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The 'Avro Avian' was a series of British light aircraft designed and built by Avro in the 1920s and '30s. While the various versions of the Avian were sound aircraft, they were comprehensively outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its descendants.

Contents

Design and development

Operational history

Variants

Operators

Military Operators

Specifications (Avian IVM)

References

External links

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Design and development

The prototype 'Avro 581 Avian' prototype was designed and built to compete in the Daily Mail light aeroplane trials at Lympne in September 1926. Its wooden fuselage was based on that of the Avro 576 autogyro, but fitted with conventional biplane wings and powered by a 70 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet engine ^[1]. After these trials, where it was eliminated due to engine failure, it was re-engined with an 85 hp ADC Cirrus engine and sold (as the 'Avro 581E') to Bert Hinkler, who used it for a series of long distance flights, culminating in a 15½ day solo flight from Croydon to Darwin, Australia ^[2].
Production aircraft were designated 'Type 594's, and were built in a number of versions, mainly powered by Cirrus engines. A version with a welded steel tube fuselage was produced in 1929 as the 'Avro 616 Avian IVM' in order to meet overseas requirements for an easier to repair structure. This version was built in the largest numbers, with approximately 190 built ^[3].

Operational history

While outsold by the de Havilland Moth and its dervivatives, which first flew more than a year earlier than the Avain, the Avian was used extensively as a civil tourer or trainer, with many being sold overseas, Avians being built (or assembed) by the Whittesley Manufacturing Co, Bridgeport, Conneticutt USA and the Ottawa Car Manufacturing Co., Canada as well as by Avro itself .
Avro Avian 594 Avian III, SN: R3/AV/101 was owned by Lady Mary Heath and Amelia Earhart. The Avian Amelia flew had a Cirrus Mk II engine of 84 hp. It was originally registered to Lady Heath on 29 October 1927 and given the UK aircraft marking: ''G-EBUG''. When Amelia brought it to the United States it was assigned “unlicensed aircraft identification mark” ''7083''; aircraft not officially certificated in the United States were allowed to be flown as unlicensed but identified aircraft. Avian ''7083'' was used on Earhart's first long solo flight and occurred just as Amelia was coming into the national spotlight. By making the trip in August 1928, she became the first woman to fly solo across the North American continent and back.
A single Genet powered Avian II was bought by the RAF, while Avians were also bought by the South African Air Force, the Chinese Naval Air Service, the Estonian Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Variants

The wreckage of the ''Southern Cross Minor'' recovered from the Sahara Desert and displayed at the Queensland Museum

;Avro 581 Avian :First prototype, one 75 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet.
;Avro 581A :Modified first prototype, one 80 hp ADC Cirrus.
;Avro 581E :Further modified Avro 581A for long distance flights, with new wings and modified fuselage.
;Avro 594 Avian I :Pre production aircraft, two built.
;Avro 594 Avian II : Initial production, 85 hp Cirrus II engine, nine built.
;Avro 594 Avian III : Modified engine mount and tubular steel struts, 33 built.
;Avro 594 Avian IIIA : 95 hp Cirrus III engine, 58 built.
;Avro 594 Avian IV : Revised undercarriage and ailerons, 90 built.
;Avro 605 Avian : Two Avro 594 Avian IIIs were converted into floatplanes.
;Avro 616 Avian IVM : Steel tube fuselage. Powered by 105 hp Cirrus Hermes I or 100 hp Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major, approximately 190 built.
;Avro 616 Sports Avian : Version for racing with reduced drag, 16 built.
;Avro 616 Avian IVA : modified one off long range version for Charles Kingsford Smith, 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy II engine, with additional fuel tank and revised wings.
;Avro 616 Avain V : Long range single seater again built for Charles Kingsford Smith, ''Southern Cross Minor'', ''VH-UQG''. Bill Lancaster would later attempt to fly solo from England to South Africa in this aircraft, and die in the attempt.
;Avro 625 Avian Monoplane : Low wing monoplane development, two built.

Operators

Military Operators

;Canada
Royal Canadian Air Force
;
Chinese Naval Air Service
;
Estonian Air Force
;South Africa
South African Air Force
;
Royal Air Force

Specifications (Avian IVM)

References

1. Jackson 1990
2. Jackson 1974
3. Donald, David, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.


★ Jackson, A.J. ''Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.

★ __________ . ''British Civil Aircraft since 1919, Volume 1''. London: Putnam, 1974. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.

External links

★ NACA Aircraft Circular, Avro Avian (Genet engine)

★ NACA aircraft circular, Avian III

★ British Aircraft of WWII

★ RCAF Avro Avian

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