Hawker Siddeley Andover

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The Hawker Siddeley Andover is a twin engined turboprop transport aircraft produced by Hawker-Siddeley and developed from the Avro 748 airliner. The Andover was named after the Avro Andover, a Royal Air Force (RAF) biplane transport used for medical evacuation between the wars, and RAF Andover, where trials of the aircraft were partially carried out.

The HS Andover has good short field performance. It was expected to deliver cargo and evacuate casualties intra-theatre in a European-war scenario.

The British Royal Air Force ordered 31 aircraft and these were delivered as the Andover C1. Three of these continue to fly, as a dissimlar type at the Empire Test Pilot training School, and the sole reconnaissance variant, (C1(PR) Serial Number XS596), is is the UK designated aircraft under the Treaty on Open Skies.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force operated 10 aircraft, acquired while still relatively new in 1976. These saw service with UN missions to Somalia and on the Iran-Iraq border, and in disaster relief work in the Pacific. The type was retired from service in 1998. The main difficulty with their service in New Zealand was their limited range,(1000 nautical miles of Pacific Ocean separate New Zealand from its nearest neighbours).

Both former RAF and RNZAF aircraft were later sold to civil operators mainly in Africa.

One aircraft a

[edit] Variants

• Andover C1 - 31 aircraft for the RAF
• Andover C1(PR) - one C1 aircraft was converted for Photographic Reconnaissance duties.
• Andover CC2 - is not a variant of the cargo/transport Andover but a VIP transport version of the Hawker Siddeley 748.
• Andover E3 - six C1 aircraft were converted for radio and airport aids calibration.

[edit] Military Users and Units

[edit] United Kingdom

• Royal Air Force
  • No. 32 Squadron RAF
  • No. 46 Squadron RAF
  • No. 52 Squadron RAF
  • No. 60 Squadron RAF
  • No. 84 Squadron RAF
  • No. 115 Squadron RAF
  • No. 242 Operation Conversion Unit RAF
  • Empire Test Pilots School

Only 3 Aircraft currently remain airworthy. All 3 are operated out of Boscombe Down by the Empire Test Pilot School, Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron and the UK open skies mission.

[edit] New Zealand

• Royal New Zealand Air Force
  • No. 1 Squadron RNZAF
  • No. 42 Squadron RNZAF

[edit] Preserved Aircraft

• The Royal Air Force Museum has preserved a former navigation aid calibration Andover.
• An Andover C1 is preserved at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum in Christchurch.

[edit] Specifications (Andover C1)

[edit] General characteristics

• Crew: two-three
• Capacity: 44 troops or 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) of cargo
• Length: 78 ft 0 in (23.77 m)
• Wingspan: 98 ft 6 in (30.02 m)
• Height: 30 ft 1 in (9.15 m)
• Wing area: 811 ft² (75.4 m²)
• Empty: 25,524 lb (11,577 kg)
• Loaded: 40,000 lb (18,000 kg)
• Maximum takeoff: 51,000 lb (23,100 kg)
• Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Dart 12 Mk 201 turboprops, 3,245 shp (2,420 kW) each

[edit] Performance

• Maximum speed: 320 mph (512 km/h)
• Range: 1,624 miles (2,613 km)
• Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)

[edit] Operators

• New Zealand, United Kingdom.

[edit] External links

• RAF Museum Andover page
• The still-serving Empire Test Pilots School Andover C1 page
• Various RAF Andover photos, including the unique and still-serving Andover C1 (PR)
• RNZAF Museum Andover page

[edit] Related content

Related development: Avro 748

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: