Avro Antelope

Antelope

Manufacturer: Avro
First flight: July 1928
Retired: September 1933
Status: Prototype
Number built: 1

The Avro 604 Antelope was a British light bomber which was designed and built in the late 1920's to meet a requirement for a light bomber to equip the Royal Air Force, competing against the Hawker Hart and the Fairey Fox II. It was unsuccessful, the Hart being preferred.

Design and development

The Avro 604 Antelope was designed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification 12/26, for a single-engine light, high-speed day bomber . One prototype was ordered by the Air Ministry, which first flew in July 1928 , powered by a 480 hp (360 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XIB (later known as the Kestrel) engine.

The prototype Antelope, which was a single-bay biplane with all-metal construction, was evaluated at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A & AEE) at Martlesham Heath against the Hawker Hart and Fairey Fox II. While it easily met the performance requirements of the specification, it showed poor low-speed handling and spinning characteristics, and was rejected in favour of the Hart owing to the ease of maintenance of the Hart .

Operational history

After rejection for operational service, the prototype Antelope was fitted with dual controls and used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment as an engine and propeller test bed, remaining in use until September 1933 .

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force
Royal Aircraft Establishment

Specifications (Antelope)

Data from Avro Aircraft since 1908

General characteristics

Crew: Two
Length: 31 ft 2 in (9.50 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 0 in (10.98 m)
Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
Wing area: 377 ft² (35.0 m²)
Empty weight: 2,859 lb (1,300 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,538 lb (2,063 kg)
Powerplant: 1x— Rolls-Royce F.XI.B V-12 water cooled piston, 480 hp (358 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 173 mph (150 kn, 279 km/h)
Cruise speed: 145 mph (126 kn, 233 km/h)
Range: 580 mi (504 nmi, 934 km)
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)
Rate of climb: 1,470 ft/min (7.5 m/s)
Wing loading: 12.0 lb/ft² (58.9 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.106 hp/lb (0.174 kW/kg)

Armament

1 x— synchronised, forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun
1 x— flexible .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun in rear cockpit
Up to two 250 lb (113 kg) bombs

Related development

Avro 627 Mailplane

Comparable aircraft

Hawker Hart
Fairey Fox

Avro Antelope Pictures and Avro Antelope for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia