Avro 508
| Avro 508 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Reconnaissance |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd. |
| First flight | April 1915 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Avro 508 was a prototype British reconnaissance aircraft of the 1910s.
Development
[edit]The Avro 508 was built at Avro's Manchester works in December 1913 and assembled at Brooklands in January 1914.[1] First exhibited in Manchester in January 1914, the 508 was a wooden fabric-covered pusher biplane of unusual shape, resembling a back-to-front Avro 504. Its top and bottom three-bay wings were equal in length, made of fabric-covered wood.
Operational history
[edit]It was completed by March 1914, and shown at the Olympia Aero Show in London,[2] however its first flight was at the start of official testing in April 1915 at Brooklands.[citation needed] The Royal Flying Corps showed no interest in the sole prototype and therefore the aircraft remained a training aircraft and engine tester at Hendon Aerodrome until it was dismantled in April 1916.[citation needed]
Specifications
[edit]Data from Avro Aircraft since 1908[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Length: 26 ft 9 in (8.15 m)
- Wingspan: 44 ft 0 in (13.41 m)
- Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
- Wing area: 468 sq ft (43.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 1,000 lb (454 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,680 lb (762 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Gnome Monosoupape 7 Type A , 80 hp (60 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
- Endurance: 41⁄2 hr
References
[edit]
- "The Olympia Exhibition: The Exhibits: Avro (A.V. Roe & Co.)". Flight, 21 March 1914. pp. 295–297.
- Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908. London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.