Austin
produced its own aeroplanes in the early years, and in the
First and Second World Wars produced complete aeroplanes,
along with suppling components for other manufactures.
At
the end of the article is a video showing the production of
the Hurricane and flight testing from Austin's own
airfield. (Running time 6 mins)
Herbert Austin
decided to set up an aircraft design department in 1917, to
develop its own range of light planes for
sale.
Austin Designed
Planes (AFB 1)
This plane
incorporated some ideas put forward by the flying ace Capt.
Albert Ball, VC, DSO, MC (He was killed when only 20 years
old). It was from this tie up that the first aircraft
produced went under the code name AFB1. The plane was
actually designed by C H Brooks and flew for the first time
in July 1917.
It was of wooden construction with fabric covering, and was
powered by a 200hp Hispano-Suiza V8 liquid-cooled engine.
Austin's designed a machine-gun that would fire through the
centre of the propellor shaft and was patented in December
1915, some six months before Vickers came up with a similar
idea called the interrupter gear which was fitted to 7.7mm
Lewis machine gun firing through the hollow propeller
shaft, and a similar weapon on a Foster mounting above the
upper wing centre section.
As originally built, the sole prototype of the AFB.1 had
slightly sweptback wing surfaces and conventional
single-bay bracing. The plane had a maximum speed of 138
mph and could climb to 10,000 feet in under 9 minutes, with
a service ceiling of 22,000, this gave it slightly better
performance than the SE5. During the course of development
new upswept surfaces accompanied by revised inter-plane
bracing of two-bay form were introduced. These
modifications were carried out on the prototype and was
flown on 17 September 1917. It would appear that the
programme was cancelled soon after.
Specification:
Wing span: 29 ft. 9 in Length: 21 ft 6 in Height: 9 ft 3 in
Wing Area: 289 sq ft
Weights Empty:1562 lb. Loaded: 2077 lb.
Performance Max Level Speed: 138 mph
____________________
Austin
Greyhound
Austin
Greyhound H4317
J Kenworthy
designed the Greyhound tandem two-seat
fighter-reconnaissance aircraft which could be a potential
successor to the Bristol Fighter. The first prototype was
not completed until after the Armistice of 1918 owing to
difficulties with its 320hp ABC Dragonfly I nine-cylinder
radial engine. Flight testing eventually commenced in May
1919, and three prototypes were built and flown, but soon
after no further development was undertaken. Armament
comprised two fixed synchronised 7.7mm Vickers guns and a
single 7.7mm Lewis gun on a Scarff ring in the rear
cockpit.
Specification:
Wing span: 39 ft. 0 in Length: 26 ft 8 in Height: 10 ft 4
in Wing Area: 389 sq ft
Weights Empty:1839 lb. Loaded: 3031 lb.
Performance Max Level Speed: 130 mph
____________________
Austin
Osprey Triplane (AFT3)
This plane which
was designed in 1917 tended to have two names, the Austin
AFT3 or Osprey Triplane of which only one was made, it was
intended to compete with the Sopwith Snipe. The Osprey was
of wooden construction with fabric skinning, the six wings
were interchangeable. A 230hp Bentley BR2 nine-cylinder
rotary engine supplied the power. The armament comprised
two fixed 7.7mm Vickers machine guns which are synchronised
to fire when the blades of the revolving airscrew are not
in line with the gun barrels. Also a one semi-free Lewis
gun of similar calibre is mounded to the centre-sectionof
the middle wing, to fire upwards over the top wing. The
Osprey was flown for the first time in February 1918, but
performance proved to be inferior to that of the Snipe, and
construction of the other two prototypes was
abandoned.
Specification:
Wing span: 22 ft. 7 in Length: 17 ft 5 in Height:10 ft 7 in
Wing Area: N/A
Weights Empty: 1100 lb. Loaded: 1883 lb.
Performance Max Level Speed: 118 mph
____________________
Austin
Whippet
The
Whippet was designed by John Kenworth working for the
Austin Motor Co. Ltd. Aero Division. It first flew in 1919,
it was a Single seat biplane with an open cockpit aft of
the wings. The wings were made to fold back, and this made
it possible to house the aircraft in a shed measuring just
l8ft long, 8ft high, and only 8ft wide. They were upswept,
slightly staggered, un-tapered, it had equal span and equal
chord wings of wooden structure. The Steel tube fuselage
with fabric covering mounted on lower wing with a braced
tail-plane and single fin and rudder. Landing gear was the
cross axle type with tail-skid.
At the Aero Show in
1919 a prototype was exhibited with a 2-cylinder
horizontally opposed engine. For the production version
power would be supplied by one 45 hp Anzani six-cylinder
air-cooled radial driving a two blade propeller. It had a
top speed of 95 mph and could cruise at 80 mph. With a low
landing speed of just 30 mph it was claimed that it only
needed 150 yards to stop. It was hoped that the price would
be about £450, which at the time was the price you would
pay for a medium-sized car. An experienced RAF pilot
remarked at the time that he could teach anyone to fly her
in ten minutes.
(Flight)
It had its first
public showing at the International Aero Exhibition Olympia
on Stand 66 from the 9th - 20th July 1920, by this time the
price had risen to £500. Five were actually produced, three
remained in the UK with one going to Argentine and the
other to New Zealand. As only a few sales materialise,
mainly because amateur flying simply had not caught on, it
was decided to cease production.
(Flight)
Front
view with wings folded
Specification:
Wing span: 21 ft. 6 in Length: 16 ft 3 in Height:7 ft 6 in
Wing Area: 134 sq ft
Weights Empty: 580 lb Loaded: 810 lb
Performance Max Level Speed: 95 mph Initial Climb 5,000 ft
in 9 min Flying Time 2 hr
Landing speed: 30 mph
____________________
Austin
Kestrel
The Kestrel was
next on the scene, this was designed by J Kenworthy, in his
early days had worked with Geoffrey de Havilland at the
Royal Aircraft Factory. The first experimental prototype
Whippets were made during the first half of 1919. This new
plane would have a steel tube fuselage and have the unique
feature that the wings could be folded up thus making it
easy to store in a garage or a barn. Power for this
two-seater plane would by a 160hp Beardmore engine. The Air
Ministry, to stimulate interest among manufactures,
arranged an Air Trial at Martlesham airfield near lpswich
in August 1920. with a total Prizes money of £641.000. The
company decided to enter the Kestrel. Actually the Kestrel
came third in its class, winning £1,500. Because orders
were not forth coming, so this sole Kestrel was eventually
broken up. Herbert Austin decided to close down the
aircraft business and concentrate on the
cars.
Advert 1920
____________________
World War I
Planes
In World War I, The
Austin Motor Company (Aircraft Division) was given
contracts by the Government to produce aircraft for the war
effort.
Bristol F2B
The Bristol Fighter
was a two seat fighter and reconnaissance plane of the
first world war. The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a two-seat
biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of World War I
flown by the Royal Flying Corps. Despite being a
two-seater, the F.2B proved an agile aircraft that was able
to hold its own against single-seat scouts. Having overcome
a disastrous start to its career, the F.2B's solid design
ensured that it remained in military service into the 1930s
and surplus aircraft were popular in civil
aviation.
Specification RE 8
version
Wing span: 25 ft 10 in Length: 25 ft 10 in Height: 9 ft 9
in Wing Area: 405 sq ft
Weights Empty: 2,145 lb. Loaded: 3,243 lb.
Powered by 1× Rolls-Royce Falcon liquid-cooled V12 engine,
275 hp
Performance Max Speed: 123 mph at 5,000 ft Max. Rate of
Climb: 889 ft/min Service Ceiling: 18,000 ft
Armament: Guns:1×
.303 in (7.7 mm) forward-firing Vickers machine gun in the
upper fuselage and 2× .303 in Lewis guns in the observer's
cockpit
Bombs: 240 lb (110 kg)
Crew: 2: pilot & observer/gunner
It appears that according to the records the Austin Motor
Co made four.
RAF SE 5 - SE 5A
The SE5 was
initially designed by ex-Daimler engineer Fred Green of the
Royal Aircraft Factory, Farnborough, with a team of three
which consisted of John Kenworthy, the chief
draughtsman, Henry Folland, who was head of the design
group along with test pilot Major Frank Goodden, whose
crucial instruction on test flights enabled improvements to
be made, but was tragically killed while on one of these
test flights! It was the dedication and skill of this small
team, that put the aircraft together and made it a dominant
influence in the skies.
SE5 stood for Scout Experimental and was regarded as the
most successful plane produced by this firm. The design
brief was to produce a plane that was easy to fly and that
its characteristic enabled the Royal Flying Corps to
entrust the plane to relatively inexperienced pilots. The
final product met all its targets and although not as
manoeuvrable as the Sopwith Camel, it was noticeably faster
and quieter. But although less agile for dog-fighting it
was capable of 138 mph and easily out manoeuvring the
German planes. Powered by a 150 HP Hispano-Suiza V; the
SE.5 entered service in April 1917. A new more powerful
engine was adopted, a 200 HP Hispano-Suiza, so leading to
the SE 5A and only minor changes were made to the rest of
the plane. It was mid 1917 that the new model arrive in
service. One main weakness was the unreliability of its
engine and by the limited effectiveness of Constantinesco
synchronizing gear. It was the first Allied scout with 2
machine guns: a Lewis gun on a Foster-mount on the top
wing, and a side-mounted Vickers gun in front of the
cockpit.
The
total number made of the SE 5 & SE 5A was 5,205 of
which the Austin Motor Co. made 1550 of the SE 5A version.
In one week in 1918 over 60 of these Scouting Experimental
machines were accepted by the Royal Aircraft Factory after
test flights from the Longbridge flying ground.
Austin Built S.E. 5A (1917), Trentham Building on the
Right
Specification SE 5A
Wing span: 26 ft 7
in Length: 20 ft in Height:9 ft 5 in Wing Area:257.5 sq ft
Weights Empty: Unknown Loaded: 2,048 lb.
Performance Max Level Speed: 132 mph at 6,500 ft Max. Rate
of Climb: 765 ft/min Service Ceiling: 20,000 ft
Armament was a
forward-facing synchronised 7.7mm Vickers machine-gun, and
Lewis gun installed on top of the centre section of the
upper wing; four 18 kg. bombs.
____________________
RAF RE7
Longbridge Production
The Austin Motor
Co. Ltd produced 52 of the RE 7 version and 300 RE 8 to the
RAFs specification.
The R.E. 7 was
quoted as been the most useless aeroplane ever made for the
following reasons. It had a quoted top speed of 82 mph, but
it very seldom exceeded 60 mph and its stall speed was just
under 50 mph. With such a small difference between these
speeds it was very easy to stall and spin out of control,
also take-offs, landings and manoeuvring in the air very
difficult. A member of the Royal Flying Corps. said the RE7
was "a pig - on a windy day a boy on a bicycle could pass
it." Only 250 were built, it came armed with a forward
firing machine gun mounted oblique to the aircraft to avoid
the propeller. This made it very difficult to hit anything,
as the aircraft had to be crabbed to one side when aiming
at another plane. The observer could not stand, or turn
around like in later aircraft, so a machine gun in the back
was nearly ineffective as the observer had to aim it by
leaning back and swivelling the gun while looking over his
shoulder.
Along came the RE 8 version but by all accounts it wasn't
much better.
Specification
RE 8 version
Wing span: 42 ft 7 in Length: 27 ft 10 in Height:0 ft 0 in
Wing Area: 00000 sq ft
Weights Empty: xxxx lb. Loaded: 2,678 lb.
Powered by the 150 hp RAF 4a engine
Performance Max Level Speed: 102 mph Max. Rate of Climb:
340 ft/min Service Ceiling: 13,000 ft
____________________
World War II
Planes
FAIREY
BATTLE
The Fairey Battle
was designed by the Fairey Aviation Co Ltd at their factory
in Hayes. It was designed to meet the requirements of Air
Ministry Specification P 27/32 which had been issued in
April 1933. The first prototype K 4303 made its first
flight on 10th March 1936. This two-seater medium bomber
had a low-wing all metal cantilever monoplane. The fuselage
was a oval section all steel structure. Tail unit was also
a metal cantilever monotype with the fin and elevator
fabric covered. Main landing gear was retractable with the
a fixed tail wheel. Power came from the Rolls-Royce Merlin
III twelve cylinder Vee liquid-cooled supercharged engine
rated at 1,035 hp with a three bladed variable pitch
airscrew. It had a crew of two, pilot who could fire the
machine gun in the starboard wing. Bombs were stowed in
four cells in the wings. The rear gunner operated a machine
gun in the rear cockpit.
Specification:
Wing span: 54 ft Length: 42 ft 4 in Height:15 ft 6 in Wing
Area: 422 sq ft
Weights Empty: 6,647 lb Loaded: 10,792 lb
Performance Max Level Speed: 257 mph at 15,000 ft Service
Ceiling: 25,000 ft Range: 1,000 miles
The Austin Motor Co
Ltd at Longbridge was given a contract to build 1029 planes
at the new shadow factory East Works in 1938. The first
plane off the production line had the following Ref. No
L4935. A further contract was placed for 200 planes, making
a final total of 1229.
By August 1940 over eight hundred sixty had been produced,
some of these were supplied as kits to the following
countries, South Africa, Canada and
Australia.
Fairey Battle
production starting up in East Works
Test Pilot Geoffrey Alington
next to a Fairey Battle
The first Fairey Battle
(L4935) built at Longbridge 1937
(Please
note the plane is normally facing the bank)
First Fairey Battle been inspected.
Sqn. Ldr. T H England (Test Pilot) Sir Kingsley Wood &
Lord Austin
The last Fairey Battle built
5 Nov 1940 (V1280)
King &
Queen visit East Works May 1939
__________
Captain.
Neville Stack
6 September 1938
Chief
Test Pilot - Captain Neville Stack
Appointment
Captain T. Neville Stack has been
appointed chief test pilot to the Austin Aircraft Works at
Longbridge, near Birmingham, where Fairey Battle medium
bombers are now being constructed. He returned only 17 days
ago from Turkey, where he has been engaged for some time in
delivering British aircraft. giving instruction to Turkish
pilots in the handling of them, and unofficially advising
the Turkish Air Ministry on the organization of civil air
lines.
As a pilot and as an air superintendent, Captain Stack has
a distinguished record. He made the first flight by light
aeroplane to India in 1926, in company with Mr. B S Leete.
The flight occupied nearly two months. but both the Cirrus
Moths arrived safely and together at Karachi. A little
later he became chief instructor to National Flying
Services, and in 1935 he was appointed air superintendent
to Hilllman's Airways.
Fairey Battle Crash
Lands at Longbridge
On the 25th July
1939 a Fairey Battle produced in the East Works had taken
off from the works airfield with the Chief test pilot Capt.
Neville Stack (aged 42) who lived in Kings Norton and a
mechanic Harold Crawford (aged 35) from Lickey
End.
The plane which was
coming into land from the railway side of the airfield.
According to eyewitnesses the aeroplane had been put
through various vigorous tests, including power diving and
looping. As he was preparing to land, one wheel of the
retractable under carriage failed to drop into position.
The pilot gained height and circled round trying to shake
the wheel free, but with no success. So Capt. Stack decided
to try and land on one wheel. As he made his approach over
the railway embankment a sudden loss of altitude put the
plane in jeopardy, so as to avoid a head on crash he swung
it round so that the wing took most of the impact and it
crashed into the embankment just feet away from the
airfield, the time off the crash was put at 6.45 pm.
The
plane had its back broken and the engine and cockpit was
damaged. The plane slipped a few feet down the bank and
came to rest with its nose facing towards Bamt Green. The
works fire tender and ambulance rushed to the scene, and
Captain Stack and his mechanic were pulled out. Capt. Stack
waved to the rescue party as they approached, although he
must have been in great agony with both his legs broken.
Crawford, however was unconscious suffering from fractures
of an arm and leg and severe scalp wounds. They were taken
by ambulance to Selly Oak Hospital, and relatives were
speedily informed.
Hoses were played on the damaged plane to check any
outbreak of fire, ropes were fastened to the wreckage to
prevent it from sliding down the embankment on to the
railway. Later cables were substituted for the ropes and
the plane was removed on Thursday morning.
23
February 1949
Obituary.
Capt. Neville Stack
Captain T Neville
Stack, AFC., who in the period between the wars was one of
the leading British pioneers in long distance aviation,
was, killed yesterday, in a, road accident near Karachi,
according to Reuter. He was 52.
Thomas Neville
Stack was born on April 1, 1896, and was educated at St.
Edmund's; College. He joined the Army in 1914 and three
Years later transferred to the RFC. and served with 212
Squadron. After demobilization he worked as an instructor
at the London and Provincial Aviation Company until 1921
whenhe rejoined the
RAF. and served in Iraq and elsewhere until 1925, when he
returned to civilian life and joined the Lancashire Aero
Club as chief instructor. In company with Mr. D. S. Leete
he made the first light aircraft flight from England to
India from. November 15, 1926, to January 8, 1927, and
afterwards made a number of flights between European
capitals.
A little later be
became air superintendent and chief pilot of National
Flying Services and in 1938 chief test pilot at the Austin
Aircraft Works at Longbridge near Birmingham. For some time
during the 1939-45 war he was air adviser at the War Office
and later in the war was commissioned in the Fleet Air Arm.
After Commanding squadrons, he was appointed Staff. Air
Transport Officer to the Flag Officer (Air), East Indies.
After the war he was general manager of Hunting Air Travel
Limited and last May was appointed manager of the new
Pakistan Airways.
____________________
HURRICANE
The Hurricane was
design by the Hawker Aircraft Ltd which had its main
factory at Kingston. Under the code name of F.36/34 it
first flew on the 6th November 1935.A single seat fighter
with a wing that is described as a low wing cantilever
monoplane. Wings were of two spar metal construction with
metal skin. The main fuselage frame was constructed of
steel and aluminium alloy tubing, formed into an oval
shape. This was then covered with metal panels in the
forward sections with fabric stretched over the wooden
sections at the rear. Landing Gear was the retractable type
which was hinged to the front spar and retracted inwards
and slightly backwards, the tail wheel was non-retractable.
The pilot sat in an enclosed cockpit over the wing. The one
Rolls-Royce Merlin XX twelve cylinder Vee liquid cooled
engine which was rated at 1,185 bhp driving a three blade
constant speed airscrew. Twelve Browning 0.303 in machine
guns mounted in the wings.
The first Hurricane
produced at Longbridge flew on the 8 October
1940
Austin built
Hurricane on the works airfield
Hurricane ready to be lifted from the Flight Shed to the
Airfield
The last
Austin built Hurricane MKIIB at Elmdon AP936
Specification
IIB
Wing span: 40 ft Length: 32 ft 3 in Height:13 ft 1.5 in
Wing Area:257.5 sq ft Weights Empty: 5,640 lb Loaded: 8,250
lb
Performance Max Level Speed: 340 mph at 21,500 ft Max Rate
of Climb: 2,950 ft/min Service Ceiling: 40,000 ft Range:
470 miles
The Austin Motor Company produced 300 Hurricanes probable
the IIB version
____________________
Shorts Stirling
Bomber
The Short Stirling
was the first of the four-engined bombers to fly, the
prototype taking to the air in May of 1939. However its
undercarriage collapsed on landing and it was not until
February, 1941 that the aircraft flew its first operation
against the enemy. Tragically, the aircraft was needlessly
limited at its conception. The engineers at Short's were
faced with the restriction that the wingspan had to be less
than one hundred feet so that it could fit into the
standard RAF hangars of the day. This resulted in poor high
altitude performance and a low ceiling. At low altitudes
however, the Stirling was the fastest of the heavy
bombers.The Avro Lancaster
was designed by A.V. Roe and Co Ltd at the Newton Heath
factory Manchester.
Specification Mk I:
Wing span: 99 ft 1 in Length: 87 ft 3 in Height:22 ft 9 in
Weights Empty: 46,900 lb Loaded: 70,000 lb
Performance Max Level Speed: 255 mph Service Ceiling:
16,500 ft (Max. Load) Range: 2,330 miles
Powerplants: Four
1,500 hp Bristol Hercules XI 14 cylinder, sleeve valve air
cooled radial engines
Armament:
Eight
.303 Browning machine guns, nose turret (2), dorsal turret
(2), tail turret (4), 17.000 Pounds of bombs
The first
production Stirling rolled off the assembly line in August
1940
Crew: Eight
Specification: Mk III
Wing span: 99 ft 1 in Length: 87 ft 3 in Height:22 ft 9 in
Wing Area:
Weights Empty: 43,200 lb Loaded: 70,000 lb
Performance Max Level Speed: 270 mph Service Ceiling:
16,500 ft (Max. Load) Range: 2,330 miles
Crew: Seven
Powerplant: Four
1,650 hp Bristol Hercules VI or XVI air cooled radial
engines
Armament: Nine .303 Browning
machine guns, nose turret (2), dorsal turret (2), tail
turret (4) and underfuselage hand held mount (1), 17,000
Pounds of bombs
An Austin
assembled Stirling Bomber
____________________
Avro
Lancaster
The first prototype
BT 308 was originally known as the Manchester III. Various
modifications were made and the the second prototype DG 585
made its first flight on 13 May 1941. The first production
Lancaster I Ref. L 7527 flew on the 31 October 1941, the
main difference from the prototype was a more powerful
engines and addition of dorsal and ventral turrets with the
loaded weight increased from 50,00 lb. to 60,00 lb.
Avro Lancaster was a four engined heavy bomber with a mid
wing cantilever monoplane. The two spar wing structure ribs
were aluminium alloy pressings and the entire wing is
covered in an aluminium alloy skin. Ailerons have metal
noses, and fabric covered rear of the hinges. The fuselage
was an all metal oval structure. Tail unit was an all metal
cantilever monoplane type with twin oval fins and rudders.
All metal structure. Tailplane, fins and rudders are metal
covered, elevators covered with fabric. Main landing gear,
with the wheels retracting into the inboard engine
nacelles.
Power can from four 1,280 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XX twelve
cylinder Vee liquid cooled engines fitted with three bladed
constant speed airscrews. Provision for a crew of seven,
with a bomb aimer in the nose below the front gun turret.
Above and behind is the pilots position and rear of them is
the fighting controllers position. Further down the
fuselage is seating for the navigator and the radio
operator. Then we have the upper turret and the tail
turret. The three powered turrets had eight 0.303 in
Browning machine guns between them. Bomb compartment could
accommodate 8 tons of bombs.
Specifications:
Wing span 102 ft. Length: 69 ft 4 in. Height: 20 ft. Wing
Area: 1,297 sq ft
Weights: Empty 37,000 lb. Loaded 68,000 lb.
Performance Max Speed: 287 mph. Max rate of climb 250
ft/min. Service Ceiling 19,000 ft. Range 3,800 miles.
Austin
Production
Austin Aero
received a contract No 2827 late 1942 to supply 150 Mk 1
Lancaster's for delivery between March 1944 and April 1945
almost three a week. From April 1945 the contract was for
150 Mk VII to be completed by September 1946 which works
out at about 5.8 planes per week. After this a further 30
Mk VII were required between November 1945 to January 1946,
giving a grand total of 330 planes.
The MKVII was a version that was only made at Longbridge.
It incorporated the following Austin design changes,
electric turrets and undercarriage modifications.
Fuselages lined up
ready to be transported to Elmdon
Because of the
short runway at Longbridge both the Stirling and Lancaster
could not fly out from the factory airfield. So they were
built as kits in East Works and then the various parts such
as fuselages, wings etc. were transported to Austin's other
Shadow Factory. Because of the large sections taken by
trailer, much of the street furniture en-route had to be
removed, including a road cut straight through a roundabout
in Kings Norton.
Stirling on-route
to Elmdon
Austin's second
Shadow Factory was situated in Marston Green on the other
side of the railway line from Elmdon Airfield. This was
opened for flying in May 1939 and operated by the Air Work
Ltd, which held a Elementary and Reserve Flying Training
School. In early 1941 the Air Ministry formally
requisitioned the Airfield.
So the kits were assembled and complete aircraft were then
towed over a temporary railway bridge. They were then taken
into another hanger for pre-flight tests. From here they
would be flown to the various bases round the UK by the
pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) who were mainly
female.
The picture above
shows assemble of a Lancaster in Austin's own Hanger at
Elmdon. Other suppliers of components including engines,
landing gear etc, would be delivered direct to the hanger.
In 1942 Austin was given an order for Mark VIIs, these were
the final production version, which were equipped with a
American Glenn Martin dorsal turret with 0.50 inch guns.
This painting of fuselage production, hung in the Kremlin
Reception Area.
Austin built
Lancaster at Elmdon Airfield 1941.
Austin
Lancaster - NX 751 built in 1942
The Crew of NX 751
based at RAF Swinderby in Lincolnshire. The plane is
painted black and white for Operation Tiger Force, a
planned offensive on Japan, which never took place because
the Japanese surrendered after the H-bomb attacks. "The
pilot (third from the left) is Frank Spillane, the father
of Tony Spillane, who worked at Longbridge and was
responsible for the Minki projects."
__________________
Lancaster NX
622 in the RAAFAWA
Museum Australia
This Mk VII
Lancaster built by the Austin Motor Company did not see
active service, only doing 7 flying hours with the RAF. In
1951 it was converted into a maritime reconnaissance
aircraft for the French L’Aeronavale, first based
in Lann Bihove,
Brittany, but later moved to Noumea, New Caledonia. But
in 1962 was retired
from service and donated to the Air Force Association. For
many years it was displayed outside at Perth Airport. With
the opening of the Museum it moved into the North Wing on
March 17th 1983. After undergoing extensive restoration it
was put on display in WWII squadron colours.
For more information and pictures visit the
RAAFAWA museum.
Wireless Operator's Position
-----------------
RAAFWA
- - - - - - - -
Cockpit
- - - - - - - ---- - - - - - - - -
RAAFWA
- - - - - - - -
__________________
Austin produced
parts for other aircraft
Bristol
Beaufighter
The Bristol
Aeroplane Company decided that there was a need for a
two-seat all-metal fighter using components from the
Beaufort torpedo-bomber. The first prototype R 2052 was
complete and ready for its maiden flight when the Air
official Spec. F 17/39, the plane then first flew on 17
July 1939. With government order placed a new factory was
built at Weston-super-Mare with the first production plane
flew on 20 February 1941. The Beaufighter eventually
equipped 52 RAF squadrons, giving outstanding service
during World War II, in particular as a night-fighter and
torpedo-bomber. It continued as a night-fighter until 1943,
with the last aircraft a TT10 staying in service with the
RAF until 1960, nearly 21 years after the type's first
flight.
Specifications
Mark VI
Wing span 57 ft. 10 in Length: 41 ft 8 in. Height: 15 ft.
10 in Wing Area: 503 sq ft
Weights: Empty 14,600 lb. Loaded 21,600 lb.
Performance Max Speed: 333 mph at 15,600 ft Climb 7-8 min
to 15,000 ft Service Ceiling 26,500 ft. Range 1,480 miles
max.
Crew: Pilot, Gunner
and Radar operator
Production
of parts for the Bristol Beaufighter
____________________
AIRSPEED HORSA
AS.51 & AS.58
The Airspeed Horsa
was designed by Hessell Tiltman for Airspeed to
Specification X.26/40 which was to make a troop-carrying
glider. With an all-wood construction the Horsa had been
designed so that parts could be made by various
manufactures who did not normally make aircraft, but had
the necessary skills. The various parts were brought
together for final assemble. The first of two prototypes
had been assembled at Fairey's Great West Aerodrome with
the first flight on September 12, 1940, behind a Whitley
Tug. Another five more prototypes were built and
tested.
The Airspeed Horsa
Mk I production version which could carry 20-25 troops was
ordered by the Air Ministry. A total of 1,461 were made of
which 300 fuselages were built by the Austin Motor Co.
Wolverton was chosen for for the manufacture of the wings.
No factory produced aircraft completely from start to
finish. This was to prevent production being totally
destroyed by a German air rail.
AS51 Horsa Mk I
specification
Crew 2 Wingspan
26.8 m Length 20.4 m Height 5.9 m
Wing area 102.6 sq. m Empty weight 3797 kg Takeoff weight
7031 kg Max. speed 241 km/h Cruise speed 161 km/h Payload
25 passengers
A further
development in 1943 took place with a Mk II version called
AS 58. This had a hinged nose and reinforced floor to carry
vehicles; twin nose wheels, and twin tow-rope attachment
moved from under the wing to the nosewheel strut. A total
of 1,271 were produced with the Austin only making
65.
AS58 Horsa MkII
specification
Crew 1 Wingspan
26.8m Length 20.7m Height 6.2m
Wing area 102.6 sq.m Empty weight 3797 kg Takeoff weight
7144 kg Max. speed 241 km/h Cruise speed 161 km/h Payload
25 passengers
Both the MkI &
MkII could also carry a modified jeep or a 6 pounder cannon
and no passengers. Later development of the Mk. II provided
the glider with a hinged nose for easier access for large
loads. A grand total of 3,655 of these reliable aircraft
were provided in the war to ferry the airborne
troops.
Austin
Fuselage Production at West Works
Horsa Takes
Off
____________________
Miles Master MkI - MkII - MkIII
Miles Master
MkI
The Miles Master
was an advanced trainer which used the Miles M9 Kestral as
its base, to cover the RAF Specification 16/38 which had
been issued in June 1938. The MkI first flew in March 31
1939, in all seven prototypes were delivered to the RAF and
a production run of 900 were produced. Various
modifications were carried out, one been that the upward
hinged canopy was replaced with a sliding version. Wings
span was reduced from 39ft to 35ft 9in. Just over twenty
were fitted with six 0.303in Browning guns in wings as
emergency fighters. MkII was armed for practice firing with
a single fixed forward firing Vickers .303 machine gun and
could be armed with small practice bombs. The MkIII main
change was that the Bristol Mercury engine was replaced by
a Pratt & Whitney.
Total produced of the Mark I was 1,748 MkII & MkIII
combined figure was 1,554
Specifications Mark
I
Wing span 39ft. 0
in Length: 30 ft 5 in Height Not know
Wing Area: 235 sq ft Weights: Empty 4,370 lb. Loaded 5,573
lb.
Performance Max Speed: 226 mph Cruising speed 160 mph at
10,00 ft Endurance 3hr
Powerplant
Rolls
Royce Kestrel XXX 715hp engine
Total production
1,748
MkII
Wing span 35ft.9
in Length: 29 ft 6
in Height Not know
Wing Area: 235 sq ft Weights: Empty 4,293 lb
Loaded
5,573 lb
Performance
Max Speed: 242 at 6,000 mph Range 393miles
Endurance 1.8hr
Powerplant
Bristol Mercury Bristol Mercury XX 870hp radial piston
engine,
MkIII
same as
MkII but a change to a Pratt &
Whitney
Wing
span 35ft.9 in Length: 29 ft 6 in Height Not know
Wing Area: 235 sq ft Weights: Empty 4,293 lb Loaded 5,573
lb
Performance Max Speed: 242 at 6,000 mph Range
393miles
Powerplant Pratt
& Whitney 825hp R-1535-SB4G Twin Wasp Junior
Production of
Miles-Master parts
Austin
produced a total of 1,100 wings and centre-sections as
shown above.
Austin
Motor Company - Longbridge
Record of Aircraft built -1916 to 1946
For Royal Flying Corps. (WW1)
|
Date
|
Type
|
Serial Numbers
|
Batch
|
Comment
|
|
1916 on -
|
RE 8
|
A3169 – A3268
|
100
|
|
|
|
|
A4261 – A4410
|
150
|
|
|
1916 - 17
|
RE 8
|
B5851 – B5900
|
50
|
Delivery not confirmed
|
|
|
SE 5A
|
B8231 – B8580
|
350
|
|
|
1917 -
|
SE 5A
|
C8661 – C9310
|
650
|
26 supplied to U.S. Air Service
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For Royal Air Force (WW1)
|
1918 -
|
SE 5A
|
E5637 – E5936
|
300
|
|
|
|
SE 5A
|
F7951 – F8200
|
250
|
Several supplied to U.S. Air Service
|
|
1918 -
|
Austin AFT3 Osprey
|
X15 – X17
|
3
|
Only X15 built
|
|
1919 -
|
Austin Greyhound
|
H4317 – H4319
|
3
|
H4317 delivered to Martlesham on 15/5/19
|
|
|
Bristol F2B fighter
|
H5940 – H6519
|
600
|
Siddeley Puma engines
Only 2 confirmed deliveries. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
For Royal Air Force (WW2)
|
1937-
|
Fairy Battle mk 1
|
L4935 – L5797
|
863
|
|
|
1939-
|
Fairy Battle mk 1
|
R3922 – R4054
|
100
|
|
|
1940-
|
Fairy Battle T.T. 1
|
V1201 – V1250
V1265 – V1280 |
66
|
|
|
1940-
|
Short Stirling mk 1 (S29)
|
W7426 –W7475
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
W7500 – W7539
|
40
|
|
|
|
|
W7560 – W7589
|
20
|
|
|
|
|
W7610 – W7639
|
30
|
|
|
1940-
|
Hawker Hurricane mk 11b
|
AP516 – AP550
|
35
|
|
|
|
|
AP564 – AP613
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
AP629 – AP648
|
20
|
All except AP516 shipped to U.S.S.R.
|
|
1940-
|
Hawker Harricane mk 11b
|
AP670 – AP714
|
|
|
|
|
|
AP732 – AP781
|
|
|
|
|
|
AP801 – AP825
|
|
|
|
|
|
AP849 – AP898
|
|
|
|
|
|
AP912 – AP936
|
195
|
Aircraft up to AP879 sent to U.S.S.R.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1940-
|
Short Stirling mk1 mk111 (S.29)
|
BK592 – BK628
|
|
Mk 1
|
|
|
|
BK644 – BK647
|
41
|
|
|
|
|
BK648 – BK667
|
|
Mk 111
|
|
|
|
BK686 – BK727
|
|
|
|
|
|
BK759 – BK784
|
|
|
|
|
|
BK798 – BK818
|
109
|
|
|
1941-
|
Airspeed Horsa mk1 (AS51)
|
DP714 – DP726
|
|
Glider
|
|
|
|
DP739 – DP777
|
|
|
|
|
|
DP794 – DP841
|
98
|
DP725 transferred to USAAF
|
|
1941-
|
Short Stirling mk 111 (S29)
|
EH875 – EH909
|
|
|
|
|
|
EH921 – EH961
|
|
|
|
|
|
EH977 – EH996
|
|
|
|
|
|
EJ104 – EJ127
|
120
|
EH897,Eh950,EJ106 converted to Mk IV
|
|
1941-
|
Airspeed Horsa mk 1 (AS51)
|
HG736 – HG770
|
|
Glider
|
|
|
|
HG784 – HG819
|
|
|
|
|
|
HG831 – HG880
|
|
|
|
|
|
HG897 – HG944
|
|
|
|
|
|
HG959 – HG989
|
200
|
|
|
1942-
|
Airspeed Horsa mk 1 (AS51)
|
LF886 – LF923
|
|
Glider
|
|
|
|
LF937 – LF963
|
65
|
20 transferred to USAAF
|
|
1942-
|
Short Stirling mk 111 (S29)
|
LK375 – LK411
|
|
|
|
|
|
LK425 – LK466
|
|
|
|
|
|
LK479 – LK521
|
|
|
|
|
|
LK535 – LK576
|
|
|
|
|
|
LK589 – LK624
|
200
|
33 converted to Mk 1V
|
|
1942-
|
Avro 683 Lancaster mk 1
|
NN694 – NN726
|
|
|
|
|
|
NN739 – NN786
|
|
|
|
|
|
NN798 – NN816
|
100
|
NN801 became Mk V11 prototype
|
|
1942-
|
Avro 683 Lancaster mk1/V11
|
NX548 – NX589
|
|
B Mk 1
|
|
|
|
NX603 – NX610
|
50
|
|
|
|
|
NX611 – NX648
|
|
B Mk V11; NX611, NX622, NX664 and NX 665 still exist in
museums in 2003
|
|
|
|
NX661 – NX703
|
|
|
|
|
|
NX715 – NX758
|
|
|
|
|
|
NX770 – NX794
|
150
|
|
|
1943-
|
Avro Lancaster B mk V11
|
RT670 – RT699
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
History of Known
Surviving Austin built Avro Lancaster
NX 611
(East
Kirby Airfield, Lincolnshire).
NX611
was built at
Longbridge, on 16th April 1945, put into storage, and in
1952, it was one of 54 Lancasters sold to the French Naval
Air Arm, (L’Aeronavale) for £50,000 each as part of a 1951
NATO arrangement. It was designated WU-15 (Western Union).
In June 1961,it joined Escadrille 9S (Surveillance), in
Noumea, New Caledonia.
On 15th April 1964, it accompanied Lancaster NX665 (WU-13),
on delivery to the RNZAF, from New Caledonia to Auckland,
New Zealand, returning to New Caledonia, with the crew of
NX665.
Lancaster
G-ASXX/NX611 was presented by L'Aeronavale to the British
Preservation Group 'HAPS' (Historic Aircraft Preservation
Society), based then at Biggin Hill, Kent.
After its epic flight from Australia in 1965 the aircraft
remained at Biggin until 30th March 1969, when it was flown
to the former USAAF airfield at Lavenham, Suffolk, under
its new ownership with 'Reflectaire Ltd'.
NX611 arrives back at Biggin
Hill
After years of negotiation, it was acquired by the Panton
brothers, in 1992, who have set up a museum in memory of
their brother Christopher Panton , killed on the Nuremberg
raid in 1943. The brothers, Fred and Harold have spent vast
amounts of time and money, restoring it to a condition
where it regularly gives taxi-ing demonstrations at their
museum, on East Kirby airfield, Lincolnshire.
For more information visit this
website:- www.lincaviation.co.uk/home.cfm
NX665
was delivered to the
RAF on 30th June 1945, in a tropical form for Far East
Operations, and was later put into storage at 38 MU
LLandow, until 1951. In 1952, it was sold to the French
L’Aeronavale and became WU – 13 on 23 May 1952. It served
with Flotilla 10F in Brittany, then Flotilla 25F,
transferred to Escadrille 56S in February 1959 at Agadir,
Morocco. It returned to Le Bourget airfield, Paris in June
1961,and overhauled. Together with NX611 (WU–15) and NX664
(WU-21), it was flown on 12 July 1962 to Tontouta airfield,
Noumea, New Caledonia, arriving on 28th July. It served in New Caledonia,
until it was presented to the RNZAF, and delivered to
Auckland, New Zealand on 15th April, 1964, accompanied by NX611,
who returned the crew to New Caledonia. After a
demonstration flight round North Island, New Zealand, it
was eventually placed in the Museum of Transport &
Technology, (MOTAT), Western Springs, Auckland. It had
flown 2348 hours.
It has been repainted in RAF colours, the portside as SR –
V; PB 457, representing NZ squadron 101 based at Ludford
Magna in August 1944, (PB457 was lost on23/24 February 1945
in a raid on Pforzheim), and the starboard side as AA –O;
ND752 representing NZ squadron 75 based at Mepal,
Cambridgeshire, (ND752 was lost on 20/21 July 1944 on a
raid on Hornbury in the Ruhr). A hanger was built for it in
1987/8
NX664
(WU-21) was also sold
to the French L’Aeronavale in 1952, transferred from France
to New Caledonia in July 1962, cannibilised for spares, and
eventually returned to Le Musee deL’Air, at Le Bourget
airfield, Paris, here it was undergoing restoration in
1992.
NX622
(WU-16) was also sold
to the French L’Aeronavale, and delivered to Escadrille 9S
(Surveillance) on 1st May 1957 at Lann Bihove, Brittany,
and then to Noumea, New Caledonia. It eventually ended up
at The Air Forces Association, Perth, Australia,where in
1992, it was restored.
____________________
Picture Google Earth
I have shown the
location of the Aircraft Lift.
Click
on the Play Button to see a Video
on the production of Hurricanes and flight testing from
Austin's own airfield. (Running time 6 mins)
May take a few seconds to load