84-631: (Redirected from T-22 ) T22 may refer to: Aircraft [ edit ] Avro Anson T 22, a British radio trainer Consolidated AT-22 , a trainer of the United States Army Air Forces De Havilland Sea Vampire T.22 , a British jet trainer Fokker T-22 Instructor , a trainer of the Brazilian Air Force Junkers T.22 , a German prototype fighter Ryan PT-22 Recruit ,
168-462: A prone position in the forward section of the nose, which was provisioned with a bombsight , driftsight, and other appropriate instrumentation, including a landing light . The pilot was located in a cockpit behind the bomb aimer's position and was provided with a variety of contemporary instrumentation, including those to enable flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and indirect instrument lighting for night flying purposes. Immediately behind
252-641: A British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro . Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War . Initially known as the Avro 652A , the Anson was developed during
336-465: A basic mark number system. Mk 1 aircraft were those constructed pre-war, while Mk 2 and Mk 3 Rapides were ex-military conversions to a six-passenger cabin and eight-passenger cabin respectively. Those Rapides that were re-engined with a pair of de Havilland Gipsy Queen engines, were referred to as Mk 4s. These had an improved climb, cruise speed and single engine performance, but an increased all-up weight of 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg). By 1966, use of
420-514: A fleet of Rapides on scheduled services from Ronaldsway Airport near Castletown to airports in north-west England including Blackpool, Liverpool and Manchester. Some of its aircraft had been transferred to it after operation by Railway Air Services. During late 1935, the first of an initial batch of 16 Rapides were shipped to the manufacturer's Canadian branch, de Havilland Canada , for modification and re-sale purposes. Canadian aircraft received various changes, including an extended dorsal fin and
504-536: A four-engined faster passenger aircraft capable of seating ten passengers, the DH.86 Dragon Express . An important feature of the DH.86 was the newly developed and powerful Gipsy Six engine, a six-cylinder variant of the four cylinder Gipsy Major engine. The DH.86 would serve as the a key starting point for the later DH.89. During late 1933, a team at de Havilland, led by aircraft designer Arthur Ernest Hagg , began working on
588-517: A modified undercarriage arrangement, allowing for either wheels, skis, or floats to be interchangeably installed, dependent upon usage and weather conditions. The sole Canadian prototype, CF-AEO , was sold onto Quebec Airways in June 1935. Further Rapides were delivered to other customers in Canada, such as Canadian Airways , who used it on their West Coast and maritime routes. On 30 January 1942,
672-413: A new design, intended to be a faster and more comfortable successor to the earlier DH.84 Dragon . The new aircraft was, in effect, a twin-engined, scaled-down version of the four-engined DH.86 Express . It shared many common features with the earlier DH.86 Express, including its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and fuselage, as well as the same Gipsy Six engines. However, the DH.89 demonstrated none of
756-525: A prototype of the M8 Greyhound light armored car T22 Medium Tank , an American prototype tank ThinkPad T22 , a notebook computer Type 22 frigate of the Royal Navy [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title formed as a letter–number combination. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
840-450: A reduced diameter in order to reduce their negative impact on external visibility, which was considered to be valuable to the type's reconnaissance function. These engines drove two-bladed Fairey -built metal propellers . The Anson was the first aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear to enter service with the RAF. While the main undercarriage was retracted into recesses set into
924-537: A result. Aiming to produce a faster version of the Rapide, a smaller, lighter and externally cleaner version, designated as the DH.90 Dragonfly , emerged; first flying in August 1935, the DH.90 failed to achieve a similar rate of sales to the Rapide and production was terminated in 1938 after 67 aircraft had been completed. In November 1935, the 60th airframe to be produced, G-ADWZ , was modified and used by de Havilland as
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#17327879758531008-426: A signalling lamp and float flares . Aft of the rear spar is the wireless operator's station – a table with contemporary wireless equipment, including a winch for the trailing aerial, which was attached to the upper fuselage immediately behind the aircraft's cockpit. The armaments of the Anson consisted of a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun which was fixed within the forward fuselage and aimed by
1092-465: A specialised variant of the Rapid, designated as the DH.92 Dolphin . This one-off derivative featured a retractable undercarriage , an expanded wingspan of 53 feet 7 inches (16.33 m), a modified nose section, and an increased all-up weight of 6,600 pounds (3,000 kg); however, flight tests in August 1936 revealed there to be no performance improvement over the standard Rapide, leading to
1176-568: A third, while no Ansons were lost. The aircraft achieved more success training pilots for flying multi-engined bombers , such as the Avro Lancaster . Ansons were first deployed to Flying Training Schools in November 1936, replacing the obsolete bombers then used for twin-engine training. The Anson was also used to train the other members of a bomber's aircrew, such as navigators, wireless operators, bomb aimers and air gunners. Postwar,
1260-543: A trainer and communications aircraft until 28 June 1968. Post-war, a small number of Ansons (known as Avro 19s) were built new for the civilian market, along with a much larger number of civil conversions from surplus military stocks, being used as light transport and executive aircraft. By the end of production in 1952, a total of 8,138 Ansons had been constructed by Avro in nine variants. A further 2,882 aircraft were manufactured by Federal Aircraft Ltd in Canada from 1941. By
1344-703: A trainer of the United States Army Air Corps Rail and transit [ edit ] Baraki-nakayama Station , in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan Furutakamatsu-Minami Station , in Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan Temmabashi Station , in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan Other uses [ edit ] T22 (rocket) , an American rocket weapon Estonian national road 22 T22 road (Tanzania) German torpedo boat T22 T22 Armored Car ,
1428-445: A trials aircraft. Fitted with elongated rear windows, cabin heating, thickened wing tips, and a strengthened airframe to allow for an elevated gross weight of 5,500 pounds (2,500 kg), G-ADWZ later participated in trials at Martlesham Heath, after which the higher gross weight was cleared for service. In response to the announcement of an air race between Britain and Johannesburg , South Africa , de Havilland's design team produced
1512-447: A typical Dominie-to-Rapide conversion performed by de Havilland involved the repainting of the exterior (replacing the wartime camouflage scheme) and the installation of sound proofing , upholstered seats and a new décor within the cabin area. Additionally, various third party companies offered and performed their own conversion schemes, including Field Aircraft Services , Airwork Limited, Air Enterprises , W.A. Rollason Limited and
1596-563: Is a 1930s short-haul biplane airliner developed and produced by British aircraft company de Havilland . Capable of accommodating 6–8 passengers, it proved an economical and durable craft, despite its outdated plywood construction. Developed during the early 1930s, the Dragon Rapide was essentially a smaller, twin-engined version of the four-engined DH.86 Express , and shared a number of common features, such as its tapered wings, streamlined fairings and Gipsy Six engines. First named
1680-464: The AT-20 . The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) operated a fleet of Ansons in communications and VIP duties. A specially outfitted Anson was presented to the then King of Egypt by the RAF. The Royal Afghan Air Force obtained 13 Anson 18 aircraft for various duties from 1948. These aircraft survived until 1972. After the war, Ansons continued in production with Avro at Woodford. At this time, large amounts of
1764-630: The Isle of Man until 1951. Finglands Airways operated an ex-RAF Anson I on inclusive tour flights and on scheduled flights from Manchester Airport to Newquay Airport between 1949 and 1952. Kemps Aerial Surveys operated several Anson XIXs on survey work within the UK until their retirement in 1973. In 1948, India ordered 12 new Anson 18Cs for use by the Directorate of Civil Aviation as trainers and communications aircraft; these were delivered from Yeadon in
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#17327879758531848-784: The Lancashire Aircraft Corporation (LAC). By 1958, 81 examples were recorded as still flying on the British register. In the Netherlands, airline KLM , keen to restart operations, set about procuring a handful of Rapides even prior to the end of the war, commencing the first of its re-launched services during September 1945. Various British airlines also became prolific users of the type; British European Airways (BEA), formed on 1 January 1946, took order 39 Rapides during February 1947. BEA used many across its fledgling network, later focusing upon services within
1932-617: The Ministry of Aircraft Production . A number of Dragon Rapides were used to provide internal flights under the control of National Air Communications (NAC). Perhaps one of the most significant early uses of the Rapide during the war occurred during the crucial weeks of May–June 1940, in which the Battle of France occurred; Rapides of No. 24 Squadron acted as aerial couriers between Britain and France; out of 24 aircraft, 10 Rapides were lost during this intense period of fighting. Following
2016-469: The North Sea and other coastal areas; however, it lacked the range to reach the coast of Norway. Its weapons against German U-boats were two small 100 lb bombs, which required a direct hit on the hull of a submarine to be effective, at least in theory. On 3 December 1939, an Anson mistakenly attacked a surfaced Royal Navy submarine, HMS Snapper , and although the aircraft succeeded in hitting
2100-463: The Second World War . The Avro Anson was a twin-engine, low-wing cantilever monoplane . Developed as a general reconnaissance aircraft, it possessed many features that lent itself to the role, including considerable load-carrying ability, and long range. The structure of the Anson was relatively straightforward and uncomplicated, relying on proven methods and robust construction to produce an airframe that minimized maintenance requirements. Much of
2184-474: The conning tower , the only damage was four broken light bulbs. In an earlier friendly fire incident off the coast of Scotland in September, the bombs of an Anson of No. 233 Squadron had bounced off the surface of the water and exploded in an air burst , which holed the aircraft's fuel tanks causing it to ditch off St Andrews . Despite numerous claims of attacks on U-boats by Ansons in the first months of
2268-414: The "Dragon Six", the aircraft was first marketed as the "Dragon Rapide", although the type later came to be popularly referred to as simply the "Rapide". Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War , 205 aircraft were manufactured for airlines and other private owners all around the world. The Rapide is perhaps the most successful British-built short-haul commercial passenger aircraft to be produced during
2352-535: The "Dragon Six", the type was marketed as "Dragon Rapide" and later simply known as the "Rapide". Upon its introduction in summer 1934, it proved to be a popular aircraft with airlines and private civil operators alike, attaining considerable foreign sales in addition to its domestic use. Upon the outbreak of the World War II , many of the civil Rapides were impressed into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy . Referred to in military service by
2436-638: The 1,051 Canadian-built Mk V Ansons featured a plywood fuselage . The Avro Anson was used by both military and civilian operators from 1935 until the early 1970s. The main users were the Royal Air Force (5000+), Royal Canadian Air Force (4,413) and Royal Australian Air Force (936) Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II, and Avro Aircraft since 1908 General characteristics Performance Armament Related development Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists De Havilland DH.89 The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
2520-545: The 1930s. In response to the issuing of Specification G.18/35 by the British Air Ministry , de Havilland decided to design and produce a single prototype of a modified Rapide for undertaking coastal reconnaissance. Trials using the prototype, K4772 , were performed between April and June 1935 at RAF Martlesham Heath and RAF Gosport . However, it ultimately lost out to its rival, the Avro Anson . K4772
2604-538: The 21st century, the vast majority of Ansons had been retired, but three aircraft still appear at flying displays. In 1933, the British Air Ministry proposed that the Royal Air Force (RAF) acquire a relatively cheap landplane for coastal maritime reconnaissance duties; the proposed aircraft would perform as a supplement to the more capable, but expensive, flying boats which the RAF had adopted for conducting maritime reconnaissance missions. The Air Ministry looked for designs from British manufacturers. Avro responded to
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2688-513: The Anson I served as operational training squadrons which were used to prepare crews for frontline service. 12 of the squadrons were in No. 6 (Operational Training) Group . Newly formed crews, having previously completed individual flying and technical training courses, were first trained as bomber crews in Ansons before advancing to the various frontline aircraft types, which were in the same squadrons with
2772-469: The Anson and its ordnance had failed in RAF anti-submarine work. Now in Canada, it was remobilized as an aerial scarecrow. German views varied as to Canadian countermeasures. The captain of U-517 found his operations increasingly restricted by strengthened air patrols. In October 1942, U-69 reported "strong sea patrol and constant patrol by aircraft with radar." The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), employed 50 Canadian-built Ansons, which were designated
2856-564: The Anson continued in the training and light transport roles. The last Ansons were withdrawn from RAF service with communications units on 28 June 1968. During the 1939–45 war years, the British Air Transport Auxiliary operated the Anson as its standard taxi aircraft, using it to carry groups of ferry pilots to and from aircraft collection points. There was no fatal mechanical failure of an Anson in ATA service, and it
2940-552: The Anson in this role with the American-built Lockheed Hudson , which was 100 mph faster, had three times the range, carried a much heavier bomb load and had a superior defensive armament. The first squadron to be reequipped with the type was already training with them in September 1939. Meanwhile, the remaining Coastal Command Anson squadrons had to go to war with what they had. The Anson had an endurance of only four hours so it could only be employed in
3024-506: The Ansons. After training the crews would advance to the frontline bomber squadrons with aircraft such as the Fairey Battle , Bristol Blenheim , Vickers Wellington , Armstrong Whitworth Whitley or Handley-Page Hampden . Even before the start of the war, it had been realized that the Anson's limited capabilities would make it ineffective in its intended main role as a maritime patrol aircraft. In 1938, it had been decided to replace
3108-606: The British Air Ministry, which sought to expand this capability. Repeat orders were placed by Airwork in the lead up to the Second World War, upon which point the firm's fleet of Rapides were all taken on by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII ), owned a single Dragon Rapide ( G-ADDD ), which he frequently used for carrying out his royal duties. He flew this aircraft to London on his accession as king in 1936, making him
3192-521: The Commonwealth Government decided to ground the majority of wooden-winged aircraft then in operation; amongst those aircraft affected, the Anson and De Havilland Mosquito were included. Of the Ansons, no such aircraft were re-registered as the government had mandated a test that essentially destroyed the wings, thus requiring the fitting of new wings. Most owners decided to voluntarily scrap their aircraft well before this time. During
3276-517: The Rapide had gone into decline and several formerly large operators had phased out the type completely. Due to the declining stocks of spare components available, individual Rapides were commonly being broken up in order to scavenge parts to maintain other active aircraft. Regardless, demand for such an aircraft was still relatively strong at this time, according to Moss. The DH.89 proved an economical and durable aircraft, despite its relatively primitive plywood construction and many were still flying in
3360-574: The Royal Canadian Legion magazine entitled Eastern Air Command: Air Force, Part 14 ; the author Hugh A. Haliday wrote: "The need for Atlantic patrols was undiminished, yet the Battle of the St. Lawrence stretched EAC resources. Based at Charlottetown, 31 General Reconnaissance School was mobilized to fly patrols using Avro Ansons, each carrying two 250-pound bombs. At the very outset of the war,
3444-461: The Scottish, Scilly , and Channel Islands while gradually selling on displaced and excess aircraft via Airwork. Small independent British airlines that chose to resist pressure from the British government to merge into BEA also commonly operated the Rapide. In order to better distinguish between the different standards of Rapides available in the post-war environment, de Havilland established
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3528-719: The Second World War, (alongside the more numerous Airspeed Oxford ), and acquired more Ansons as communication aircraft immediately after the war. A preserved navigation trainer is in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram. The Royal Indian Air Force operated several Ansons as part of the No.1 Service Flying Training School (India) for Pilot and Navigation training. These Ansons continued this role post-independence and were retired at an unknown date. The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) operated 4,413 Anson aircraft, 1,962 British built and 2,451 Canadian built aircraft. The RCN operated
3612-678: The aircraft until 1952. Although the Canadian Ansons were used throughout the training schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan for training aircrew, some aircraft were pressed into operational service with the RCAF's Eastern Air Command. A good example of the training schools' involvement in combat operations with the EAC during the emergency of the battle is illustrated in an article dated 1 March 2006 of
3696-418: The bottom of the engine nacelles, the tail wheel was fixed in position. Commonly, the undercarriage was fitted with Dunlop -built wheels, tyres and pneumatic brakes and Turner legs. The retractable undercarriage was mechanically operated by hand; 144 turns of a crank handle, situated beside the pilot's seat, were needed. To avoid this laborious process, early aircraft would often perform short flights with
3780-542: The closure of the NAC network, Dragon Rapides continued to fly for British airlines during the war as part of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). Upon the outbreak of war, all civil services had been halted; however, some routes were progressively returned to operation as and when they were deemed of value to the war effort or found to be in the national interest. The AAJC co-ordinated
3864-578: The early 2000s. Several Dragon Rapides are operational in the UK, while multiple operators, including Classic Wings and Plane Heritage, offer pleasure flights in them to the general public. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, the de Havilland Dove . Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1938 General characteristics Performance A 1986 Spanish film, Dragon Rapide , covers its historical use by Generalissimo Francisco Franco during
3948-545: The end of the conflict, only a total of nine impressed Rapides were restored to their civilian registrations; however, these were joined by many Dominies which had been deemed to be surplus to requirements. Postwar, the Dominie continued to be used for some time by Royal Naval air station flights as communications aircraft. By 1960, the Royal Navy still had a fleet of 14 Dominies, although under normal circumstances only three would be actively used at any one point in time, while
4032-753: The first British monarch to fly. In July 1936 a pair of British SIS agents, Cecil Bebb and Major Hugh Pollard , flew Francisco Franco in Rapide G-ACYR from the Canary Islands to Spanish Morocco , at the start of the military rebellion which began the Spanish Civil War . The aircraft involved has since been placed on public display in the Museo del Aire , Madrid , Spain. At the start of Second World War on 3 September 1939, all British civil transport aircraft were requisitioned by
4116-451: The fitting of improved trailing edge flaps, aircraft thus equipped were accordingly re-designated as DH.89A ; earlier-built Rapides were commonly retrofitted to this standard during their service life as well. During July 1934, the first production Rapide, G-ACPM , performed the type's public debut at Hatfield with its entry into the 1934 King's Cup Race . While having achieved an average speed of 158 MPH, G-ACPM had to be withdrawn from
4200-513: The greater proportion of the work. The Dominies were mainly used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy for radio and navigation training. Other duties they were used for included passenger and communications missions. Throughout the course of the war, civilian Rapides were progressively replaced by Dominies as the type became available in greater quantities. Rapides were either dispatched to perform passenger operations or occasionally converted for other purposes, such as Air Ambulances ; by
4284-470: The gun turret removed, although specific aircraft used for gunnery training were fitted with a Bristol hydraulically operated gun turret, similar to that used in the Bristol Blenheim . The tail fairing of the starboard nacelle contains an inflatable dinghy which is provided with automatic actuators and marine distress beacons. On 6 March 1936, the Anson entered RAF service, No. 48 Squadron
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#17327879758534368-464: The handicap race and fifth place in the speed race. In the summer of 1934, the type entered service with UK-based airlines, with Hillman Airways Ltd being first to take delivery in July. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company was another early company to purchase the Rapide; used for quick communications purposes between individual oil fields spread out over vast distances, the aircraft quickly became popular in
4452-403: The internal structure retained similarities to the earlier Avro 652 airliner from which it had been developed. The Anson Mk I was furnished with a low-mounted one-piece wooden wing, composed of a combination of plywood and spruce throughout the wingbox and ribs . The fuselage was composed of a welded steel tubing framework which was principally clad in fabric ; the exterior of the nose
4536-428: The landing gear remaining extended throughout, which would reduce the aircraft's cruising speed by 30 mph (50 km/h). Initially, the Anson was flown by a crew of three, which comprised a pilot, a navigator/ bomb-aimer and a radio operator/gunner, when it was used in the maritime reconnaissance role; from 1938 onwards, it was typically operated by a four-man crew. The bomb-aimer would perform his function from
4620-632: The late 20th century, the vast majority of Ansons were retired, but there are still three aircraft appearing at flying displays, two in the UK, one in New Zealand. A fourth aircraft in Canada is scheduled for restoration back to airworthiness. The main Anson variant was the Mk I, of which 6,704 were built in Britain. The other variants were mainly distinguished by their powerplant with Canadian-built Ansons using local engines. To overcome steel shortages,
4704-401: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=T22&oldid=1202683863 " Category : Letter–number combination disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Avro Anson The Avro Anson is
4788-507: The majority of UK's wartime scheduled services, which were entirely operated on over-water routes. Other Dragon Rapides were impressed into service with the British armed forces as communications aircraft and training aircraft; Australian Rapides were also impressed by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Furthermore, while the final production Rapide was completed in November 1941, de Havilland instead produced
4872-409: The majority of major Canadian operators were amalgamated into Canadian Pacific Air Lines , who continued to use the type. Further Canadian sales of the Rapide would occur both during and after the end of the Second World War . During 1938, British operator Airwork Limited placed an initial order for nine Rapides to serve as navigation trainers. The order had been motivated by policy changes within
4956-520: The mid-1930s from the earlier Avro 652 airliner in response to a request for tenders issued by the British Air Ministry for a coastal maritime reconnaissance aircraft . Having suitably impressed the Ministry, a single prototype was ordered, which conducted its maiden flight on 24 March 1935. Following an evaluation in which the Type 652A bettered the competing de Havilland DH.89 , it was selected as
5040-411: The military-orientated Dominie variant exclusively. Over 500 additional Dominies were manufactured for military use, powered by improved Gipsy Queen engines; by the end of production in July 1946, a total of 727 aircraft (both Rapides and Dominies combined) had been manufactured. During the war, Dominie production was performed by de Havilland and Brush Coachworks Ltd , the latter being responsible for
5124-401: The name de Havilland Dominie , the type was employed for radio and navigation training, passenger transport and communications missions. British training aircraft had names with educational associations, and dominie is a Scots term for a school teacher. Hundreds of additional Dominies were also constructed during the war. Other Rapides continued to be operated by British airlines throughout
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#17327879758535208-572: The oil industry, with the Iraq Petroleum Company and the Asiatic Petroleum Company also procuring their own Rapides. From August 1934, Railway Air Services (RAS) operated a fleet of Dragon Rapides on routes linking London, the north of England and on to Northern Ireland and Scotland. The RAS DH.89s were named after places on the network, for example "Star of Lancashire". Isle of Man Air Services operated
5292-552: The operational vices of the Express. On 17 April 1934, the prototype conducted its maiden flight at Hatfield Aerodrome , Hertfordshire . Flown by senior de Havilland test pilot H.S. Broad, it was powered by a pair of 200 horsepower (150 kW) Gypsy Six engines. Even prior to the prototype's first flight, plans to proceed with serial production of DH.89 had already received the go-ahead from management. During May 1934, airworthiness trials commenced at RAF Martlesham Heath using
5376-423: The others were stored at RAF Lossiemouth , Moray , Scotland . The last of the Royal Navy's Dominies had been phased out of service during 1963; thirteen aircraft were subsequently sold on via public tender , a number of which having been converted to civil Rapide configurations. Many ex-RAF survivors had quickly entered commercial service after the end of the conflict; according to aviation author Peter W. Moss,
5460-522: The outbreak of the Second World War, the Anson was soon found to have become obsolete in front-line combat roles. Large numbers of the type were instead put to use as a multi-engine aircrew trainer , having been found to be suitable for the role, and became the mainstay of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan . The type continued to be used in this role throughout and after the conflict, remaining in RAF service as
5544-473: The pilot's position is a small folding seat fixed to the starboard side of the fuselage for an additional crew member or passenger, along with racks that would contain a pair of parachute packs that would be clipped onto the harnesses worn by both the pilot and the navigator. Behind these is the navigator's station, a chair and table provisioned with navigational aids such as compasses , Bigsworth chart boards , sea markers, slide rules for course, wind and speed,
5628-455: The pilot, while an Armstrong Whitworth -built manually operated gun turret located on the Anson's dorsal section was fitted with a single Lewis gun . Additionally, up to 360 pounds (160 kg) of bombs, which could consist of a maximum of two 100 pounds (45 kg) and eight 20 pounds (9 kg) bombs, could be carried in the aircraft's wings. Those Ansons that were used in the training role were outfitted with dual controls and usually had
5712-448: The prototype had not been fitted with flaps , production aircraft could accommodate their installation from the onset to increase the viable glide angle and reduce landing speed. On 6 March 1936, deliveries to the RAF commenced. By the end of production in 1952, a total of 11,020 Ansons had been completed, which made it the second most numerous (after approximately 11,500 Vickers Wellington medium bomber) British multi-engined aircraft of
5796-426: The prototype; during one such flight, upon attaining a speed of roughly 175 miles per hour (282 km/h), the tip of the aircraft's nose buckled. In response to this event, a maximum permissible speed of 160 mph (260 km/h) was implemented for all DH89s. Upon the conclusion of trials, the prototype was sold. By November 1934, series production of the Rapide had reached full swing. Originally referred to as
5880-414: The race during Heat 9 of Round 2 when the wing sustained damage caused by hail while flying over Waddington, Lincolnshire . Another purpose-built Rapide, ZK'-ACO , was entered into the 1934 MacRobertson Air Race ; fitted with three additional fuel tanks within the fuselage to extend the aircraft's range to 1,000 miles, the aircraft, flown by Squadron Leader J.D. Hewett and Mr C.E. Kay, took sixth place in
5964-521: The request with the Avro 652A , which was a modified version of their earlier Avro 652 , a twin-engined, six-seat monoplane airliner. de Havilland offered a design based on their D.H.89A Dragon Rapide biplane. After evaluating the various submissions received, the Air Ministry decided to order from Avro and de Havilland respectively, single examples of the Type 652A and the de Havilland DH.89 for evaluation purposes late in 1934; an evaluation and
6048-558: The sole Dolphin being scrapped months later. In November 1936, in response to suggestions that the addition of flaps would aid in landing, a single Rapide was modified in order to explore their functionality. Based on this performance, in February 1937, de Havilland announced that flaps would be fitted to all production aircraft from that year onwards, while other improvements such as a downwards-facing recognition light and metal propellers could be fitted as options. From 1937, to signify
6132-463: The spring of 1949. Ansons continued to be manufactured by Avro at Woodford for the RAF until March 1952; the type was used as trainers and served in the role of Station communications aircraft until 1968. The wooden wings of Ansons flying in Australia were found to fail at a high rate. The phenolic glue bonds would part, and it was speculated that the problem was due to the high humidity. In 1962,
6216-491: The subsequent selection of a design for production to take place by May 1935. On 24 March 1935, the Avro 652A conducted its maiden flight at Woodford Aerodrome , Greater Manchester . Between 11 and 17 May 1935, the prototype participated in a formal evaluation against the competing DH.89M by the RAF's Coastal Defence Development Unit at RAF Gosport , Hampshire . During these trials, the Avro aircraft proved to be superior and
6300-692: The type were being converted for civilian use, where they were operated as light transports by a range of small charter airlines and as executive aircraft by large corporations . Countries that saw civilian operations with Ansons included the United Kingdom, Canada (Mk. V aircraft only), Australia and Mexico. Railway Air Services operated Ansons on scheduled services from London's Croydon Airport via Manchester to Belfast ( Nutts Corner ) in 1946 and 1947. Sivewright Airways operated three Mk XIX aircraft from their Manchester Airport base on local charter flights, flights to Jersey, and Ronaldsway Airport in
6384-407: The war under the auspices of the Associated Airways Joint Committee (AAJC). Postwar, many military aircraft were returned to civilian service. Shortly after the end of the Second World War, de Havilland introduced a Dragon Rapide replacement, the de Havilland Dove . During summer 1933, the de Havilland aircraft company commenced work upon an aircraft to meet an Australian requirement, producing
6468-491: The war, postwar examination of German records showed that little damage had been inflicted. Despite their obsolescence, Ansons were employed during the Dunkirk evacuation to deter attacks on Allied shipping by German E-boats . On 1 June 1940, a flight of three Ansons was attacked near Dunkirk by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s . According to the unsubstantiated claims, one Anson destroyed two German aircraft and damaged
6552-411: The winner, leading to Air Ministry Specification 18/35 being written around the type and an initial order for 174 aircraft being ordered in July 1935. The Type 652A was promptly named after British Admiral George Anson . The type was placed into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was initially used in the envisaged maritime reconnaissance operation alongside the larger flying boats . After
6636-515: Was accordingly selected as the winner of the competition on 25 May 1935. In response to its selection, Air Ministry Specification G.18/35 was written around the Type 652A; in July 1935, an initial order for 174 aircraft, which had been given the service name "Anson", was received. On 31 December 1935, the first production Anson performed its maiden flight; changes from the prototype included an enlarged horizontal tailplane and reduced elevator span in order to improve stability. Additionally, while
6720-441: Was clad in magnesium alloy . The Anson was powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines , which were each rated at 350 horsepower (260 kW). Each engine was provided with its own duplicated fuel pumps and separate fuel and oil tanks; the tanks were composed of welded aluminium and mounted in cradles housed within the wing. The engine cowlings were intentionally designed to have
6804-688: Was later used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in automatic landing trials before being broken down for spares. Work on a militarised version of the Rapide was not wasted as multiple sales were soon completed with other military customers, the first of which being to the Spanish government in December 1935. Sensing demand for the type, de Havilland continued to modify the Rapide's design following its entry to service, creating both refinements and entirely new derivatives as
6888-476: Was successfully used in fleet exercises off the east coast of England in September. By the outbreak of the Second World War , the RAF had received a total of 824 Ansons while there were 26 RAF squadrons that were then operating the Anson I: 10 of these were assigned to Coastal Command and the other 16 were with Bomber Command . By 1939, all of the squadrons assigned to Bomber Command that had been equipped with
6972-439: Was the first RAF unit to be equipped with the type. Upon the type's introduction, it represented a new level of capability for the service, serving not only in a general reconnaissance capacity but also being an effective general-purpose aircraft In July 1937, a Coastal Command Anson was fitted with an experimental airborne early warning radar which was able to detect large warships 5 miles (8.0 km) away in poor visibility and
7056-483: Was typically very well regarded. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) initially ordered 33 Ansons in November 1935 to fill the maritime reconnaissance role. The first were delivered in 1936 and 48 were in service before the start of the war. The RAAF eventually operated a total of 1,028 Ansons, the majority of these being Mk Is. These aircraft continued to be operated until 1955. The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) operated 23 Ansons as navigation trainers during
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