-range racing version of the Envoy, the AS.8 Viceroy, was developed for the England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race. In August 1934, Airspeed (1934) Limited made a public issue of shares, in association with the Tyneside ship builder Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Limited. In 1934, six Couriers had been sold to an operating company for a hire purchase deposit of £5 each. Managing director, Nevil Shute, wrote that they could come back to Airspeed and as an "obsolescent type" might not be so easy to sell again. He got a reputation as "unscrupulous" for resisting the auditors' attempt to write them down on the books because, with growing talk of war, civil aircraft of any size would "sell immediately". As the six were worth nearly twenty thousand pounds, writing them down to half that would add £10,000 to their loss, making the firm's proposed share issue a very unattractive investment. Shute could see from his office the four hundred workers in the "shop" with families depending on their jobs. In 1936, most of the unsold Couriers and Envoys were sold and found their way to the Spanish Civil War. The demonstration Envoy was sold to the Spanish Nationalists for £6000, paid for in cash (six £1000 Bank of England notes). In 1935, the sole Airspeed Viceroy was nearly sold to Ethiopia for use against Italian forces. In 1934, Shute negotiated with Anthony Fokker for a licensing agreement with Fokker. Shute found Fokker to be "genial, shrewd and helpful" but "already a sick man", and difficult to deal with because "his domestic life was irregular". Fokker worked "at all hours and in strange places". Frequently "his very efficient legal advisor and secretary could not tell us where he was". In 1935, Airspeed signed a manufacturing licensing agreement for the Douglas DC-2 and several Fokker types, with Fokker to be a consultant for seven years. Airspeed considered making the Fokker D.XVII fighter for Greece, which wanted to buy from Britain for currency reasons. Shute and a Fokker representative "who was well accustomed to methods of business in the Balkans", spent three weeks in Athens but did not close the deal. Shute recommended reading his novel Ruined City to find out what Balkan methods of business were. After a year, the drift to war, and their Air Ministry contracts, meant that the Dutch could not go to the Airspeed factory or board meetings. Wolseley engine All Airspeed aeroplanes under manufacture or development in 1936 were to use a Wolseley radial aero engine of about 250 horsepower (190 kW) which was under development by Nuffield, the Wolseley Scorpio. The project was abandoned in September 1936 after the expenditure of about two hundred thousand pounds when Lord Nuffield got the fixed price I.T.P. (Intention to Proceed) contract papers (which would have required re-orientation of their offices with an army of chartered accountants) and decided to deal only with the War Office and the Admiralty, not the Air Ministry. According to Nevil Shute Norway it was a very advanced engine (and the price struck Shute as low; much lower than competing engines on the basis of power-to-weight ratio), so its loss was a major disaster for Airspeed (and Britain). But when he asked Lord Nuffield to retain the engine, Nuffield said "I tell you, Norway ... I sent that I.T.P. thing back to them, and I told them they could put it where the monkey put the nuts!" Shute wrote that the loss of the Wolseley engine due to the over-cautious high civil servants of the Air Ministry was a great loss to Britain. Shute said that "admitting Air Ministry methods of doing business ... would be like introducing a maggot into an apple ... Better to stick to selling motor vehicles for cash to the War Office and the Admiralty who retained the normal methods of buying and selling." Second World War In June, 1940, formal announcement was made that the de Havilland Aircraft Co., Ltd., had completed negotiations for the purchase from Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd., of that firm's holding of Airspeed ordinary shares. Airspeed retained its identity as a separate company though as a wholly-owned subsidiary of de Havilland. Around 1943, presumably to reduce the risk of Luftwaffe bombing, a new dispersed design office was opened at Fairmile Manor in Cobham, Surrey; little is known of this establishment and nothing survives there today. Airspeed's most productive period was during the Second World War. The graceful, twin-engined trainer-cum-light transport aircraft known as the AS.10 Oxford had a production run exceeding 8,500. 3,800 AS51 and AS58 Horsa military gliders were built for the Royal Air Force and its allies. Many of these made one-way journeys into occupied France as part of the D-Day landings, and later the Netherlands for the Arnhem landing, towed from England behind aircraft such as the Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Halifax. Postwar operations The company reverted to the company name of Airspeed Limited on 25 January 1944. Postwar it converted over 150 surplus ex-RAF Oxford aircraft as AS65 Consuls for the commercial market. Airspeed went on to produce the superbly streamlined pressurised twin-engined piston airliner called the AS57 Ambassador. This served successfully for some years with British European Airways as their "Elizabethan Class". In 1951 Airspeed Limited was fully merged with de Havilland who then cancelled further development of the Ambassador, although the Ambassador fleet continued in service with smaller airlines such as Dan-Air until 1971. The original York factory was demolished in November 2015. Aircraft AS.1 Tern - (1931) Glider (sailplane); built to get publicity by breaking British gliding records (Two built; plus parts for third, which were sold) AS.4 Ferry - (5 April 1932) Three-engine biplane transport aircraft, four built AS.5 Courier - (1 April 1933) Single-engine low-wing monoplane passenger transport with retractable undercarriage of conventional configuration, 16 built AS.6 Envoy - (26 June 1934) Two-engine development of the Courier, 60 built AS.8 Viceroy - (August 1934) Variant of Envoy, adapted for long-range flight. One aircraft was built AS.10 Oxford - (19 June 1937) Larger two-engine development of Envoy, built in large numbers in the Second World War AS.16 Projected licence production of Fokker F.XXII, none built AS.20 Projected licence production of Fokker F.XXXVI, none built AS.22 Projected licence production of Fokker C.X, none built AS.30 Queen Wasp - (11 June 1937) Single-engine single-seat biplane target drone aircraft, seven built AS.39 Fleet Shadower - (18 October 1940) Four-engine high-wing monoplane maritime patrol aircraft prototype. Two aircraft were ordered; one was completed AS.45 Cambridge - (19 February 1941) Single-engine two-seater low-wing monoplane trainer aircraft with retractable undercarriage of conventional configuration (Two aircraft were built) AS.51 Horsa I - (12 September 1941) Large troop-carrying glider; 2,245 built including seven prototypes AS.57 Ambassador - (10 July 1947) Two-engine high-wing piston engine airliner, 23 built AS.58 Horsa II Variant of Horsa with openable nose section for front loading; 1,561 built AS.65 Consul - (March 1946) Civilian conversion of wartime Oxford; 161 were converted in 1946-48 Airspeed Ambassador in service with British European Airways in 1953 Airspeed Horsa cockpit List of Airspeed aircraft This is a list of aircraft produced or proposed by Airspeed Limited a British aircraft manufacturer from 1931 to 1951. List of aircraft and projects Model - Name - First flight - Remarks AS.1 - Tern - 1931 - Sailplane AS.2 - _ - _ - Glider project AS.3 - _ - _ - Two-seat monoplane project AS.4 - Ferry - 1932 - Ten-seat biplane AS.5 - Courier - 1933 - Five-seat monoplane AS.6 - Envoy - 1934 - Six-seat monoplane AS.7 - _ - _ - Projected military variants of the Envoy AS.8 - Viceroy - 1934 - Racing variant of the Envoy AS.9 - _ - _ - Eight-gun fighter project AS.10 - Oxford - 1937 - Twin-engined advanced trainer AS.11 - Courier - _ - Projected all-metal variant for the Canadian-market AS.12 - _ - _ - Four-engined aircraft project AS.14 - Ambassador - _ - Twin-engined 16-seat transport AS.15 - _ - _ - Bomber project AS.16 - _ - _ - Planned licence build of Fokker F.XXII four-engine transport AS.17 - _ - _ - Planned licence build of Fokker D.XVII single-seat fighter for Greece AS.18 - _ - _ - Projected variant of the AS.17 AS.19 - _ - _ - Fokker D.XIX single-seat fighter AS.20 - _ - _ - Planned licence build of Fokker F.XXXVI transport AS.21 - _ - _ - Fokker D.XX single-seat fighter AS.22 - _ - _ - Fokker C.X two-seat fighter AS.23 - _ - _ - Planned licence-built Douglas DC-2. None manufactured AS.24 - _ - _ - Mailplane variant of the AS.14 AS.26 - _ - _ - Gun-carrying biplane AS.27 - Irvine biplanes (2) - 1936 (August) - Special defence-aircraft to Specification 38/35, two prototypes ordered by the Air Ministry but not built (Carrying a winch with 2000 feet of steel cable, to be released above cloud so that enemy bombers would not know where to expect barrage cables) (The scheme was abandoned) AS.28 - _ - _ - Twin-engined passenger transport AS.29 - _ - _ - Bomber to Specification B.1/35 AS.30 - Queen Wasp - 1937 - Radio-controlled target to Specification 32/35 AS.31 - _ - _ - Twin-boom rear mounted cockpit fighter project to Specification F.35/35 AS.32 - _ - _ - Airliner project AS.33 - _ - _ - 24-seat airliner project AS.34 - _ - _ - Airliner project AS.35 - _ - _ - Airliner project AS.36 - _ - _ - Two-seat trainer to Specification T.1/37 AS.37 - _ - _ - Radio-controlled flying boat target to specification Q.8/37 AS.38 - _ - _ - Variant of the AS.30 for communications duties AS.39 - Fleet Shadower - 1939 - Naval observation aircraft to Specification S.23.37 AS.40 - Oxford - 1938 - Radio-research variant of the Oxford AS.41 - _ - _ - Experimental Leonides-powered variant of the Oxford AS.42 - Oxford - 1938 - Variant of the Oxford for New Zealand to specification T.39/37 AS.43 - Oxford - 1938 - Survey variant of the AS.42 AS.44 - _ - _ - Oxford replacement project AS.45 - Cambridge - 1941 - Single-engined trainer to Specification T.4/39 AS.46 - Oxford V - 1942 - Winterised variant of the Oxford AS.47 - _ - _ - Twin-boom bomber project AS.48 - _ - _ - Single-seat night fighter project AS.49 - _ - _ - Single-seat fighter/trainer to Specification T.24/40 AS.50 - Queen Wasp - _ - Production aircraft AS.51 - Horsa I - 1941 - Troop-carrying glider AS.52 - Horsa - 1941 - Bomb-carrying glider AS.53 - _ - _ - Vehicle transport variant of the Horsa AS.54 - _ - _ - Two-seat training glider to Specification TX.3/43 AS.55 - _ - _ - Freighter project AS.56 - _ - _ - Single-seat fighter to Specification F.6/42 AS.57 - Ambassador - 1947 - Airliner AS.58 - Horsa II - 1943 - Vehicle transport glider AS.59 - Ambassador II - _ - Re-engined Ambassador project AS.60 - Ayrshire - _ - Military transport variant of the Ambassador to Specification C.13/45 AS.61 - _ - _ - Dakota I conversions AS.62 - _ - _ - Dakota II conversions AS.63 - _ - _ - Dakota III conversions AS.64 - _ - _ - Military transport variant of the Ambassador to Specification C.26/43 AS.65 - Consul - 1946 - Civil version of the Oxford AS.66 - _ - _ - Freighter variant of the Ambassador AS.67 - _ - _ - Freighter variant of the Ambassador Airspeed AS.5 Courier A Charles E. Brown in-flight view of an Airspeed As.10 Oxford Airspeed Horsa Mk.1 Airspeed Queen Wasp Airspeed AS.65 Consul Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy Airspeed Eland Ambassador at Farnborough 1955 Airspeed AS.39 FleetShadower prototype Airspeed AS.4 Ferry on approach Airspeed AS.10 Oxford at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Airspeed Tern (Airspeed AS.1 Tern) AS.1 Tern Role - Sailplane National origin - United Kingdom Manufacturer - Airspeed Limited Designer - Hessell Tiltman & Nevil Shute Norway First flight - 1931 Introduction - 1931 Number built - 2 The Airspeed AS.1 Tern was a 1930s British glider aircraft, the first aircraft built by Airspeed Limited at York and one of the earliest British-designed gliders. Development The Tern was designed by Hessell Tiltman & Nevil Shute Norway to gain records and publicity for the new Airspeed company, as well as to attract orders for new aircraft. Designed for hill- and cloud-soaring, the Tern was a wood-and-fabric cantilever monoplane. It was designed to be dismantled and was advertised for sale at £248. Only two examples were built. Shute himself was the pilot on the Tern's first test flight. On 24 August 1931 the Tern was flown by Carli Magersuppe from Stoupe Brow, Ravenscar to Scarborough to gain the first British distance record of 8.3 miles (13.4 km). The glider flew a total of 16 miles (26 km) but only the straight-line distance counted towards the record. The Tern was constructed of wood with a fabric-covered two-spar cantilevered tapered wing with no dihedral. A plywood leading edge was fitted but only as an aerodynamic fairing and not as primary structure. The trapezoidal-section fuselage had plywood lower sides and fabric-covered top decking as well as a generous cockpit in the leading edge of the centre-section. The Tern had some success in establishing gliding records but only one was completed and parts for one more were produced. After languishing through the Second World War the Tern was re-built, using parts from both airframes, but did little flying. Specifications (Data from Sailplane and Glider) General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m) Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m) Wing area: 201 sq ft (18.7 m2) Aspect ratio: 12.44 Empty weight: 223 lb (101 kg) Gross weight: 415 lb (188.24 kg) Performance Maximum speed: 70 mph (112 km/h, 60 kn) (launch / tow) Cruise speed: 40 mph (65 km/h, 35 kn) Stall speed: 25 mph (40 km/h, 22 kn) Lift-to-drag: 25 (theoretical) Wing loading: 2.06 lb/sq ft (10.05 kg/m2) Airspeed Ferry (Airspeed AS.4 Ferry) AS.4 Ferry Role - Ten-Passenger Airliner Manufacturer - Airspeed Limited Designer - N.S. Norway/A. H. Tiltman First flight - 5 April 1932 Introduction - 1932 Retired - Late 1941 Number built - Four The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was three-engined ten-seat biplane airliner designed and built by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited. It was the company's first powered aircraft to be produced. It was proposed for development in April 1931, shortly following Airspeed's founding. The Ferry was designed specifically for Alan Cobham's National Aviation Day events, performing 'air-experience' flights for the general public. On 5 April 1932, the prototype performed its maiden flight. Only four examples were produced at the company's facilities in York during the early 1930s. Two aircraft served with the Royal Air Force during the opening years of the Second World War, although largely being used as instructional airframes. Development The origins of the Airspeed Ferry can be traced back to the company's first post-formation board meeting, held on 17 April 1931. Aviation innovator and Airspeed director Sir Alan Cobham sought a compact multi-engined airliner to perform 'air-experience' flights in Cobham's National Aviation Day displays. Amongst the requirements for such an aircraft was an extraordinary short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability for the era due to the austere airstrips common at the time, which were often little more than fields. During June of that same year, an initial order for a pair of aircraft, each being priced at £5,195 and for delivery ten months later, was placed with Airspeed. Both the design and construction work were undertaken at Airspeed's York facilities. Work proceeded to schedule, with the prototype being conveyed to Sherburn-in-Elmet Aerodrome in March 1932 ahead of the type's maiden flight. To avoid the time and cost involved in its dismantling and reassembly, the prototype was instead towed in a completed state to the aerodrome, despite the risks and challenges involved, leading to the aircraft being escorted by local police. On 5 April 1932, the first aircraft, G-ABSI Youth of Britain II, performed its maiden flight, piloted by H. V. Warrall. According to the aviation author H. A. Taylor, there were only two serious faults identified during this initial 19-minute flight, these being a marginally overbalanced rudder and the weight distribution being offset towards the nose, both being quickly remedied. The prototype was determined to be within envisioned limits, including its weight, thus it was loaded to its maximum gross weight of 5,400 lb (2,400 kg) and flown three days later. This time, its takeoff performance was less than had been hoped, thus it was refitted with finer-pitch propellers that improved its takeoff and climb performance when it flew again one day later. The certification process, which took four days to complete, revealed minor matters with the exhaust manifold as well as a sheared bolt on the undercarriage. Design The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was an unusual biplane airliner designed around the needs of Alan Cobham, one of the company's directors. It featured an unorthodox configuration, particularly the mounting of its third engine in the centre section of the upper wing, an arrangement which was principally adopted to provide the pilot with superior external visibility, although it also presented some aerodynamic benefits as well. The three engines installed upon the Ferry consisted of a pair of de Havilland Gipsy IIs mounted upon the upper surface of the lower wing, while the engine installed upon the upper wing was an inverted de Havilland Gipsy III instead. While the fuel tanks of the Ferry had sufficient size for around five hours of flight at cruising speeds, to best suit its air-experience role, the tanks were only ever partially filled, else it wouldn't be able to carry its maximum capacity of ten passengers. The Ferry was a biplane with equal-span wings, both of which were positioned high relative to the fuselage, with the lower wing being aligned with the top of the fuselage. According to Alan Cobham, this arrangement was to provide the passengers with an unobstructed view of the ground. The structure of the aircraft was conventional and largely composed of spruce and plywood, featuring monocoque construction across the fuselage. The wings were supported by box spars paired with wooden flanges and steel tubes for key areas such as the compression drag struts. While the Ferry had been designed specifically for short-haul pleasure flying, the design team made provisions towards its use in other roles, such as a longer distance airliner carrying five or six passengers with luggage. Despite having ten seats, which necessitated the fitting of a radio under British regulations of the era, it was certified for local flying without any radio present. To enable a faster turnaround, relatively rapid refuelling was facilitated via a pipeline to the tank from the side of the fuselage. An unusual feature of the design, believed to provide a beneficial ground-cushioning effect as well as possibly additional lift, was the aerofoil-section fairings present on the split-axle undercarriage. Operational history On 24 April, delivery of the prototype officially took place; it made the type's first public appearance following month. The prototype was quickly followed by the second aircraft, G-ABSJ Youth of Britain III. Both aircraft were used as envisioned for Cobham's air-experience flights, attracting large numbers of the public to ride in them. According to the aviation periodical Flight, within their first season of operation alone, the two aircraft had carried around 92,000 passengers. This was achieved via a particularly fast turnaround rate, taking as little as 30 seconds, while refuelling only took one and a half minutes. In 1940, following the outbreak of the Second World War, the first aircraft (G-ABSI) was impressed into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and given the military registration AV968. It was active at RAF Halton until November 1940, after which it saw use as an instructional airframe, registered as 2758M. The second aircraft received repairable damage from a crash in July 1932, only one month after its delivery. During 1934, the second aircraft was sold in India to Himalaya Air Transport and Survey Company Limited as VT-AFO. For around six months, it was used to ferry pilgrims from Haridwar to Gaucher. However, it was destroyed by vandals in a hangar fire in 1936. The third (G-ACBT) and fourth (G-ACFB) aircraft were built for the Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Ltd and used on services from Renfrew to Campbeltown, Belfast and Speke. However, these services were suspended after roughly 18 months of operation on 30 September 1934 due to the closure of the company, after which both aircraft were put up for sale. G-ACBT was not sold and was dismantled in 1941. G-ACFB returned to England to be used for pleasure flying for Air Publicity Ltd. It was pressed into service with the RAF in 1941 and later saw use as an instructional airframe. While Airspeed promoted the Ferry for sale at £3,975, and negotiations with prospective customers such as Hillman's Airways were undertaken, no further examples were built. This was in part due to competition from other contemporary airliners, such as the de Havilland Dragon, which typically offered higher cruising speeds. Operators Civil operators 1. British India - Himalaya Air Transport and Survey Company Ltd 2. United Kingdom - Air Publicity Ltd - Midland & Scottish Air Ferries Ltd - National Aviation Day Displays Ltd - C.W.A. Scott's Flying Displays Ltd - Portsea, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd - Sir Alan Cobham - C.W.A. Scott Military operators 1. United Kingdom - Royal Air Force - Halton Station Flight Specifications (Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919: Volume I) General characteristics Crew: 1 Capacity: 10 passengers Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m) Wingspan: 55 ft 0 in (16.76 m) Height: 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m) Wing area: 610.5 sq ft (56.72 m2) Empty weight: 3,300 lb (1,497 kg) Max takeoff weight: 5,400 lb (2,449 kg) Powerplant: 3 × de Havilland Gipsy II and III air-cooled inline piston, 120 hp (89 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 112 mph (180 km/h, 97 kn) Cruise speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn) Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn) Range: 340 mi (550 km, 300 nmi) Service ceiling: 15,500 ft (4,700 m) Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s) G-ABSI, the first Airspeed Ferry, in flight The Airspeed Ferry "Youth of Africa", formerly "Youth of Britain III" in 1933 Airspeed Courier (Airspeed AS.5 Courier) AS.5 Courier Role - 5/6-seat light transport Manufacturer - Airspeed Designer - A. H. Tiltman First flight - 10 April 1933 Primary user - London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd Number built - 16 The Airspeed AS.5 Courier was a British six-seat single-engined light aircraft that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited at Portsmouth. It has the distinction of being the first British aircraft fitted with a retractable undercarriage to go into quantity production. Initial development work on the Courier started in 1931, being envisioned as an advanced aircraft intended primarily for private owner-pilots. Its ambitious design, including its unorthodox undercarriage, attracted the attention of the British aviation pioneer, Sir Alan Cobham, who saw it as a suitable aircraft for demonstrating his airborne refuelling techniques for long distances flights. Following the order's confirmation in August 1932, a single prototype was constructed, performing its maiden flight on 10 April 1933. The Courier quickly proved itself to be a sound design as well as capable of laudable performance, encouraging Airspeed to commence quantity production months later. The Courier was primarily purchased by civilian customers, being used as an early airliner, racing aircraft and flying testbed. It was also used as a communications aircraft by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Only a single aircraft flew briefly in the postwar era. Development Origins As the development effort on the Airspeed Ferry airliner was drawing to a close during 1931, company co-founder Hessell Tiltman was keen for the firm to commence another project. Prior to this, Airspeed's design team has exchanged several rough ideas for a conceptual aircraft suitable for use by private owners; it was asserted that, in comparison with existing models on the market, a modern aircraft for the role ought to be more useful and spacious, with sufficient capacity to accommodate five or six people at a time. Early drafts of what would become the Courier were produced and presented by Tiltman to Airspeed's board, who gave their authorisation for further work during November 1931. According to the aviation author H.A. Taylor, the decision to incorporate a retractable undercarriage upon the aircraft is believed to have been inspired from the similar sized Lockheed Orion, although Taylor also observes that this attribution may be apocryphal. During this era, while some figures felt that the choice led to an increase in aerodynamic performance as well as aesthetic appeal via its cleaner exterior, there were critics within British aviation circles that doubted the economic value of adopting this approach in light of the more complex mechanisms needed for retraction and deployment. Tiltman envisioned the aircraft as being relatively speedy and advanced amongst its peers, and that it could also be a suitable medium-sized transport in addition to its use by private owners. Airspeed's efforts had coincided with those of another British aviation pioneer, Sir Alan Cobham, who was seeking out a suitable aircraft to carry out a log distance flight to India, which was to flown non-stop by using his early airborne refuelling techniques to demonstrate their practicality. As early as April 1932, talks between Airspeed, Cobham, and Lord Wakefield was underway, leading to a provisional contract being issued for a single aircraft on 6 May 1932. While Cobham and his benefactors were willing to pay £10,000 for this initial aircraft, including its single Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine, they also insisted on a demanding timetable, including the aircraft's delivery by 6 April 1933, along with stringent penalty clauses if development fell behind. There was also concerns amongst Airspeed's board over the project; Lord Grimthorpe was pessimistic over the use of a retractable undercarriage, having allegedly been influenced by external detractors. However, Tiltman vigorously defended the value of the design choice, and was backed by several other board members, this the feature was retained. The arrangements between Cobham and Airspeed were confirmed in full during August 1932, leading to construction of the prototype Courier commencing at Airspeed's York facility during the following month, despite the design not being finalised until October 1932. Into flight The prototype was built and tested at a relatively high speed in order that the aircraft could be delivered to Cobham as soon as practical. In particular, the fabrication of its undercarriage had overwhelmingly needed original components that were designed and built internally due to a lack of part availability in the supply chain. Airspeed relocated from York to Portsmouth in early 1933, necessitating the prototype being moved via road to the company's new facility. Following its reassembly, the prototype Courier G-ABXN performed its maiden flight on 10 April 1933, piloted by George Stainforth of the Royal Aircraft Establishment. The initial flight tests were performed without the engine's cowling being present, yet the prototype still achieved performance close to that which had been estimated for the finalised design, including its maximum speed of 160 MPH. Suitably impressed by its early performance, later flights were frequently observed by members of rival British aircraft manufacturers. During the test flight programme, the prototype sustained two minor accidents, in April 1933 at Portsmouth and in June 1933 at RAF Martlesham Heath, being quickly repaired after both occasions. Having gained confidence in the design's attributes by the prototype's relatively smooth testing experience, Airspeed opted to commenced quantity production of the Courier during the summer of 1933. On 4 September 1933, the first production aircraft of an initial batch of three was delivered to the type's appointed distributor Air Exchange and Mart, who promptly used on a demonstration flight to Scotland along with further promotion flights aimed at encouraging sales. By December of that year, two basic versions of the aircraft were on offer, one tailored for the domestic market and the other intended for overseas use amongst the colonies of the British Empire. Design The Airspeed Courier was a wooden low-wing cantilever cabin monoplane, incorporating numerous advanced features for the era. One such novelty was its use of a retractable undercarriage; this was a patented innovation internally developed by Airspeed, to which the company would subsequently earn revenue from when it was adopted upon other aircraft such as the Airspeed Oxford. It was estimated that the additional weight of the mechanism for retracting and deploying the undercarriage amounted to 30lb, while an increase in cruising speed of 20 MPH was achieved via reduced drag. Actuation was performed by the pilot via a hand-driven hydraulic pump. According to Taylor, the undercarriage generated considerable attention amongst the aviation press early on. Other aspects of the aircraft, such as its structural design, were relatively conventional. The wing's centre section was integral with the fuselage, while the outer wing's structure comprised a pair of spruce box spurs joined with ply former ribs. The wing had a fabric covering, aside from the leading edge; while the fuselage comprised a plywood exterior supported by welded tubes. The tailplane featured a cantilever fin, and was adjustable via a screw jack mechanism. The Courier was designed to be customised for both long-distance and short-distance operations; customers were offered two alternative fuel tankage arrangements, one accommodated 28 gallons between a tank in the wing's center section while the other spread a total of 66 gallons across a pair of center section tanks and a header tank. However, the prototype was equipped with an even-greater fuel capacity of 275 gallons, although the aircraft couldn't takeoff with so much fuel due to being significantly overweight, thus this expanding capacity could only ever be fully exploited mid-flight via aerial refuelling. Multiple powerplants were also offered; while the Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine was promoted for domestic use, the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah radial engine was also used upon most Couriers. Production and operations While the prototype did not manage Cobham's original deadline of 6 April 1933, he was not ready to perform his long-distance flight for some time either. Following roughly one year of practise to perfect his airborne refuelling technique, Cobham took off from Portsmouth in the prototype Courier on an attempted flight to India on 24 September 1934, during which he successfully refuelled from a Handley Page W.10 while doing so; however, Cobham was compelled to conduct a forced landing at Malta on account of a broken throttle. Despite this outcome, the practicality of his aerial refuelling practices had been successfully proven, and would continue to be refined in subsequent years. Between 1933 and 1934, Airspeed manufactured a total of 15 production grade Couriers. They were sold to civilian customers who used them for a variety of purposes, including its use as a compact airliner and as an air taxi. Early on, several different firms attempted early airline routes using the aircraft. The Courier was also popular for a time amongst the air racing sector of the market; one aircraft (the first production aircraft) came in sixth place in the MacRobertson Air Race between Great Britain and Australia during late 1934. Shute wrote in Slide Rule that six Couriers came back to the company when their operating company suspended operations but shortly after that the Spanish Civil War broke out and the machines all sold immediately to various intermediaries for better than the original prices, and all went by devious routes to Spain. He had got a reputation as unscrupulous for resisting the auditors’ attempt to write their value down on the books; see Airspeed Ltd. In 1936, a gun-running organization, Union Founders' Trust, bought five Couriers with the intention of selling them for use by the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. However, protests from the non-interference lobby in England stopped delivery. Two Republican sympathisers on the Airspeed staff made an abortive attempt to steal G-ACVE. One of them, Arthur Gargett, died when it crashed after taking off at Portsmouth on 20 August 1936; the other, Joseph Smith, was sentenced to four months in prison. Owing to its advanced aerodynamics, two Couriers were used as research aircraft, one by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and one by Napier's, who used it for development of the Napier Rapier engine. The RAE aircraft was modified by Airspeed via the addition of high-lift devices and drag inducers, along with modified controls, for testing purposes. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the majority of the surviving Couriers were impressed into the Royal Air Force (RAF), where they were typically used for communications purposes. Only a single Courier survived the conflict, and was briefly used for joyriding flights at Southend-on-Sea prior to being scrapped during December 1947. Variants AS.5 Courier Prototype - 240 hp (179 kW) 240 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC. AS.5A Courier Main production type - 240 hp (179 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC. AS.5B Courier Fitted with more powerful 277 hp (207 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V engine. Two built. AS.5C Courier One aircraft, registered G-ACNZ was bought as an engine testbed by Napier - Powered by 325 hp (242 kW) Napier Rapier IV engine. Accidents and incidents On 29 September 1934, G-ACSY of London, Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd crashed at Shoreham, Kent, United Kingdom, killing all four people on board and injuring two on the ground. Operators 1. United Kingdom - Air Taxis Ltd - Channel Airways - Cobham Air Routes - London, Scottish & Provincial Airways - North Eastern Airways - Air Transport Auxiliary - No. 3 Ferry Pilots Pool - Royal Air Force Specification (Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919) General characteristics Crew: 1 Capacity: Five passengers Length: 28 ft 6 in (8.69 m) Wingspan: 47 ft 0 in (14.33 m) Height: 8 ft 9 in (2.67 m) Wing area: 250 sq ft (23 m2) Empty weight: 2,344 lb (1,063 kg) Gross weight: 3,900 lb (1,769 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC air-cooled seven-cylinder radial engine, 240 hp (180 kW) Performance Maximum speed: 153 mph (246 km/h, 133 kn) Cruise speed: 132 mph (212 km/h, 115 kn) Range: 635 mi (1,022 km, 552 nmi) Service ceiling: 13,500 ft (4,100 m) Rate of climb: 730 ft/min (3.7 m/s) Airspeed Courier A5.5 G-ACJL, pictured on 1934 MacRobertson England - Australia Air Race Airspeed AS.5 Courier 3-view drawing from NACA-AC-178 Airspeed Envoy AS.6 Envoy Role - Transport National origin - United Kingdom Manufacturer - Airspeed Ltd Designer - A. H. Tiltman First flight - 26 June 1934 Introduction - 1934 Retired - 1951 Produced - 1934-1939 Number built - 52 Variants - Airspeed Viceroy / Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a twin-engined light transport aircraft designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. The Envoy originated as a heavier twin-engine derivative of Airspeed's Courier light transport aircraft. Sharing much of its design with this earlier aircraft, it was relatively easy to develop; confidence in the project was so high that within a week of the prototype's maiden flight, it was performing as a display aircraft to the public. Quantity production of the Envoy had been initiated even before this first flight. Early on, Airspeed worked closely with the British engine manufacturer Wolseley Motors as both a key supplier and early custom of the Envoy; development subsequently branched out to a wide variety of engines and configurations. The majority of Envoys were produced by Airspeed at their facility at Portsmouth Aerodrome, Hampshire. The type was also produced overseas in Japan by Mitsubishi following the acquisition of a licence at the company's Nagoya factory; it was locally known as the Mitsubishi Hinazuru-type Passenger Transport. While many customers of the Envoy were in the civilian sector, where it was used for a variety of purposes from air racing to operating as an airliner, it also found an audience with military operators. The Convertible Envoy was developed for South Africa, which sought a model that could be rapidly reconfigured between civilian and military duties, being outfitted for use as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft for the latter capacity. The Envoy served as the basis for the Airspeed Oxford, a militarised trainer aircraft operated in large numbers by the Allies in and around the Second World War. Development During the early 1930s, Airspeed successfully introduced the innovative Courier, the first British aircraft to feature a retractable undercarriage. Very quickly following the first flight, the company's management recognised that a logical follow-up project would be an enlarged derivative powered by twin engines, involving considerably less design work than an equivalent clean sheet initiative. The design effort was headed by co-founder A. H. (Hessell) Tiltman; during November 1933, Airspeed's board authorised the project to proceed. By January 1934, six aircraft, including the prototype, were at various stages of construction. On 26 June 1934, the prototype, G-ACMT, performed its maiden flight, piloted by C. H. A. Colman. One week later, confidence in the prototype was so high that Airspeed decided to dispatch it for its first public appearance, an exhibition by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) at Hendon. By September 1934, the prototype was undergoing airworthiness certification testing at RAF Martlesham Heath. Furthermore, work was progressing well on a specialised racing variant of the aircraft, the Airspeed Viceroy. Originally, Airspeed worked closely with British engine manufacturer Wolseley Motors on the Envoy; it was originally designed to work with the latter's Wolseley Aries engine. This partnership involved, amongst other aspects, the first two Envoys being sold to Wolseley and its owner Lord Nuffield. The prototype, and several early production aircraft, were powered by Aries engines; however, the prototype was subsequently reengined with the Wolseley Scorpio (amongst other changes) during early 1936. Wolseley abruptly decided to cease aircraft engine manufacture in September 1936 as a result of the bureaucratic requirements of the Air Ministry being considered excessive by Lord Nuffield. Accordingly, Airspeed decided to adapt the aircraft to work with a variety of different engines. This decision led to customers being offered a choice of various engines to power their aircraft; these powerplants included the Aries, Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC radial engines. Early on, Airspeed promoted the Envoy by entering individual aircraft in air races and performing numerous long-distance flights. The specialised Viceroy derivative, being tailored towards racing, was used in this promotional campaign as well. Production of the Envoy was produced in three distinct series; initial production aircraft lacked several of the features present on later-built examples, such as trailing edge flaps. Seventeen Series I Envoys were completed, followed by thirteen Series II aircraft (equipped with split flaps) and the improved Series III, of which nineteen were constructed. Akin to the preceding Courier, a 'colonial' model of the Envoy was developed for overseas customers. Design The Airspeed Envoy was a twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane of all-wood construction apart from fabric covered control surfaces. It had a rearward retracting main undercarriage with a fixed tailwheel. Having been designed from the onset as a twin-engined development of the company's earlier Courier, numerous commonalities were shared between the two aircraft, including near-identical wooden construction, the same outer wing panels and the main undercarriage. The airframe had a plywood exterior while the structure was composed of wood as well and was considered to be conventional for the era. In a typical configuration, the cabin could accommodate eight passengers along with a single pilot, while the Envoy's normal fuel capacity was 78 gallons, accommodated within a pair of aluminium tanks in the centre section. A separate aft compartment was normally used to store baggage, accessible via an exterior door on the starboard side of the aircraft. If the optional lavatory was installed, a reduced maximum capacity of six passengers was necessary. Passenger access to the cabin was via a single door on the port side of the aircraft. The wing of Envoy changed between models, with early-built aircraft not featuring flaps unlike later production models. It also featured outboard extension wings, which could optionally accommodate a pair of additional 30 gallon fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range. The wing's center section was integral with the aircraft's semi-monocoque fuselage, possessing an aspect ratio of 8.16, a mean dihedral of 5 degrees, and an incidence of 2 degrees at the fuselage. The Envoy was powered by a range of engines across its various models. While initial aircraft were furnished with a pair of Wolseley Aries engines, other models were equipped with powerplants such as the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V and Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC radial engines. Regardless of the engine used, each was accommodated within an appropriate cowling, typically a short chord Townend ring, but also wider chord cowlings with and without blisters for cylinder heads. Operational history Civilian use The first production Envoy I, G-ACVH, flew in October 1934 and was used as a company demonstrator. The second, also a Series I but fitted with Wolseley Aries III radial engines, was delivered to Lord Nuffield. This aircraft was due to fly in the MacRobertson Air Race from England to Australia in 1934 but the aircraft was damaged and withdrawn from the race. Another aircraft, a specially modified version with long-range tanks (the AS 8 Viceroy) reached as far as Athens before leaving the race due to damage. A single Envoy participated in the Schlesinger Race to Johannesburg, but crashed midway through, killing two of its crew. Numerous early airlines adopted the Envoy for their fleets. The British company North Eastern Airways was the first to use the type as an airliner; multiple Envoys were used by the firm, which encountered difficulties on some routes due to limited passenger demand and navigation difficulties, leading to its discontinuation in 1938. The Indian operator Tata Air Service operated a single Envoy on a demonstration flight between Bombay (known as Mumbai today) and Calcutta (since re-spelt as Kolkata) on 25 February 1935 to validate the viability of air mail service between the two cities. Amongst the more successful airlines to operate the Envoy was Japan Air Transport Co. (NKYKK - Nihon Koku Yuso KK) and the Czechoslovakian firm Czech Airlines (CSA), the latter having ordered four Envoys to launch its operations with on 1 October 1935. Orders for the Envoy came from a wide variety of customers, many of which were distributed across the British Empire. A pair of aircraft were delivered to the Ansett Airlines in Australia. The Spanish company Commercial Air Hire acquired one of the early-build Envoys for civilian purposes; it was subsequently impressed into military service along with several Envoys during the Spanish Civil War. Two Envoys were used as the personal aircraft of separate Chinese governors; one of these may have been operated in a military capacity. During May 1937, the King's Flight took delivery of a single Envoy III as a replacement for a de Havilland Dragon Rapide; this aircraft received the registration G-AEXX and was painted in distinctive red and blue colours. Through the mid to late 1930s, several overseas companies entered negotiations with Airspeed with the aim of acquiring a licence to produce the Envoy themselves. The Japanese company Mitsubishi successfully did so, producing it as the Mitsubishi Hinazuru-type Passenger Transport. The Austrian firm Hirtenberger also secured a licence to locally manufacture the aircraft, while other entities, such as a Yugoslavian venture, also made efforts to secure similar accommodations. Military use The Envoy also saw military use, being adopted by the air arms of different countries. The aircraft was used in quantity by the Air Forces of Spain, Japan, South Africa, Finland, China, and the United Kingdom, along with several additional nations. Seven Envoys were ordered for joint use by the South African Air Force (SAAF) and South African Airways, with three being delivered in military form and four delivered to South African Airways, where they were used on the air route between Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - Port Elizabeth on 12 October 1936. These aircraft, known as the "Convertible Envoy", could be equipped at short notice with bomb racks and a machinegun in a hand-operated Armstrong Whitworth dorsal turret. Accordingly, each of these seven aircraft could be transformed by a work crew of four within four hours from the transport version into a light bomber or reconnaissance aircraft; in this configuration, the crew consisted of four; pilot, navigator, radio operator and gunner. While not a large order, Airspeed benefitted substantially from its work to develop the Convertible Envoy when it subsequently developed further militarised versions of the aircraft. The Royal Air Force (RAF) procured a handful of Envoys for communications work both domestically and overseas in the British Raj. During October 1936, the British Air Ministry placed a sizable order for 136 Envoys, specially equipped for crew training, to fulfil Specification T.23/36. These further developed aircraft were given a new company designation as the AS.10, and entered RAF service as the Airspeed Oxford. During the Spanish Civil War, ten AS.6 Envoys were obtained by the Spanish Republicans, with the Nationalist side using two, including one that defected from the Republicans, as transport, reconnaissance aircraft or light bombers. One of the Nationalist Envoys flew into a mountain in June 1937, killing General Emilio Mola; this Envoy had been their demonstrator and was sold for £6,000 cash (six £1000 Bank of England notes). During the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe captured several Envoys and operated a few as trainer aircraft for a time. Japan During 1935, a pair of Envoy-Is were delivered to Japan, one for evaluation by the Japan Air Transport Co. (NKYKK - Nihon Koku Yuso KK) and the other for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service as the Airspeed LXM. Three months later, a follow-up order was placed four additional Envoys. Following the acquisition of a licence, local production of the aircraft started at the Nagoya Mitsubishi factory of the Mitsubishi Hinazuru-type Passenger Transport. It was initially powered by Gasuden Jimpu engines, but later using licence built Armstrong Siddeley Lynx or Wolseley Aries Mk.III engines. While largely identical to their British-made equivalents, Mitsubishi-built aircraft differed in that they were outfitted with landing flaps, along with additional supporting frames around the passenger cabin windows and a covering for the transport cockpit canopy. Flight testing of the Jimpu powered aircraft resulted in a crash, killing the flight test observer, (the first fatality during flight testing of Mitsubishi aircraft), blamed on the engines producing excessive drag, resulting in the switch to licence-built British engines. Eleven aircraft were built at Nagoya before production ceased, all of which flew domestic services for NKYKK (later to become Greater Japan Airways). Postwar era By the end of the Second World War, there were very few Envoys left in operation. One of the RAF Envoy IIIs that survived the conflict was subsequently disposed of as surplus and operated by Private Charter Ltd as G-AHAC for civil passenger charter flights, it was retired and finally scrapped at Tollerton airport, Nottingham during 1950. Variants AS.6 Envoy I Powered by two 200-hp (149-kW) Wolesley A.R.9 piston engines. 5 built. AS.6A Envoy I Powered by two 240-hp (179-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC radial piston engines. 5 built. AS.6D Envoy II Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Wright R-760-E2 Whirlwind 7 radial piston engines. 8 built. AS.6E Envoy III Powered by two 340-hp (254-kW) Walter Castor engines. 5 built. AS.6G Powered by two 250-hp (186-kW) Wolseley Scorpio I engines. AS.6H Envoy Powered by two 225-hp (168-kW) Wolseley Aries III engines. 1 built. AS.6J Envoy III Seven-seat light transport aircraft. Powered by two 345-hp (257-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 27 built. AS.6JC Envoy Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 4 built. AS.6JM Envoy Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 3 built. AS.6K Envoy III 3 built. AS.8 Viceroy A special, one-off racer developed for the MacRobertson Race from the Envoy. Airspeed LXM One Envoy evaluated by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service. Mitsubishi Hinazuru-type Passenger Transport (Hinazuru - en Young Crane) Licence production by Mitsubishi, fitted with flaps and powered by Gasuden Jimpu, or licence-built Armstrong Siddeley Lynx or Wolseley Aries Mk.III engines. Eleven built from 1936 to 1938. Operators The Envoy also saw service in China, the Independent State of Croatia, Finland, Slovakia, and Spain. 1. Australia - Ansett Airlines 2. Croatia - Air Force of the Independent State of Croatia 3. Czechoslovakia - ČSA 4. Finland - Finnish Air Force 5. Germany - Luftwaffe (small numbers) 6. Japan - Japan Air Transport - Imperial Japan Airways 7. Manchukuo - Manchukuo National Airways 8. South Africa - South African Airways - operated four aircraft - South African Air Force 9. Spain - Spanish Republican Air Force from LAPE 10 Spain - Spanish Air Force 11. United Kingdom - North Eastern Airways - Olley Air Service - Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation - Private Charter Ltd - Royal Air Force - No. 24 Squadron RAF - No. 17 Group Communication Flight RAF - Fleet Air Arm Accidents and incidents Cheetah-powered Envoy, VH-UXY, piloted by Charles Ulm, disappeared in December 1934 during an attempt to fly the Pacific route between Oakland and Honolulu. It had been specially built with a large long-range fuel tank filling the middle of the cabin. Maxwell Findlay fatally crashed another Envoy, modified with long-range fuel tanks, in northern Rhodesia during the October 1936 Portsmouth to Johannesburg Schlesinger African Air Race. They were to use a Viceroy purchased for £5500; but when offered £9500 (the cost of the plane plus the first prize of £4000) by a Spanish (war) buyer they cashed the cheque and ordered a Cheetah-engine Envoy with long range tanks which had similar performance to the Viceroy. But at Abercorn in Africa they could not wait for the wind to drop so they could take off downhill. They took off with maximum load uphill against the wind but failed to clear trees beyond the strip and crashed. The Envoy prototype (demonstrator) was sold to the Spanish Nationalists for £6000 cash (six £1000 Bank of England notes) in September 1936 and used as a VIP transport. On 3 June 1937 it flew into a mountain killing all on board including General Mola. Specifications (AS.6J Series III) (Data from Airspeed Aircraft since 1931) General characteristics Crew: 1 pilot Capacity: 6 passengers Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) Wingspan: 52 ft 4 in (15.95 m) Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) Wing area: 339 sq ft (31.5 m2) Empty weight: 4,057 lb (1,840 kg) Gross weight: 6,300 lb (2,858 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder radial engine, 345 hp (257 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 210 mph (340 km/h, 180 kn) at 7,300 ft (2,230 m) Cruise speed: 192 mph (309 km/h, 167 kn) at 75% power and 7,300 ft (2,230 m) Range: 650 mi (1,050 km, 560 nmi) at 62.5% power and 10,000 ft (3,050 m) Service ceiling: 22,500 ft (6,900 m) service Time to altitude: to 10,000 ft (3,050 m), 8 min Wing loading: 18.6 lb/sq ft (91 kg/m2) Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.18 kW/kg) The last surviving Airspeed Envoy, operated by Private Charter Ltd at Manchester (Ringway) Airport in 1948 A.S. 10 Oxford, developed from the AS.6 Envoy Airspeed Viceroy (Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy) AS.8 Viceroy Role - Racing Monoplane Manufacturer - Airspeed (1934) Ltd Designer - N.S. Norway / Hessell Tiltman First flight - 1934 Introduction - 1934 Status - Unknown Produced - 1934 Number built - 1 Developed from - Airspeed Envoy The Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy was a British racing version of the Airspeed AS.6 Envoy built by Airspeed (1934) Limited at Portsmouth. The Viceroy was built to order for Captain T. Neville Stack and Sydney Lewis Turner, to compete in the England-Australia MacRobertson Air Race. Only one aircraft, registered G-ACMU, was built. Design and development The Viceroy was a modified Airspeed Envoy. Modifications included: 1. More powerful, supercharged Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah VI engines in long chord, smooth NACA cowlings 2. Strengthened main landing gear to allow higher weight takeoff 3. An auxiliary petrol tank, capacity was 270 Imp gallon/1,227 litres installed in the aft fuselage 4. Narrowed fuselage without passenger windows Operational history The Airspeed Viceroy started the race from RAF Mildenhall, England, but after several reliability problems including with the mainwheel brakes, it was withdrawn from the race at Athens. The pilots concluded that it would be unsafe to proceed and they would probably be unable to finish the race. An acrimonious set of legal actions followed, with the pilots complaining that the aircraft, beset by multiple problems, had been "not really ready". Airspeed contested the action, and eventually the aircraft was returned to them without refund. The aircraft returned to Portsmouth and was then stored until July 1936 when it was sold the following month by the French concern, SFTA and departed to France en route to the Spanish Civil War. Documentation regarding the Viceroy's service with the Spanish Republican Air Force is sketchy. The intention was to convert the aircraft into a bomber and photographs suggest that it did receive new markings and was stationed at an airbase, but further information is not available as to its actual service. Operators 1. Spanish Republic - Spanish Republican Air Force Specifications (Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1) General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) Wingspan: 51 ft 0 in (15.54 m) Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) Wing area: 299 sq ft (27.8 m2) Empty weight: 3,900 lb (1,769 kg) Gross weight: 6,300 lb (2,858 kg) Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah VI supercharged radial piston engine, 290 hp (220 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 210 mph (340 km/h, 180 kn) Cruise speed: 190 mph (310 km/h, 170 kn) Range: 1,400 mi (2,300 km, 1,200 nmi) Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s) AS.8 Viceroy in Spanish Republican Air Force colour scheme Airspeed Oxford AS.10 Oxford Role - Training aircraft Manufacturer - Airspeed Ltd. First flight - 19 June 1937 Status - Out of production, out of service Primary user - Royal Air Force Number built - 8,851 Developed from - Airspeed Envoy Variants - Airspeed Consul The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine monoplane aircraft developed and manufactured by Airspeed. It saw widespread use for training British Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery roles throughout the Second World War. The Oxford was developed by Airspeed during the 1930s in response to a requirement for a capable trainer aircraft that conformed with Specification T.23/36, which had been issued by the British Air Ministry. Its basic design is derived from the company's earlier AS.6 Envoy, a commercial passenger aircraft. After its maiden flight by Percy Colman on 19 June 1937, it was quickly put into production as part of a rapid expansion of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in anticipation of a large-scale conflict. As a consequence of the outbreak of war, many thousands of Oxfords were ordered by Britain and its allies, including Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, Poland, and the United States. Following the end of the conflict, the Oxford continued to achieve export sales for some time, equipping the newly formed air forces of Egypt, India, Israel, and Yugoslavia. It was considered to be a capable trainer aircraft throughout the conflict, as well as being used as a general-purpose type. A number of Oxfords are preserved today on static display worldwide. Development During the 1930s, a major expansion of the Royal Air Force (RAF) had been directed by the British government, which led to the formulation and issuing of a number of operational requirements by the Air Ministry. One of these was Operational Requirement 42 (OR.42), which sought an advanced training aircraft to be specifically used by aircrews destined to serve on bomber aircraft. As the RAF was in the process of migrating from biplanes to monoplanes, which were capable of greater speeds and had more demanding flight characteristics, a suitable trainer was needed to match this step change. At one point, the Avro Anson was considered for the role, however, it was thought that an aircraft more difficult to fly would be necessary. Accordingly, on 10 July 1936, Specification T.23/36 was issued to Airspeed for the development of a twin-engined training aircraft to meet OR.42. Developed to meet the requirements of Specification T.23/36 by Airspeed, the Oxford was based on the company's existing commercial 8-seater aircraft, the AS.6 Envoy, designed by Hessell Tiltman. Seven Envoys had already been modified for the South African Air Force (SAAF) as the "Convertible Envoy", which could be equipped at short notice with bomb racks and with a machine-gun in a hand-operated Armstrong Whitworth dorsal turret. Airspeed gained substantial benefit from its prior work on the Envoy and the Convertible Envoy in its development of the Oxford. The Air Ministry approved of the project, leading to an initial order for the type being placed during 1937. It was decided to opt for a large first batch, totalling 136 aircraft, as this allowed for the implementation of more economical flow-line production at Airspeed's Portsmouth factory. On 19 June 1937, the first prototype Oxford, L4534, was first flown by chief test pilot C H A 'Percy' Colman from Portsmouth. Initially, two variants were planned; the Mark I, which was viewed as a general-purpose training aircraft equipped with a dorsal gun turret, and the Mark II, which lacked any turret but was instead fitted with dual controls. As further large contracts for the aircraft were placed with Airspeed, (100 Mk Is and 100 Mk IIs) it was arranged that de Havilland Aircraft would build them at Hatfield later, to meet the demands for Oxfords for training. Other companies also manufactured the aircraft. By the end of production, a total of 8,751 Oxfords had been completed. Of these, 4,411 had been produced by Airspeed at its Portsmouth factory, another 550 at the Airspeed-run shadow factory at Christchurch, Dorset, 1,515 by de Havilland at Hatfield, 1,360 by Percival Aircraft at Luton and 750 by Standard Motors at Coventry. (The manufacturers' production figures given by Middleton and Taylor add up to 8,586 aircraft, a discrepancy of 165 from the production total of 8,751 given by Fredriksen and Angelucci and Matricardi. Taylor suggests that the discrepancy was due to 165 Oxfords that were ordered from Percival but cancelled before construction.) Design The Oxford was a low-wing twin-engine cantilever monoplane, featuring a semi-monocoque constructed fuselage, a conventional landing gear configuration and a wooden tail unit. It was capable of reproducing the flight characteristics of many contemporary front-line aircraft then in military service. It was specifically developed to be suitable for a range of training missions, including navigation, flying instruction, night flying, instrument flying, wireless, direction-finding, gunnery, and vertical photography. The Oxford was specifically planned and developed to incorporate various modern innovations and equipment fittings, including a full array of instruments and controls within the cockpit, which assisted in its principal trainer role. In addition, the Oxford could also be used in various secondary roles, such as an air ambulance and maritime patrol aircraft. In terms of flying experience, the Oxford was suitably representative as to enable pilots to migrate onto larger transport aircraft with ease while possessing smooth flight characteristics. The controls were relatively straightforward, typically remaining consistent and easily adjustable; the second pilot's position is also provided with a fully furnished suite of key flight instrumentation. It was equipped with the standard blind-flying panel, incorporating an airspeed indicator, altimeter, artificial horizon, directional gyroscope, rate of climb indicator and turn indicator. Life support equipment includes three oxygen regulators, a flowmeter, three bayonet unions and three high-pressure oxygen cylinders of 750 litres capacity. The external view of the cockpit was considered to be very high for the era, superior to the majority of its contemporaries, but is unavoidably interrupted by the engine cowlings acting as blind spots. It was normally operated by a three-man crew; the seating arrangement could be altered in order to suit various purposes, such as to better enable a specific training role. The cockpit was outfitted with dual flying controls and a pair of seats, intended to accommodate a pilot and either a navigator or second pilot alongside. When used for bomb aimer training, the second set of controls would be removed and the freed-up space was instead used to accommodate a prone bomb-aimer. When used as a navigation trainer, the second seat was pushed back so that it would line up with the chart table. Aft of the cockpit was a wireless operator station, facing aft on the starboard side of the fuselage. On the Oxford I, a dorsal turret was located amidships; it could be used for training navigators, bomb-aimers, wireless operators, air gunners and camera operators. The centre section can contain up to 16 11 lb. practice bombs, which are controlled via bomb-release switches installed at the pilot and bomb-aimers' stations. The Oxford was normally powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X air-cooled radial engines, capable of generating 340 hp. These were initially outfitted with wooden fixed-position de Havilland-built propellers, but had been designed from the onset to accommodate variable-pitch propellers when these became available. However, only 199 (Mk.V) were actually equipped with variable-pitch propellers, but all Oxford cockpits contained a propeller pitch lever, allowing an instructor to insist it was moved from "Coarse" to "Fine" for landing to reinforce this important step for trainee pilots. The starboard engine drives a hydraulic pump and air compressor, the former being used to actuate the undercarriage and flaps while the latter is used for the braking system; a vacuum pump is also present for the gyroscopic instrumentations. The port engine drives a 500-watt electrical generator. The engine cowling features an inlet that draws cooling air into a tank; a pair of tinned steel oil tanks are also contained within the cowling. Welded steel construction was used for the nacelles, which attach to the centre section of the wing at four separate rubber-insulated joints. The retractable undercarriage of the Oxford was internally designed, featuring broken-braced twin oleo legs that retract rearward into each engine nacelle. Although actuation of the retraction mechanism is normally achieved via an engine-driven pump, a manual fall-back mechanism is provided to force the wheels down in the event of an in-flight engine failure. The undercarriage wheels are equipped with pneumatically-operated brakes, controlled by a lever set on each control column. For inspection purposes, access panels are located beneath the pilot's cockpit for internal access to the flight controls, hydraulics and electrical components; inspection panels are also present in the outer wing sections. The semi-monocoque fuselage of Oxford uses an arrangement of spruce longerons and stiffeners underneath a plywood exterior. It is constructed in two sections on separate jigs, divided between the front and rear, these are joined together at the rear bulkhead. The forward bulkhead is deliberately reinforced so that the structure is capable of withstanding the impact of the aircraft turning over during landing in the hands of an unfortunate trainee pilot. Both the elevator and fin of the tail unit used a wooden spar and rib structure covered by fabric. The fuselage can be partially dismantled, the wing dividing into three separate sections, so that it can be road-transported. The wing uses a stressed-skin ply-covered structure using spruce flanges and ply webs. The spars are assembled upon a single jig, while others are used for the elements of the leading edge and trailing edge. Similar construction to the centre section is also used in the outer panels. The wings are outfitted with hydraulically-operated split flaps, which extend between the ailerons. Operational history The Oxford (nicknamed the 'Ox-box') was used to prepare complete aircrews for RAF Bomber Command and could simultaneously train pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, gunners and radio operators on the same flight. In addition to training duties, Oxfords were used in communications and anti-submarine roles and as air ambulances in the Middle East. The Oxford was the preferred trainer for the Empire Air Training Scheme and British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), with over 2,900 sent to Commonwealth countries; Australia, Canada (where the majority of training was carried out), New Zealand, South Africa, and Southern Rhodesia. 27 Oxfords were on the strength of No 4 Flying Training School RAF Habbaniya, Iraq in early 1941 and some were converted locally for use as light bombers to help in the defence of the School against Iraqi forces. Oxfords continued to serve the Royal Air Force as trainers and light transports until the last was withdrawn from service in 1956. A small number of ex RAF Oxfords were converted to civilian use post-war, along with 152 more that were converted into 6-seat commercial airliners called the AS.65 Consul. Meanwhile a fair number of surplus RAF aircraft were sold for use by overseas air arms, some as early as 1943, but mostly post-war. (see below) Most Oxfords in the UK were equipped with a knotted rope from the pilot's seat to the rear door to assist evacuation should the plane inadvertently be put into a spin, which it was almost impossible to recover from. When the pilot(s) released their seat belts centripetal force would hurl them to the rear of the plane, beyond the exit door, from which it was impossible to crawl forward to the door. The rope was installed as a response to a test by four "boffins" who tried to recover from a spin from 18,000 ft. When no recovery happened no matter what was tried the four released their harness and were hurled to the rear of their plane and there remained helpless as the spiral descent continued. However all was not lost. The plane was in such a flat spin when it reached the ground that it skidded sideways over the surface of a field until the tail section hit a haystack and broke off. The four "boffins" walked away relatively unharmed, the knotted rope being their only positive remedy for an Oxford in a spin. Australia From November 1940, the Royal Australian Air Force received 391 Oxford I and IIs from RAF contracts for use in Australia. Most of the survivors were sold in the early 1950s. Canada The Royal Canadian Air Force ordered 25 Oxford Is in 1938. They were taken from RAF stocks and shipped to Canada in 1939 and assembled by Canadian Vickers at Montreal. Issued to the Central Flying School, they were later joined by large numbers of RAF aircraft to equip the Service Flying Training Schools. 819 Oxfords of all Marks were operated by the RCAF in Canada for the BCATP during the war. New Zealand New Zealand was one of the first nations to order the Oxford in 1937 with a contract for five Oxford Is; the fifth aircraft was modified as a survey aircraft. They were delivered to New Zealand by sea and assembled at RNZAF Hobsonville at the end of 1938. The RNZAF placed further orders for six and then 30 Oxfords. With the start of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan a further 140 aircraft were allocated, which included the last batch of 30 ordered. In total, the RNZAF operated 299 Oxfords between 1938 and 1952. South Africa As part of the Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the South African Air Force was allocated nearly 700 Oxfords which started to arrive in South Africa from November 1940. Due to the intense training, 256 aircraft were lost to accidents. Most survivors were withdrawn in 1945 and had been sold by 1947. United States The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) used 137 Oxfords on loan from the Royal Air Force. Most were used as general-purpose communications aircraft in the United Kingdom; from June 1942 they were also used for Beam Approach training. By the end of 1944, American types were available, and all USAAF Oxfords had been returned to the RAF. A small number had also been loaned to the USAAF in Australia by the Royal Australian Air Force. Two Oxfords were used by the United States Navy in the United Kingdom as communications aircraft. Other users Belgium When the Belgian section of the Royal Air Force returned to Belgian control as the Militaire Vliegwezen (became the Belgian Air Force in 1949), the RAF donated thirty Oxfords to form a flying training school. They were used until the late 1950s with the last aircraft being donated to the Brussels War Museum in 1960. Belgian Congo In April 1944 six Oxfords were transferred to the Force Publique in the Belgian Congo, they were withdrawn from use in 1955. Burma At least 15 Oxfords along with some Consuls were supplied to the Union of Burma Air Force in the late 1940s with some being modified to carry pod-mounted forward facing machine guns and rocket projectiles. Ceylon Three former RAF Oxfords were delivered to the Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1953. Czechoslovakia It is reported that some Oxfords were given the type code D42 and were used for bombing training. Denmark From the end of 1946 the Danish Air Force received 44 former RAF Oxfords for advanced flying training at Karup, they were also used for communications and aerial photography, all were withdrawn by 1956. Egypt RAF Oxfords where loaned to the Royal Egyptian Air Force but at least one was transferred in 1948. France The Free French Air Force in West Africa received five new Oxfords in 1944 and were used until 1946. Greece The Royal Hellenic Air Force received at least 33 Oxfords in 1947 for transport and aerial photography. India When India became independent in December 1947 nine Oxfords were transferred to the Royal Indian Air Force, later Indian Air Force from December 1949. Iran Three Oxfords were delivered to the Imperial Iranian Air Force. Israel Three Oxfords and eleven Consuls were used by the Central Flying School of the Israeli Defence Force Air Force for twin-engined training in the early 1950s. Netherlands From May 1946 the Royal Netherlands Air Force received 28 Oxfords for aircrew training, they had been withdrawn from use by 1952. In October 1947 the Royal Netherlands Navy received three Oxfords for multi-engined and navigation training from Valkenburg, two former Royal Netherlands Air Force aircraft were added in 1951, all were withdrawn by 1952. Norway The Royal Norwegian Air Force bought twenty surplus Oxfords from the RAF in 1947. Portugal The Portuguese Army and Navy each received six Oxfords in 1943 under Operation Oatmeal, by the time the Portuguese Air Force was formed in 1952 four aircraft were still in service. Turkey The Turkish Air Force were supplied with 50 Oxford I's in 1943 and these were joined by twenty more between 1946 and 1947. They were replaced by the AT-11 in the early 1950s and the survivors were scrapped. Yugoslavia Five Oxfords were supplied to the Yugoslav Air Force between 1951 and 1958 by Norway under the Mutual Defence Aid Program and used for twin-engined training of Mosquito crews. Amy Johnson's Final Flight In January 1941, whilst flying an Oxford for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), the aviator Amy Johnson flew off-course in adverse weather conditions, until her aircraft crashed into the Thames Estuary. Accounts vary, but it is generally accepted that she bailed out, then succumbed to the intense cold whilst in the water, and may then have been dragged underneath a rescue vessel. In difficult sea conditions, the Captain of the rescue vessel (Lt Cmdr Walter Fletcher) entered the water in an attempt to retrieve what was thought to be a body, but he lost consciousness in the extreme cold, and died in hospital several days later. Variants AS.10 Oxford I The first Mark I flew on 19 June 1937 and entered service with the Central Flying School in November of that year. By the start of the war, about 300 Mk I Oxfords were in service with the RAF, while a number were also being used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force to train pilots for the RAF. AS.10 Oxford II The second planned version was the Oxford II, it didn't have a turret but had dual controls so it could be used as an advanced pilot trainer as well as training for navigators and radio operators. At the start of the second world war 70 were in service. AS.10 Oxford III Single example (P1864), no turret, powered by two 420 hp (313 kW) Cheetah XV engines fitted with Rotol constant-speed propellers. AS.10 Oxford IV Flying test-bed for de Havilland Gipsy Queen IV engines. Oxford T.II Only 9 of these were built, eight of them being conversions of Mk Is. AS.40 Oxford Civil conversion for radio research, two built. AS.41 Oxford Used by Miles Aircraft as a flying test-bed for Alvis Leonides engine, one conversion. AS.42 Oxford Oxford I to meet Specification T.39/37 for New Zealand. AS.43 Oxford Survey variant of the AS.42. AS.46 Oxford V The final variant, upgraded to Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engines with 450 hp (335 kW) and Hamilton-Standard variable-pitch propellers. Many Mark I and II Oxfords were upgraded to the Mark V standard. AS.65 Consul After the end of WWII, over 150 aircraft surplus ex-RAF Oxfords were converted for civilian transport operation; this type was known as the Airspeed Consul. Operators 1) Australia Royal Australian Air Force 2) Belgium Belgian Air Force 3) Belgian Congo Force Publique 4) Burma Union of Burma Air Force 5) Ceylon Royal Ceylon Air Force 6) Canada Royal Canadian Air Force 7) Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Air Force - One aircraft, in service from 1945 to 1948 8) Denmark Royal Danish Air Force 9) Egypt Royal Egyptian Air Force 10) Free France Free French Air Force 11) Greece Royal Hellenic Air Force 12) India Indian Air Force 13) Iran Imperial Iranian Air Force 14) Israel Israeli Air Force 15) Netherlands Royal Netherlands Air Force Dutch Naval Aviation Service 16) New Zealand Royal New Zealand Air Force - No. 1 Squadron RNZAF - No. 2 Squadron RNZAF - No. 3 Squadron RNZAF - No. 7 Squadron RNZAF - No. 8 Squadron RNZAF - No. 14 Squadron RNZAF - No. 42 Squadron RNZAF 17) Norway Royal Norwegian Air Force 18) Poland Polish Air Force in Great Britain 19) Portugal Portuguese Air Force Portuguese Army Portuguese Navy 20) South Africa South African Air Force 21) Turkey Turkish Air Force 22) United Kingdom Royal Air Force - No. 1 Squadron RAF - No. 5 Squadron RAF - No. 17 Squadron RAF - No. 20 Squadron RAF - No. 24 Squadron RAF - No. 34 Squadron RAF - No. 41 Squadron RAF - No. 116 Squadron RAF - No. 173 Squadron RAF - No. 192 Squadron RAF - No. 285 Squadron RAF - No. 286 Squadron RAF - No. 287 Squadron RAF - No. 288 Squadron RAF - No. 289 Squadron RAF - No. 290 Squadron RAF - No. 510 Squadron RAF - No. 526 Squadron RAF - No. 527 Squadron RAF - No. 529 Squadron RAF - No. 567 Squadron RAF - No. 577 Squadron RAF - No. 587 Squadron RAF - No. 595 Squadron RAF - No. 598 Squadron RAF - No. 631 Squadron RAF - No. 667 Squadron RAF - No. 691 Squadron RAF - No. 695 Squadron RAF Fleet Air Arm - 700 Naval Air Squadron - 701 Naval Air Squadron - 702 Naval Air Squadron - 703 Naval Air Squadron - 720 Naval Air Squadron - 727 Naval Air Squadron - 728 Naval Air Squadron - 729 Naval Air Squadron - 730 Naval Air Squadron - 739 Naval Air Squadron - 740 Naval Air Squadron - 744 Naval Air Squadron - 750 Naval Air Squadron - 751 Naval Air Squadron - 758 Naval Air Squadron - 759 Naval Air Squadron - 760 Naval Air Squadron - 761 Naval Air Squadron - 762 Naval Air Squadron - 765 Naval Air Squadron - 766 Naval Air Squadron - 771 Naval Air Squadron - 775 Naval Air Squadron - 776 Naval Air Squadron - 780 Naval Air Squadron - 781 Naval Air Squadron - 782 Naval Air Squadron - 787 Naval Air Squadron - 789 Naval Air Squadron - 790 Naval Air Squadron - 792 Naval Air Squadron - 798 Naval Air Squadron - 799 Naval Air Squadron - 1701 Naval Air Squadron 23) United States United States Army Air Forces United States Navy 24) Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslav Air Force Surviving aircraft Belgium O-16 - Oxford I on static display at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels. Original served with the Royal Air Force as MP455 before going to the Belgian Air Force in 1947. Canada Replica - Unknown variant with Frank Thompson of Reidland, Saskatchewan, built to static display condition by volunteers from the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. New Zealand NZ277 - Oxford I wreckage on display at the Taranaki Aviation Transport and Technology Museum near New Plymouth, Taranaki. The aircraft crashed in October 1942. The wreckage was discovered 32 years later by NZ Forester Service hunter Errol Clince in 1974. NZ1332 - Oxford II under restoration by Don Subritzky in Dairy Flat, Auckland. PK286 - Oxford I on static display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Wigram, Canterbury. It had been converted to Airspeed Consul configuration in 1947. It is on long-term loan from the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The aircraft went on display in February 2016. R6029 - Unknown variant on display at the Croydon Aircraft Company in Mandeville, Southland. It is configured as Consul VR-SCD. South Africa ED290 - Oxford I under restoration to static display at the South African Air Force Museum in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. United Kingdom V3388 - Oxford I on static display at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. AT605 - Oxford I wreck under rebuild with the Midland Aircraft Recovery Group. EB518 / V3540 - Oxford Mk.V being assembled from the remains of Mk.V EB518, together with parts from other sources, and with substantial new wooden bodywork based on original Airspeed drawings. It is also intended that a second aircraft will be constructed, to full airworthy condition, made-up to represent Mk.II V3540, the Oxford that Amy Johnson flew on her final flight. The entire project is still in its early stages (April 2024) at The Spitfire Visitor Centre at Blackpool Airport. MP425 - Oxford I on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in London. Specifications (Mk I) (Data from Modern Trainer) General characteristics Crew: 3 Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m) Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m) Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m) Wing area: 348 sq ft (32.3 m2) Empty weight: 5,322 lb (2,414 kg) Gross weight: 7,500 lb (3,402 kg) Fuel capacity: 156 imp gal (187 US gal; 710 L) Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X radial engines, 350 hp (260 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 192 mph (309 km/h, 167 kn) Endurance: 5.5 hr Service ceiling: 23,550 ft (7,180 m) Rate of climb: 1,340 ft/min (6.8 m/s) Armament Guns: 1 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret Bombs: 16 × 11.5 lb (5.2 kg) practice bombs carried externally Nevil Shute, aeronautical engineer, popular novelist, and co-founder of Airspeed. Related development Airspeed Consul Airspeed Envoy Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Avro Anson Cessna AT-17 Bobcat Oxford II in flight over Saskatchewan, Canada in 1942 A patient and attendant on board an Oxford of the Air Ambulance Unit Oxford communications aircraft of RAF Marham Station Flight at Blackbushe Airport in September 1955 A trio of Oxfords flying in formation A formation of Oxford air ambulances in flight Three Oxford Mk Is of No. 6 Flying Training School at RAF Little Rissington, Gloucestershire, in formation flight Preserved Belgian Air Force Oxford in the Brussels War Museum Preserved Oxford I wearing wartime colour scheme (now displayed at the Imperial War Museum at RAF Duxford) An Airspeed Oxford restoration on display at the South African Air Force Museum, Port Elizabeth Oxford AS 10 3-view drawings Airspeed Queen Wasp AS.30 Queen Wasp Role - Pilotless target aircraft Manufacturer - Airspeed (1934) Ltd Designer - Hessell Tiltman/N.S. Norway First flight - 11 June 1937 Introduction - 1937 Primary user - Royal Air Force Produced - 1937-1940 Number built - 7 The Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp was a British pilotless target aircraft built by Airspeed Limited at Portsmouth during the Second World War. Although intended for both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy use, the aircraft never went into series production. Design and development The Queen Wasp was built to meet an Air Ministry Specification Q.32/35 for a pilotless target aircraft to replace the de Havilland Tiger Moth based de Havilland Queen Bee. Two prototypes were ordered in May 1936, one to have a wheeled landing gear for use by the Royal Air Force and the other as a floatplane for Royal Navy use for air-firing practice at sea. Powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine, a total of 65 aircraft were ordered, contingent on the success of the flight test programme. The aircraft was a single-engined biplane constructed of wood with sharply-tapered wings and fabric-covered control surfaces. An enclosed cabin with one seat was provided so the Queen Wasp could be flown manually with the radio control system turned off. The radio control system was complex with a number of backup safety devices to ensure radio and battery operation was uninterrupted. A trailing receiver aerial was winched out after takeoff and served as an automatic landing device which was activated when the trailing aerial weight hit the runway. The sensitivity of the system in turbulent weather meant that an alternative landing signal was used to initiate a landing procedure. The landplane first flew on 11 June 1937, and the floatplane on 19 October 1937. The floatplane was successfully catapulted from HMS Pegasus in November 1937. Operational history In flight tests, the aircraft was found to be underpowered and water handling difficulties necessitated a redesign of the floats by their manufacturer, Short Brothers. Although the production run of 10 aircraft was begun (P5441-P5450), only three more aircraft were completed and delivered to the Royal Air Force. Airspeed proposed a number of unsuccessful designs derived from the Queen Wasp including the AS.38 communications aircraft and the AS.50 trainer developed to meet Specification T.24/40. Operators 1) United Kingdom - Royal Air Force - Royal Navy Specifications (AS.30 Landplane) (Data from Airspeed Aircraft since 1931) General characteristics Crew: 1 (optional) Length: 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) Wingspan: 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m) Width: 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m) wings folded Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m) Gross weight: 3,500 lb (1,588 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 350 hp (260 kW) Propellers: 2-bladed Performance Maximum speed: 172 mph (277 km/h, 149 kn) at 8,000 ft (2,400 m) Cruise speed: 151 mph (243 km/h, 131 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Culver Cadet Airspeed Queen Wasp, c. 1939 Airspeed Fleet Shadower (Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower) AS.39 Fleet Shadower Role - carrier-based maritime reconnaissance aircraft Manufacturer - Airspeed Ltd First flight - 17 October 1940 Retired - 1941 Number built - 1 The Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower was a British long-range patrol aircraft design that did not go beyond the prototype stage. A similar aircraft, the General Aircraft Fleet Shadower, was also built to the extent of prototypes. While the concept of a fleet shadower had some promise, the resulting designs were soon overtaken by wartime developments in airborne radar. Design and development The Royal Navy envisaged a need (Operational Requirement OR.52) for an aircraft that could shadow enemy fleets at night and the resulting Specification S.23/37 called for a slow-flying low-noise aircraft with a long range, capable of operating from an aircraft carrier's flight deck. The specified performance was to be a speed of 38 knots (70 km/h) at 1,500 ft (460 m) for not less than six hours. Five companies showed interest: Percival, Short Brothers, Fairey Aviation, General Aircraft Ltd and Airspeed. General Aircraft submitted the G.A.L.38, of very similar general design to the AS.39. General Aircraft and Airspeed were selected to build two prototypes each and Airspeed received a contract on 10 August 1938. The AS.39 was a high-wing, semi-cantilever, strut-braced (on the outer panels) monoplane with wooden wings and tail unit and an all-metal monocoque fuselage. It had a fixed, divided type landing gear and tailwheel. The observation aircraft had a crew of three: pilot, observer and radio operator. The AS.39 had a unique crew configuration with the observer accommodated in the nose with clear-vision windows on three sides and the pilot's compartment raised to allow passage to the radio operator's compartment. Four small 130 hp (97 kW) Pobjoy Niagara V seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines were mounted on the wings. This maximized propwash over the wing giving extra lift at low speed. The wings could be folded for storage when used on an aircraft carrier. Operational history Of two prototypes started, only one was completed, flying on 17 October 1940, the first flight was delayed due to problems with the Niagara V engines which had a vibration problem. The prototype had stability problems and poor stall handling not helped by the under-powered engines. Airspeed were asked to respond to a proposal to re-engine the aircraft with two Armstrong Whitworth Cheetah XI radial engines and add rear-facing machine guns. Only a preliminary proposal had been made and the second aircraft was not complete when on 17 February 1941 the Navy cancelled the fleet shadower program along with the AS.39, the company was requested to scrap both aircraft. The competing G.A.L.38 flew for a few months before it was cancelled and scrapped in March 1942. The requirement for such aircraft had been made obsolete due to the introduction of radar on long-range patrol aircraft such as the Liberator I. Specifications (AS.39) (Data from Nothing ventured ... Airspeed AS.39 Night Shadower) General characteristics Crew: 3 (Pilot, observer, radio operator) Length: 39 ft 10 in (12.14 m) Wingspan: 55 ft 4 in (16.87 m) Height: 10 ft 5 in (3.18 m) Wing area: 469 sq ft (43.6 m2) Empty weight: 4,592 lb (2,083 kg) Gross weight: 6,935 lb (3,146 kg) Powerplant: 4 × Pobjoy Niagara V 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 140 hp (100 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 126 mph (203 km/h, 109 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) Cruise speed: 113 mph (182 km/h, 98 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) Stall speed: 33 mph (53 km/h, 29 kn) Endurance: 6 hours Service ceiling: 14,700 ft (4,500 m) Absolute ceiling: 16,700 ft (5,100 m) Rate of climb: 865 ft/min (4.4 m/s) Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 18 minutes Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era General Aircraft Fleet Shadower Airspeed Cambridge AS.45 Cambridge Role - Military advanced trainer Manufacturer - Airspeed Limited First flight - 19 February 1941 Number built - 2 The Airspeed AS.45 Cambridge was a British advanced trainer of the Second World War built by Airspeed Limited. It did not reach the production stage. Development The AS.45 was designed in response to Air Ministry Specification T.4/39 for a single-engined advanced trainer to guard against potential shortages of current types, such as the Miles Master and North American Harvard. Airspeed's design, given the provisional service name Cambridge, was a low-wing monoplane of composite construction with a single piston engine and a tailwheel-type, retractable undercarriage. The Cambridge's fuselage had a steel tube structure, while the wings and tail were wooden, with plywood skinning. Pilot and instructor sat in tandem in an enclosed cockpit, with each crew position having doors on each side, one for normal use and one an emergency exit. A 730 hp (540 kW) Bristol Mercury engine drove a three-bladed propeller. The first of two prototypes flew on 19 February 1941. Testing showed deficiencies in both maximum speed and low-speed flight characteristics. There was no attempt to rectify these shortcomings, partly because there was no shortage of advanced trainers thanks to plentiful supplies of Masters and Harvards and partly because of the importance of Airspeed's other products, the Horsa and Oxford. Specifications (AS.45) (Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II) General characteristics Crew: 2 Length: 36 ft 1 in (11.00 m) Wingspan: 42 ft 0 in (12.80 m) Height: 11 ft 6 in (3.51 m) Wing area: 290 sq ft (27 m2) Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury VIII radial engine 2-blade, 730 hp (540 kW) Performance Maximum speed: 237 mph (381 km/h, 206 kn) Range: 680 mi (1,090 km, 590 nmi) Service ceiling: 24,800 ft (7,600 m) Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min (6.1 m/s) Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Arado Ar 96 Miles Master North American Harvard Tachikawa Ki-55 Airspeed Horsa AS.51 and AS.58 Horsa Role - Troop and cargo military glider National origin - United Kingdom Manufacturer - Airspeed Ltd First flight - 12 September 1941 Introduction - 1941 Status - retired Primary users - Army Air Corps, United States Army Air Forces, Royal Canadian Air Force, Indian Air Force Number built - 3,799 The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century conqueror of southern Britain. Having been greatly impressed by the effective use of airborne operations by Germany during the early stages of the Second World War, such as during the Battle of France, the Allied powers sought to establish capable counterpart forces of their own. The British War Office, determining that the role of gliders would be an essential component of such airborne forces, proceeded to examine available options. An evaluation of the General Aircraft Hotspur found it to lack the necessary size, thus Specification X.26/40 was issued. It was from this specification that Airspeed Limited designed the Horsa, a large glider capable of accommodating up to 30 fully equipped troops, which was designated as the AS 51. The Horsa was used in large numbers by the British Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force (RAF); both services used it to conduct various air assault operations through the conflict. The type was used to perform an unsuccessful attack on the German Heavy Water Plant at Rjukan in Norway, known as Operation Freshman, and during the invasion of Sicily, known as Operation Husky. Large numbers of Horsa were subsequently used during the opening stages of the Battle of Normandy, being used in the British Operation Tonga and American operations. It was also deployed in quantity during Operation Dragoon, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Varsity. Further use of the Horsa was made by various other armed forces, including the United States Army Air Forces. Development Background In the early stages of the Second World War, the German military demonstrated its role as a pioneer in the deployment of airborne operations. These forces had conducted several successful operations during the Battle of France in 1940, including the use of glider-borne troops during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael. Having been impressed by the performance and capabilities of German airborne operations, the Allied governments decided that they would also form their own airborne formation. As a result of this decision, the creation of two British airborne divisions came about, as well as a number of smaller-scale units. On 22 June 1940, the British airborne establishment was formally initiated when the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office in a memorandum to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops. During 1941, the United States also embarked on a similar programme. While the equipment for the airborne forces was under development, it was decided by War Office officials that gliders would be an integral component of such a force. It was initially thought that gliders would be used to deliver paratroops. Transport aircraft would both carry paratroops and tow a glider with a second party of troops. The idea arose as a response to the severe shortage of transport aircraft in the early part of the war, as in this way the number of troops that could be dropped in an operation by a given number of transport aircraft would be greatly enhanced. The empty gliders would be towed back to base. However, thinking eventually evolved into using gliders to land both troops and heavy equipment in the theatre of operations. The first glider produced was the General Aircraft Hotspur, which first flew on 5 November 1940. Several problems were found with the Hotspur's design, the worst being its inability to carry sufficient troops. It was believed that airborne troops should be landed in larger groups than the eight that the Hotspur could carry, and that the number of towplanes required would prove to be impractical. There were also concerns that the gliders would have to be towed in tandem, which would be extremely hazardous at night or through cloud. Accordingly, it was decided that the Hotspur would be used only as a training glider, while British industry continued with the development of several different gliders, including a larger 25-seater assault glider, which would become the Airspeed Horsa. On 12 October 1940, Specification X.26/40 was issued, calling for a large assault glider. The specification required the use of wood where possible to conserve critical supplies of metal. Airspeed would designate the Horsa the AS.51. ...it must have been the most wooden aircraft ever built. Even the controls in the cockpit were masterpieces of the woodworker's skill. - H. A. Taylor, Mrazek 1977, pg. 70 Airspeed assembled a team headed by aircraft designer Hessell Tiltman whose efforts began at the de Havilland technical school at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, before relocating to Salisbury Hall, London Colney. The Horsa was to have had paratroopers jumping from doors on either side of the fuselage, while the glider remained under tow, while combat landings would have been secondary. The widely set doors enabled simultaneous egress, as well as for troops to fire on nearby enemies while still in the glider. For this they were provided with several firing points in the roof and tail. That idea was dropped, and it was decided that the glider would simply land troops. Production In February 1941, an initial order was placed for 400 gliders and it was estimated that Airspeed should be able to complete the order by July 1942. Early on, inquiries were made into the possibility of a further 400 being manufactured in India for the use of Indian airborne forces, however, this plan was abandoned when it was discovered the required wood would have to be imported into India. Seven prototypes were ordered with Fairey Aircraft producing the first two prototypes, which were used for flight testing, while Airspeed completed the remaining prototypes that were used in equipment and loading tests. On 12 September 1941, the first prototype (DG597), towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, made its first flight, 11 months after the specification was issued. As specified in Specification X3/41, 200 AS 52 Horsas were also to be constructed to carry bombs. A central fuselage bomb bay holding four 2,000 lb (910 kg) or two 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) bombs was fitted into the standard Horsa fuselage. The concept of towing bombs was dropped as other bombers became available, resulting in the order for the AS 52 being cancelled. In early 1942, production of the Horsa commenced; by May 1942, some 2,345 had been ordered by the Army for use in future airborne operations. The glider was designed from the outset to be constructed using components and a series of 30 sub-assemblies required to complete the manufacturing process. Manufacturing was intended primarily to use woodcrafting facilities, which were not needed for more urgent aviation production, and as a result, production was spread across separate factories, which consequently limited the likely loss in case of German attack. The designer A. H. Tiltman said that the Horsa "went from the drawing board to the air in ten months, which was not too bad considering the drawings had to be made suitable for the furniture trade who were responsible for all production". The initial 695 gliders were manufactured at Airspeed's factory in Christchurch, Hampshire; production of the remainder was performed by an assortment of subcontractors. These included Austin Motors, and a production group coordinated by the furniture manufacturers Harris Lebus. These same contractors would produce an improved model of the glider, designated as the AS.53 Horsa Mk II, while none would be manufactured by Airspeed themselves. The Horsa Mk II had been specifically designed for the carriage of vehicles, featuring a reinforced floor and a hinged nose section in order to accommodate such use. Other changes included the adoption of a twin nosewheel arrangement, a modified tow attachment and an increased all-up weight of 15,750 lb (7,140 kg). As a consequence of the majority of subcontractors not having available airfields from which to deliver the gliders, they sent the sub-assemblies to RAF Maintenance Units (MUs), who would perform final assembly themselves; this process has been attributed as being responsible for the widely varying production numbers recorded of the type. Between 3,655 and 3,799 Horsas had been completed by the time production ended. (Precise figures for the total number of Horsas produced varies between sources. Aviation author David Mondey gives the figure of 3,799, while Keith Flint and Tim Lynch give the number of 3,655.) Design The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a large troop-carrying glider. It was capable of transporting a maximum of 30 seated fully equipped troops; it also had the flexibility to carry a Jeep or an Ordnance QF 6-pounder anti-tank gun. The Horsa Mark I had a wingspan of 88 feet (27 m) and a length of 67 feet (20 m), and when fully loaded weighed 15,250 lb (6,920 kg). The later AS 58 Horsa II featured an increased fully loaded weight of 15,750 lb (7,140 kg) along with a hinged nose section, reinforced floor and double nose wheels to support the extra weight of vehicles. The tow cable was attached to the nose wheel strut, rather than the dual wing points of the Horsa I. The Horsa was composed largely of wood; it was described by aviation author H. A. Taylor as being: "the most wooden aircraft ever built. Even the controls in the cockpit were masterpieces of the woodworker's skill". It was considered to be sturdy and very manoeuvrable for a glider. The design of the Horsa adopted a high-wing cantilever monoplane configuration, being equipped with wooden wings and a wooden semi-monocoque fuselage. The fuselage was built in three sections bolted together, the front section held the pilot's compartment and main freight loading door, the middle section was accommodation for troops or freight, the rear section supported the tail unit. The fuselage joint at the rear end of the main section could be broken on landing to facilitate the rapid unloading of troops and equipment, for which ramps were provided. Initially the tail was severed by detonating a ring of Cordtex around the rear fuselage. But this was thought to be hazardous, especially if detonated prematurely by enemy fire. In early 1944, a method of detaching the tail was devised that used eight quick-release bolts, and wire-cutters to sever the control cables. The wing carried large "barn door" flaps which, when lowered, made a steep, high rate-of-descent landing possible - this performance would allow the pilots to land in constricted spaces. By employing a combination of the flaps and pneumatic brakes, the glider could be brought to a stop within relatively short distances. The Horsa was equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear and it was one of the first gliders equipped with a tricycle undercarriage for take off. On operational flights, the main gear could be jettisoned and landing was then made on the castoring nose wheel and a sprung skid set on the underside of the fuselage. The pilot's compartment had two side-by-side seats and dual controls, all of which being contained within a large Plexiglas nose section. Initially, the cockpit would be outfitted with internal telephone systems that allowed for communication between the pilots of the glider and tug aircraft while connected; however, this was replaced on later-built models by radio sets instead, which had the advantage of being able to maintain contact after detaching. Aft of the pilot's compartment was the freight loading door on the port side; the hinged door could also be used as a loading ramp. The main compartment could accommodate 15 troops on benches along the sides with another access door on the starboard side. Supply containers could also be fitted under the centre-section of the wing, three on each side. During March 1942, the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment and 1st Airlanding Brigade commenced loading trials using several of the prototypes, but immediately ran into problems. During an attempt to load a jeep into a prototype, Airspeed personnel present informed the evaluation staff that to do so would break the glider's loading ramp, as it had been designed to hold only a single motorbike. With this lesson learnt, 1st Airlanding Brigade subsequently began sending samples of all equipment required to go into Horsas to Airspeed, and a number of weeks were spent ascertaining the methods and modifications required to fit the equipment into a Horsa. Even so, the loading ramp continued to be considered to be fragile and prone to damage, which would ground the glider if sustained during loading. Operational history Wartime use The Horsa was first deployed operationally on the night of 19/20 November 1942 in the unsuccessful attack on the German Heavy Water Plant at Rjukan in Norway (Operation Freshman). The two Horsa gliders, each carrying 15 sappers, and one of the Halifax tug aircraft crashed in Norway due to bad weather. All 23 survivors from the glider crashes were executed on the orders of Adolf Hitler, in a flagrant breach of the Geneva Convention which protects prisoners of war (POWs) from summary execution. In preparation for further operational deployment, 30 Horsa gliders were air-towed by Halifax bombers from bases in Great Britain to North Africa; three of these aircraft were lost in transit. On 10 July 1943, the 27 surviving Horsas were used during Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, which was the type's first large-scale operation. The Horsa was deployed in large numbers (estimated to be in excess of 250) during the Battle of Normandy; specifically in the British Operation Tonga and the American airborne landings in Normandy. The first unit to land in France during the battle was a British coup-de-main force, carried by six Horsas, that captured the Caen canal and Orne river bridges. During the opening phase of the operation, 320 Horsas were used to perform the first lift of the 6th Airborne Division, while a further 296 Horsas participated in the second lift. Large numbers of both American and British forces were deployed using the Horsa during the opening phase of the battle. The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) acquired approximately 400 Horsas in a form of reverse Lend-Lease. Capable of accommodating up to 30 troop seats, the Horsa was much bigger than the 13-troop American Waco CG-4A (known as the Hadrian by the British), and thus offered greater carrying capacity. In British service, the Horsa was a major component during several major offensives that followed the successful Normandy landings, such as Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, both in 1944, and Operation Varsity during March 1945. The latter was the final operation for the Horsa, and had involved a force of 440 gliders carrying soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine. Operationally, the Horsa was towed by various aircraft: four-engined heavy bombers displaced from operational service such as the Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax, the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley twin-engined bombers, as well as the US Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota (not as often due to the weight of the glider). In Operation Market Garden, however, a total of 1,336 C-47s along with 340 Stirlings were employed to tow 1,205 gliders) and Curtiss C-46 Commando. The gliders were towed with a harness that attached to points on both wings and also carried an intercom between tug and glider. The glider pilots were usually from the Glider Pilot Regiment, part of the Army Air Corps (AAC), although Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots were used on occasion. Postwar use A small number of Horsa Mk IIs were obtained by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and participated in evaluation trials which were held at CFB Gimli, Manitoba. Three of these survivors were purchased as surplus in the early 1950s and ended up in Matlock, Manitoba, where they were scrapped. India also acquired a small number of Horsas for their own evaluation purposes. Due to low surplus prices in the UK, many were bought and converted into trailers, sheds and even holiday cottages. On 5 June 2004, as part of the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, Prince Charles unveiled a replica Horsa on the site of the first landing at Pegasus Bridge and talked with Jim Wallwork, the first pilot to land the aircraft on French soil during D-Day. Ten replicas were built for the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, mainly for static display and set-dressing, although one Horsa was modified to make a brief "hop" towed behind a Dakota at Deelen, the Netherlands. During the production, seven of the replicas were damaged in a wind storm; the contingent were repaired in time for use in the film. Five of the Horsa "film models" were destroyed during filming with the survivors sold as a lot to John Hawke, aircraft collector in the UK. Another mock-up for close-up work came into the possession of the Ridgeway Military & Aviation Research Group and is stored at Welford, Berkshire. Variants AS.51 Horsa I Production glider with cable attachment points at upper attachment points of main landing gear. AS.52 Horsa Bomb-carrying Horsa; project cancelled prior to design/production. AS.53 Horsa Further development of the Horsa not taken up. AS.58 Horsa II Development of the Horsa I with hinged nose, to allow direct loading and unloading of equipment, twin nose wheel and cable attachment on nose wheel strut. Operators 1. Belgium Belgian Army (one aircraft only) 2. Canada Royal Canadian Air Force 3. India Indian Air Force 4. Portugal Portuguese Air Force 5. Turkey Turkish Air Force 6. United Kingdom Army Air Corps - Glider Pilot Regiment Royal Air Force - No. 670 Squadron RAF 7. United States United States Army Air Forces Surviving aircraft An Airspeed Horsa Mark II (KJ351) is preserved at the Museum of Army Flying in Hampshire, England. The Assault Glider Trust built a replica at RAF Shawbury using templates made from original components found scattered over various European battlefields and using plans supplied by BAE Systems (on the condition that the glider must not be flown). The replica was completed in 2014 and then stored at RAF Cosford until it was transferred to the Overloon War Museum in the Netherlands in June 2019. A fuselage section displayed at the Traces of War museum at Wolfheze, Netherlands, was retrieved from Cholsey, Oxfordshire, where it had served as a dwelling for over 50 years. It was recovered around 2001 by the de Havilland Aircraft Museum, of London Colney, where it was stored until being bought by museum owner Paul Hendriks. The airframe is believed not to have seen active service. A cockpit section is on display at the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, Texas. BAPC.232 Horsa I/II Composite - Nose & Fuselage sections is on display in the Walter Goldsmith Hangar at the de Havilland Aircraft Museum. A full-sized replica stands close to Pegasus Bridge, Normandy, as part of the Memorial Pegasus museum. Specifications (AS.58 Mark II) (Data from Fighting Gliders of World War II, British Warplanes of World War II, BAE Systems) General characteristics Crew: Two Capacity: 28 troops / 2x ¼ton trucks / 1x M3A1 Howitzer + ¼ton truck with ammunition and crew / (20-25 troops was the "standard" Mark I load) Length: 67 ft 0 in (20.42 m) Wingspan: 88 ft 0 in (26.82 m) Height: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m) Wing area: 1,104 sq ft (102.6 m2) Aspect ratio: 7.2 Airfoil: root: NACA 4419R 3.1; tip: NACA 4415R 3.1 Empty weight: 8,370 lb (3,797 kg) Gross weight: 15,750 lb (7,144 kg) Performance Cruise speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn) normal operational gliding speed Aero-tow speed: 150-160 mph (130-139 kn; 241-257 km/h) Stall speed: 48 mph (77 km/h, 42 kn) flaps down 58 mph (50 kn; 93 km/h) flaps up Wing loading: 14 lb/sq ft (68 kg/m2) Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era DFS 230 General Aircraft Hamilcar General Aircraft Hotspur Gotha Go 242 Slingsby Hengist Waco CG-4A An Airspeed Horsa under tow Paratroops leaving an Airspeed Horsa trainer of No 21 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit at Brize Norton, 4 June 1943 (Black and yellow diagonal bands on the underside warn "I am towing or being towed" so other aircraft would stay clear of the towline, and that the aircraft was unable to freely manoeuvre.) The main components of a Horsa, as delivered by their manufacturers, and a group of civilian workers responsible for their assembly into a complete aircraft / RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, 26 April 1944 Horsa Cockpit Airspeed Horsa interior, with folding bike Photograph taken from a Horsa cockpit while under tow by a Short Stirling during Operation Varsity, 24 March 1945 Troops seated in a Horsa, prior to take-off Horsas on the ground at Arnhem Internal framework of a Horsa A Horsa replica near Pegasus Bridge, Normandy, France, 2009 Horsa Glider Cockpit on display at the Silent Wings Museum in Texas Airspeed Ambassador AS.57 Ambassador Role - Airliner Manufacturer - Airspeed Ltd First flight - 10 July 1947 Introduction - 1951 Status - Retired Primary user - British European Airways Produced - 1947-1953 Number built - 23 The Airspeed AS.57 Ambassador is a British twin piston-engined airliner that was designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. It was one of the first postwar airliners to be produced. The Ambassador was developed in response to a requirement identified by the Brabazon Committee for a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul airliner as a replacement for the ubiquitous Douglas DC-3. Airspeed assembled a design team in 1943, which initially worked on a smaller proposal powered by Bristol Hercules radial engines; this was quickly superseded by a larger-capacity design aimed at better fulfilling the expansion in postwar civil air travel, although several entities doubted Airspeed's projected growth in air travel. While outfitted with the new but conventional Bristol Centaurus radial engines, the Ambassador was designed to accommodate four Napier Nomad turbo-compound engines, a then-recent innovation. Its fuselage was compatible with pressurisation, this being an optional feature offered to customers. On 10 July 1947, the first prototype Ambassador conducted its maiden flight; a total of three prototypes were built. Early on, British European Airways (BEA) emerged as a key customer for the type, having placed a £3 million order for 20 aircraft in September 1948. Introducing the Ambassador to service in 1951, BEA often referred to the aircraft as the "Elizabethans", as the aircraft were used for the airline's "Elizabethan Class" passenger service. However, the type was quickly outperformed by the turboprop-powered Vickers Viscount, with BEA opting to withdraw its Ambassadors in 1958. Secondhand aircraft were operated by several other airlines, including Dan-Air and Northeast Airlines. Despite being produced in relatively small numbers, the Ambassador was operational for longer than had been anticipated by planners. Development Background The origins of the Ambassador can be traced to 1943 and the work of the Brabazon Committee, which sought to define what types of aircraft would be desired by the post-war civil aviation sector. One of the committee's recommendations was a twin-engined short-to-medium-haul replacement for the Douglas DC-3, known as the Type 2. The British manufacturer Airspeed Ltd. was interested in this requirement and established a small design team to work on the project from a dispersed office in Fairmile Manor at Cobham in Surrey in 1943. This effort was headed by ex-de Havilland aeronautical engineer Arthur Hagg, who had joined the company earlier that year. Early concepts included an unpressurised aircraft in the 14.5-ton gross weight class to be powered by a pair of Bristol Hercules radial engines. Work on the endeavour was taken as far as possible without impacting Airspeed's wartime production activity, as the Second World War was still raging. In response to changes in planner's preferences, dictating that the interim aircraft be procured so that airliners such as the in-development Ambassador had more development time, thus the design was revised substantially to expand its capacity. By 1944, it was a considerably larger design than the DC-3, with improved comfort and space. While Airspeed's management believed that postwar demands would demand greater passenger capacities, several figures, including those within the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and the Air Ministry, were less enthusiastic with their projections. The company also promoted the economics of higher utilisation rates and elevated cruise speeds, whereas conventional wisdom amongst airlines was to avoid increasing speeds to reduce fuel consumption. For the Ambassador, Airspeed opted to pursue a cruising altitude of 20,000 ft, relatively high for the era. A comprehensive mockup was completed by November 1944, largely for promotional purposes, while the projected operating cost figures were released during early 1945. Immediately following the end of the conflict, the British Ministry of Aircraft Production placed an order with the company to produce a pair of prototypes. While the first prototype was to be unpressurised and powered by a pair of Bristol Centaurus radial engines, it was envisioned that the second prototype would feature a reinforced fuselage compatible with pressurisation and a wing that could accommodate four Napier Nomad turboprop engines. Several officials, including company chairman Alan Samuel Butler, favored the adoption of the new turbopropeller engines. By the end of 1945, work had commenced on building structural test sections and jigs. Into flight On 10 July 1947, the first prototype, registered G-AGUA, conducted the type's maiden flight, flown by chief test pilot George B.S. Errington. After the generally successful first flight, the prototype underwent a month of alterations, including deleting the spring tab and replacing it with geared tabs fitted to the outer rudders and locking the inner rudder; reversible propellers were also installed. During September 1947, the prototype made its first public display alongside elements of the second prototype, including its cockpit and control system, at the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) show at Radlett. On 22 November 1947, the programme received a setback when the prototype was forced to perform a belly landing after the port undercarriage leg failed to deploy due to a loss of hydraulic pressure. This did not seemingly deter customer confidence, as the newly created operator British European Airways (BEA) continued to openly express their preference for the type, and in September they placed a £3 million order for 20 Ambassadors. This support was so impactful that, according to aviation author H. A. Taylor, rival aircraft manufacturer Vickers was close to cancelling development of the Viscount over fears that airlines held a preference for advanced piston-powered airliners over the unfamiliar turboprop. During flight testing, it was found that the aircraft possessed particularly favourable low speed characteristics. Having been explored in depth beforehand, this was dramatically displayed at the 1948 Farnborough Airshow, becoming the only aircraft in history to perform such an aerial display with one engine out throughout. This was a deliberate choice, with the inactive engine's propeller being feathered prior to taking off and remaining so until after landing. The first prototype performed the majority of flight testing through late 1948. A total of three prototypes were constructed for the test programme. The second Ambassador, G-AKRD, was the first to feature pressurisation and was equipped with a full passenger cabin configuration for demonstration flights. This second prototype was subsequently used by the Bristol Aeroplane Company from 1953 for flight-testing the Bristol Proteus 705 turbine engine. From March 1958, it was used by Rolls-Royce for testing the Dart and Tyne turboprops. The third prototype and first Ambassador 2 G-ALFR was initially used for BEA proving trials, and in 1955 it also supported the development trials of the Napier Eland turbine engine. During 1958, intensive simulated airline flying, to pave the way for BEA Vanguards, was performed using two Tyne-powered Ambassadors. During the latter stage of development, some issues were uncovered. The wing, which had been designed to induce laminar flow characteristics, was relatively unconventional in its design; testing revealed that it lacked sufficient strength, and redesigning the wing was not straightforward. Technical assistance was provided by de Havilland and the issue was proven to be resolved in December 1949. Three minor accidents during demonstration flights, while causing no serious damage, often delayed testing and did not inspire confidence amongst potential customers. Quantity production of the Ambassador commenced during 1950, leading to the first production standard aircraft, destined for BEA, performing its first flight on 12 January 1951. Design The Airspeed Ambassador was an all-metal twin-engine airliner, designed to serve short-to-medium haul routes. It was relatively advanced for the era, being relatively aerodynamically clean, having a high aspect-ratio wing with hoped-for near-Laminar flow characteristics, a tricycle undercarriage, a steerable nosewheel, integral fuel tanks, and other recent innovations. Distinctive external features of the Ambassador included its three low tailfins and a long pointed nose, giving it a resemblance to the larger transcontinental Lockheed Constellation. Its tricycle gear gave it a more modern appearance than contemporaries such as the DC-3, Curtiss Commando, Avro Lancastrian and Vickers Vikings that were common on Europe's shorter airline routes. In a standard configuration, the Ambassador could accommodate up to 47 passengers; somewhat unusually, its passenger cabin could be either pressurised or not as the customer preferred. To reduce cabin noise levels, considerable effort went into soundproofing and general furnishings; Taylor described the Ambassador as being particularly quiet for a piston engine airliner, although also noting it could not equal the lower noise levels of turboprop-powered airliners such as the Vickers Viscount. It was typically powered by conventional Bristol Centaurus radial engines, although individual aircraft were reengined with various powerplants, including turboprops. To increase cruise performance, designers made great efforts to minimise drag, using a NACA laminar-flow wing section. The predicted low-drag performance was not completely realized, however, due to structural features for wing construction, propeller slipstream over the inner wing, and increased skin roughness in actual service conditions. The engine nacelles were initially designed with inwardly-opening louvres for exhaust gases and cooling air rather than the usual outwardly opening "gills". However, these proved inadequate for cooling the engine, thus the gills were reinstated. Engine-out climb performance was enhanced by being able to feather the propeller using a zero-torque signal from the engine. Operational history During 1952, British European Airways (BEA) introduced the first of its 20 strong fleet of Ambassadors to revenue service, the airline referred to them as the "Elizabethan Class" in honour of the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II. The planned 1951 introduction date had been pushed to 1952 to address development issues. By May 1951, intense proving trials of the Ambassador were being conducted by a joint team of Airspeed and BEA employees, while official BEA training commenced in August of that year. The flagship of BEA's fleet was G-ALZN, appropriately named "RMA Elizabethan". The first "Elizabethan" scheduled flight was from Heathrow Airport to Paris Le Bourget on 13 March 1952, soon the type was used across BEA's main the airline's key UK routes. According to Taylor, the Ambassador's performance gave BEA a competitive edge over its rivals. By December 1955, the "Elizabethan Class" had reached 2,230 flying hours annually, per aircraft, the highest in BEA's fleet. However, the rival Vickers Viscount, which was introduced in 1953, was even more popular with BEA's passengers than the Ambassador. Rival airlines, such as Air France, had also quickly introduced the Viscount, and thus held an advantage over BEA's Elizabethan service. Accordingly, the airline decided to withdraw the type despite its relative youth, with BEA's final scheduled Ambassador flight on 30 July 1958. There were no further sales of the Ambassador. Aviation authors Bill Gunston and Peter Masefield laid this lack of success largely upon attitudes within de Havilland's management following its takeover of Airspeed in 1951; they allegedly preferred to use Airspeed's factory at Christchurch Airfield to produce military jets designed by de Havilland. One example of de Havilland's undermining of potential sales was the recall of the Sales Director to de Havilland's headquarters at Hatfield Aerodrome (Hertfordshire, England) from Australia, despite his reportedly being near to finalizing an order from Trans-Australia Airlines for 12 Ambassadors. Taylor observed that prospective customers were often sceptical that Airspeed, being a relatively small company, could be relied upon for technical support and components. Following the type's disposal by BEA, secondhand Ambassadors helped to establish the scheduled and charter flight operations of Dan-Air, an important airline in the development of the package holiday. The type was also used in the UK by Autair and BKS Air Transport. Secondhand Ambassadors were also flown for short periods by other airlines including Butler Air Transport (Australia), Globe Air (Switzerland) and Norrønafly (Norway). Multiple entities, such as Royal Dutch Shell and the Royal Jordanian Air Force, also procured Ambassadors for private purposes. The initial popularity of the Ambassador, with its pressurised cabin and good soundproofing, was soon eclipsed by the arrival of turboprop-powered aircraft such as the Vickers Viscount and, some years later, the Lockheed Electra, which featured more reliable engines and faster speeds. Variants AS.57 Ambassador 1 Prototype aircraft with Bristol Centaurus 130 engines, two built. AS.57 Ambassador 2 Production version with Bristol Centaurus 661 engines, 21 built including the production prototype. Projects AS.59 Ambassador II Project for either a twin-engined variant with Bristol Proteus or Bristol Theseus engines or a four-engined variant with Napier Naiads or Rolls-Royce Darts. From the first prototypes, the Ambassador's wing had been stressed for four Naiad turboprops, but no four-engined variant flew. AS.60 Ayrshire C.1 Proposed variant to meet Air Ministry Specification C.13/45 for a medium-range military transport with a rear-fuselage loading ramp. Ten were ordered in October 1946 but were not built, after a review of the design's projected performance produced figures lower than the Air Ministry's requirements. AS.64 Proposed military transport variant for the Royal Air Force to meet Air Ministry Specification C.26/43, not built. AS.66 Proposed civil freighter variant. AS.67 Proposed civil freighter variant. Accidents and incidents 8 April 1955: G-AMAB, Sir Francis Bacon of British European Airways was damaged beyond repair in a forced landing south-west of Düsseldorf, Germany. This aircraft had often been used by the Queen and Prince Philip when travelling to Europe in the early 1950s. 6 February 1958: G-ALZU, Lord Burghley, also of BEA, in what became known as the Munich air disaster, crashed on takeoff after a refuelling stop at Munich while operating a charter flight from Belgrade, Yugoslavia, to Manchester, England. This crash received tremendous public attention in the UK as it involved team members and staff of Manchester United Football Club, together with representatives of the national press. Of the 44 people on the plane, 21 died in the crash and 2 died later, including eight Manchester United players. The investigation eventually focused on runway slush adversely affecting the speed of the plane as it attempted to take off. 14 April 1966: G-ALZX of Dan-Air was damaged beyond repair when its undercarriage collapsed on landing at Beauvais, France. 14 September 1967 G-ALZS of Autair was damaged beyond repair on landing at Luton Airport, UK. The aircraft overran the runway and ended up in soft clay. 3 July 1968: G-AMAD of BKS Air Transport crashed at London Heathrow Airport. All but two of its crew as well as several horses which were being transported and their grooms, were killed. A parked Trident airliner was damaged beyond repair (G-ARPT) and another Trident had its tail torn off before the airliner hit terminal buildings and came to rest. The accident was caused by a failed flap actuating rod in the left wing. The Trident which suffered the damaged tail (G-ARPI) was subsequently repaired and later involved in an unconnected fatal accident in June 1972. 30 September 1968: G-AMAG of Dan-Air was damaged beyond repair in a wheels-up landing at Manston, United Kingdom. Operators Civil operators Australia Butler Air Transport (operated three units) Norway Norrønafly (proposed to operate two aircraft but they never entered service) New Zealand South Seas Airways (bought one aircraft but failed to gain an operators licence; the aircraft was not delivered to New Zealand) Switzerland Globe Air (operated three aircraft) United Kingdom Autair International Airways (operated three aircraft) BKS Air Transport (operated three aircraft) British European Airways (operated twenty aircraft) Dan-Air (operated seven aircraft) Decca Navigator Company (one aircraft) Napier Rolls-Royce Shell Aviation Limited (two aircraft) Military operators Jordan Royal Jordanian Air Force (operated three former British European Airways aircraft, first one delivered in 1959) Morocco Moroccan Royal Flight Aircraft on display One Elizabethan, Christopher Marlowe (G-ALZO, c/n 5226), survives having undergone major restoration by the Duxford Aviation Society at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford near Cambridge. The restoration was completed in April 2013 and the aircraft is presently part of the Duxford Collection. Specifications (Data from Airspeed aircraft since 1931, British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1) General characteristics Crew: 3 Capacity: Up to 60 passengers Length: 81 ft (25 m) Wingspan: 115 ft (35 m) Height: 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m) Wing area: 1,200 sq ft (110 m2) Aspect ratio: 11:1 Airfoil: root: NACA; tip: NACA Empty weight: 35,884 lb (16,277 kg) Max takeoff weight: 52,000 lb (23,587 kg) Fuel capacity: 1,000 imp gal (1,200 US gal; 4,500 L) in two integral wing tanks, with provision for 600 imp gal (720 US gal; 2,700 L) in two centre-section bag tanks Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Centaurus 661 18-cylinder air-cooled sleeve-valve piston engines, 2,625 hp (1,957 kW) each Performance Maximum speed: 312 mph (502 km/h, 271 kn) at 75% power with 11,650 lb (5,280 kg) payload Cruise speed: 300 mph (480 km/h, 260 kn) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m) at 50,000 lb (23,000 kg) 279 mph (242 kn; 449 km/h) at 60% power Range: 720 mi (1,160 km, 630 nmi) with 11,650 lb (5,280 kg) payload and no reserves at 280 mph (240 kn; 450 km/h) 900 mi (780 nmi; 1,400 km) at 220 mph (190 kn; 350 km/h) 1,560 mi (1,360 nmi; 2,510 km) with 7,900 lb (3,600 kg) payload max. fuel at 280 mph (240 kn; 450 km/h) 1,950 mi (1,690 nmi; 3,140 km) with 7,900 lb (3,600 kg) payload max. fuel at 220 mph (190 kn; 350 km/h) Rate of climb: 1,520 ft/min (7.7 m/s) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) at maximum weight Rate of climb on one engine: 420 ft/min (130 m/min) after take-off at maximum weight 360 ft/min (110 m/min) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) at maximum weight Wing loading: 43.3 lb/sq ft (211 kg/m2) at 52,000 lb (24,000 kg) Power/mass: 0.1 hp/lb (0.16 kW/kg) at 52,000 lb (24,000 kg) Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 3,270 ft (1,000 m) at maximum T.O weight Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m) one engine: 4,950 ft (1,510 m) at maximum T.O weight Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 2,565 ft (782 m) at max landing weight Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Convair CV-240 Vickers Viscount Dan-Air Ambassador at Bristol Airport in 1965 Napier's Eland engine test-bed Ambassador G-ALFR at Farnborough SBAC Show 1955 Passengers board a British European Airways G-AMAH Airspeed Ambassador aircraft in 1954 BKS Air Transport Ambassador G-AMAD in 1965 BEA "Elizabethan" G-AMAG "Sir Thomas Gresham" at Manchester (Ringway) Airport on the schedule to Heathrow in July 1953 G-ALZO, at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, 2015 Airspeed Ambassador Airspeed Consul AS.65 Consul Role - Utility transport Manufacturer - Airspeed Limited First flight - 1946 Status - Out of production, out of service Primary users - Israeli Defence Force Air Force / Argentine Air Force / Union of Burma Air Force / Royal New Zealand Air Force Number built - 162 Developed from - Airspeed Oxford The Airspeed Consul is a twin-engined light transport aircraft and affordable airliner designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited. Introduced during the immediate post-war period, it was a straightforward conversion of surplus Airspeed Oxford military trainers that had been extensively used during the Second World War. Early on in the conflict, Airspeed's management recognised that the vast numbers of Oxfords then in military service would need a new purpose as an inevitable consequence of demobilisation greatly reducing military demand for the type. Upon the war's end, the company acquired numerous Oxfords from the British government and begun converting the type for the needs of civilian customers. The first aircraft, G-AGVY, was certified for operations in March 1946; a further 50 aircraft would be converted over the following months. The Consul was developed into various models, each being typically suited for a particular role, such as an air ambulance, freighter, executive transport, and airliner. Airspeed marketed the type particularly heavily towards private owner-pilots and businesses, the latter being an atypical choice for the era. A number were also produced with armaments, having been militarised and exported to multiple overseas air forces. By the end of production, 162 Consuls had been produced. Development Background During the first half of the 1930s, the British aircraft manufacturer Airspeed Limited produced the Envoy, an eight-seat civil transport that also promptly attracted the attention of military operators. Accordingly, during the late 1930s, a militarised derivative of the Envoy, known as the Oxford, was developed and introduced, being primarily used as a trainer aircraft. The Oxford was used in vast numbers by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in addition to several other air forces, forming a key element of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan; a total of 8,586 were produced. As early as 1940, Airspeed's management were considering the future postwar era and the fate of the large numbers of Oxfords that the company was mass-producing at that time; recognising that military demands would be curtailed, it was thus sensible for surplus aircraft to be converted for use by civilian operators instead. It was recognised that an affordable general purpose twin-engined transport aircraft, suitable for use as an airliner, would likely appeal to such operators. Having planned in advance of the conflict's end, following Victory in Europe Day, Airspeed quickly negotiated to buy back Oxfords from the British government, arranging the purchase of not only complete aircraft but also partially-assembled examples that were in progress at various factories. The conversion process commenced immediately upon acquisition, with the first aircraft, G-AGVY, being certified for operations in March 1946 and sold to a private operator shortly thereafter. Due to it being a relatively straightforward conversion of an existing aircraft with only minor modifications being made, securing civil airworthiness certification was both quick and easy. The type was assigned the name Consul. In addition to targeting airlines, Airspeed believed there was a viable market for the type amongst private owner-pilots, as there had been for such aircraft during the interwar period. Furthermore, there was an intention focus on marketing the aircraft towards business purposes, a direction which aviation author H. A. Taylor observed to be a particularly innovative approach for the era. Launch From 1946, 162 Oxfords (161 Consuls were sold by Airspeed, with the second prototype, G-AEHF retained by Airspeed) were refurbished by Airspeed and adapted for civilian use at the firm's facility in Portsmouth. Of these, 50 alone were produced between May and October 1946. Structural alterations involved in the conversion included cut-outs to add an extra pair of windows on either side of the fuselage, the installation of an elongated nose that functioned as a forward compartment for storing baggage, and the addition of a partition wall between the cockpit and the cabin areas. The tail plane was also adjusted to account for the changed centre of gravity resulting from these other modifications, which also increased the aircraft's fore-and-aft stability. The Consul was a relatively affordable endeavour as surplus Oxfords were both common and inexpensive to acquire. It proved to be superficially attractive as a small twin-engine airliner, and Airspeed promptly offered a conversion kit for this specific purpose. In a charter configuration, the Consul's cabin would be typically outfitted with five seats, although the addition of a sixth seat was possible. The cabin furnishings consisted of detachable carpets, leather upholstery, and fabric trimmings of various colours. In the cockpit, the radio operator would be seated alongside the pilot in the former instructor's position. Multiple variants of the Consul were developed by Airspeed, often to suit particular niche roles of the market. One such model, intended for use as an air ambulance, featured a large upwards-opening door and could accommodate a pair of stretcher-bound patients along with one or two seated patients. A convertible model featured the same large door, which was intended to be alternatively used as a freighter and communications purposes. A specialised executive transport was also produced, its cabin accommodating up to four seated passengers along with a lavatory and additional space for luggage. Somewhat paradoxically, a militarised reconversion was also devised; this model was armed with two forward-firing .303 machine guns, up to eight 25lb rockets, and a single rear-facing turret. Operational history The Consul saw service with numerous small scheduled and charter airlines as feeder liners in Great Britain, and also Belgium, Iceland, Ireland, Malta, East Africa and Canada, and was the first type operated by Malayan Airways, the predecessor of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Various owners emerged for individual aircraft. A number were acquired for training purposes. Several Consuls were operated as executive transports by a number of large industrial companies. However, the aircraft's wooden construction, heavy wartime use, somewhat tricky handling and small capacity typically counted against their long term use. Many of the 'civil' conversions were bought by military users; and the Consul served as a VIP transport with the air forces of Britain, Canada and New Zealand, all of whom already operated Oxfords. During 1949, the Israeli Air Force purchased a number of civil Consuls and re-converted them to military trainers. They were used by 141 Squadron until 1957, a year after the Oxford was retired by the Royal Air Force. By 1960, there were at least nine Consuls known to be in operation worldwide. According to Taylor, it had a relatively good safety record, although the loss of five of the first ten Consuls was particularly unfortunant. Furthermore, the aircraft is believed to be Airspeed's only civil transport to achieve financial success. While several Oxfords survive, the Consul has not been so fortunate. G-AIKR, a former children's playground attraction, is owned by the Canada Aviation Museum; it is on loan to the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum, where it is being returned to Oxford status. As of 2003, Consul VR-SCD was known to exist in Singapore, stored in pieces. Operators Civil operators The aircraft was used by companies, individuals and air charter companies and the following: Burma Union of Burma Airways - four aircraft delivered in 1947 Iceland Loftleidir - one aircraft delivered in January 1951, fatal crash in April 1951 India Airways (India) - two aircraft delivered in 1947 Ireland Aer Lingus - two aircraft delivered in 1947 Israel El Al - one delivered in 1953 for crew training Italy Soc Transports Aerei Mediterranei (STAM) - three aircraft delivered 1955-56 Jordan Arab Airways Association - one aircraft loaned in 1951 Air Jordan - seven aircraft from 1950 to 1951 Malaya Malayan Airways - three aircraft delivered in 1947 Kenya East African Airways - one aircraft delivered in 1954 Malta Air Malta Malta Airways South Africa Commercial Air Services - one aircraft delivered in 1949 Natal Airlines - four aircraft delivered in 1955 Silver Flight - one aircraft delivered in 1947 Spain Iberia - three aircraft first delivery in 1952 Sweden Aero Nord Sweden - one aircraft from Aeropropaganda in 1953 Aeropropaganda - two aircraft delivered 1950-51 Nordisk Air Transport - one aircraft delivered in 1951 Transair Sweden - one aircraft from Nordisk Air Transport in 1951 Tanganyika United Air Services - three aircraft delivered 1947-48 United Kingdom Air Charter Air Enterprises - seven aircraft based at Croydon Airport Air Kruise Airspan Travel Atlas Aviation - four aircraft based at Elstree Britavia British Air Transport British Aviation Services - four aircraft based at Blackbushe Airport British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC Training Flight) British South American Airways Cambrian Airways Chartair Guernsey Air Charter Hornton Airways - three aircraft based at Gatwick Airport International Airways Lancashire Aircraft Corporation Mercury Air Services Ministry of Civil Aviation - flying unit for radio aids calibration, trials and pilot testing Ministry of Supply - for engine trials by Alvis Morton Air Services Northern Air Charter Olley Air Services Patrick Laing Air Services Portsmouth Aviation Pullman Airways Silver City Airways Scottish Aviation Solar Air Services Southern Airways Stiener Air Services - six aircraft based at Speke Airport Transcontinental Air Services Transair Ltd - five aircraft based at Croydon Airport Westminster Airways - seven aircraft based at Elstree United Nations Five aircraft leased to the United Nations Commission in Israel between 1947 and 1949. Military operators 1. Argentina Argentine Air Force - ten aircraft delivered in 1947. 2. Belgian Congo Force publique - six aircraft delivered in 1949. 3. Burma Union of Burma Air Force - nine aircraft from 1949 to 1950. 4. Israel Israeli Defence Force Air Force - eleven aircraft from 1949 to 1959. 5. New Zealand Royal New Zealand Air Force - six conversions by De Havilland Aircraft of New Zealand in early 1950s. 6. Turkey Turkish Air Force - two VIP aircraft from 1946 used by the Transport Liaison Group. Accidents and incidents 29 April 1947 - G-AIOZ of Milburnair Limited crashed at Botley Hill, Limpsfield on approach to Croydon Airport, two killed. 27 February 1948 - G-AJGE, of Pullman Airways Limited, lost at sea in the Gulf of Sidra off North Africa during a charter flight from Nairobi to London. Five killed. 11 February 1949 - the first Consul conversion G-AGVY of Air Enterprises crashed at Jezzin, Lebanon while on charter to the United Nations, two onboard killed. 15 June 1950 - UB340 of the Union of Burma Air Force was on a demonstration flight when a rocket exploded under the wing killing the Burmese Chief of Air Staff. 12 April 1951 - TF-RPM of Flugferdir H/F crashed at Howden Moor, Yorkshire, England on a flight from Croydon to Iceland, three killed. 11 December 1951 - NZ1902 of the Royal New Zealand Air Force crashed on Mount Ruapehu. 14 June 1952 - G-AHFT of Morton Air Services ditched in the English Channel following an engine failure, six killed. Specifications (Data from British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1947) General characteristics Crew: 1 Capacity: six passengers Length: 35 ft 4 in (10.77 m) Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m) Height: 10 ft 1.5 in (3.086 m) Wing area: 348 sq ft (32.3 m2) Empty weight: 6,047 lb (2,743 kg) Max takeoff weight: 8,250 lb (3,742 kg) Fuel capacity: 156 imp gal (187 US gal; 709 L) in 4 wing tanks ; 17 imp gal (20 US gal; 77 L) Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 10 seven cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 395 hp (295 kW) each at 2,425 rpm at 4,300 ft (1,311 m), with 2.25 psi (15.51 kPa) boost Propellers: 2-bladed Fairey-Reed fixed-pitch metal propellers Performance Maximum speed: 190 mph (310 km/h, 170 kn) at 4,800 ft (1,463 m) Cruise speed: 163 mph (262 km/h, 142 kn) maximum weak mixture Stall speed: 64 mph (103 km/h, 56 kn) Range: 900 mi (1,400 km, 780 nmi) Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,800 m) Rate of climb: 1,070 ft/min (5.4 m/s) at sea level Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 10 minutes Wing loading: 23.1 lb/sq ft (113 kg/m2) Power/mass: 0.096 hp/lb (0.158 kW/kg) Fuel consumption: < 30 imp gal/h (36 gal/h; 136 L/h) Take-off distance to 66 ft (20 m): 1,725 ft (526 m) in 5 mph (4 kn; 8 km/h) wind Landing run: 825 ft (251 m) Avionics - Standard Telephones STR11/16 or STR 9 radio / Decca Navigator (optional) Related development Airspeed AS.6 Envoy Airspeed AS.8 Viceroy (one-off racing special) Airspeed Oxford Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Avro Anson Airspeed Consul G-AIDX of Esso Petroleum at Manchester in 1954 Airspeed Consul of Aer Lingus at Liverpool in 1949 A Consul which has been cosmetically restored to represent an example previously operated by Malayan Airways and is now preserved in Singapore Airspeed Consul of Lancashire Aircraft Corporation at Manchester in 1950 on scheduled service to London (Northolt) |