Avro Avenger
| 566 Avenger | |
|---|---|
 Avro Type 566 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Avro |
| Designer | |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Primary user | RAF (intended) |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 26 June 1926 |
| Retired | 1931 |
The Avro 566 Avenger was a prototype British fighter of the 1920s, designed and built by Avro. It was a single-seat, single-engine biplane of wood and fabric construction. Although it was a streamlined and advanced design, it never entered production.
Development
[edit]The Avenger was designed as a private venture and Roy Chadwick penned a machine of great aerodynamic cleanliness for its time. As originally built, it was powered by a 525 hp (391 kW) Napier Lion VIII and it first flew on 26 June 1926,[1] but no order was forthcoming; this was partly because by the time it was evaluated, the Air Ministry did not favour the Lion as a fighter engine.
In May 1928, the machine was modified as a racer, with equi-span wings of 28 ft (8.53 m) and revised struts and ailerons; it was fitted with a 553 hp (412 kW) Lion. The machine was subsequently redesignated Avro 567 Avenger II.
The Avenger ended its days as an instructional airframe.
Specifications (Avenger)
[edit]Data from The Complete Book of Fighters[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
- Wingspan: 32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)
- Height: 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)
- Wing area: 244 sq ft (22.7 m2) [1]
- Empty weight: 2,368 lb (1,074 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,220 lb (1,461 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion VIII or Lion IX W-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 525 hp (391 kW) (Lion VIII)
- 553 hp (412 kW) (Lion IX)
- Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 180 mph (290 km/h, 160 kn)
- Cruise speed: 130 mph (210 km/h, 110 kn)
- Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m) [1]
- Rate of climb: 2,100 ft/min (11 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: provision for two machine-guns
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
- ^ Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander. p. 47. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.
External links
[edit]
- Avro Avenger – British Aircraft Directory