Airspeed Envoy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).
AS.6 Envoy
Type Transport
Manufacturer Airspeed Ltd.
Designed by N.S. Norway/A.H. Tiltman
Maiden flight June 26 1934
Produced 1937-
Number built 60

Airspeed AS.6 Envoy was a British light, twin-engined transport aircraft designed and built by Airspeed Ltd. at Portsmouth Aerodrome, Hampshire.

Contents

[edit] Development

The Envoy was designed by N.S. Norway and A.H. Tiltman as twin-engined development of the Courier, it used the same wooden construction, outer wing panels and backward retracting undercarriage. The prototype G-ACMT first flew on June 26, 1934 and in July 1934, the aircraft was presented to the public for the first time at an exhibition by the Society of British Aircraft Constructors (SBAC) at Hendon. In October 1936, the British Air Ministry ordered 136 Envoys for the role of crew-training. These further developed aircraft were given a new designation; Airspeed AS 10 Oxford.

[edit] Operational use

The first production Envoy I G-ACVH was used as a demonstrator, the second was delivered to Lord Nuffield. Lord Nuffield's aircraft was due to fly in the MacRoberston Race to Australia but the aircraft was damaged and withdrawn from the race. Soon after, orders came from the whole Commonwealth. Two aircraft went to the Ansett Airlines in Australia. North Eastern Airways also used the AS.6. In Czechoslovakia, the CSA ordered four AS.6 Envoy JC in 1937.

The Airspeeds AS.6 Envoy also entered the Air Forces of different countries, besides Great Britain, the aircraft was used in Spain, Japan, South Africa, Finland and China was used and some others. The RAF used a small number of AS.6 in a military configuration. Seven machines were ordered for joint use by the South African Air Force and South African Airways, with three being delivered in military form and four delivered to South African Airways, where they were used on the air route between Johannesburg - Bloemfontein - Port Elizabeth on 12 October 1936.[1] All seven could be transformed by four persons within four hours from the transportation version into a light bomber or reconnaissance aircraft. In this configuration the crew consisted of four; pilot, navigator, radio operator and gunner.[1]

The Envoy was involved in a tragic accident in Australia. The VH-UXY, carrying Lieutenant Charles Ulm, disappeared in 1934, during an attempt to fly the Pacific route between Oakland and Honolulu.[1] Two AS.6 aircraft were to participate in the MacRobertson Air Race in 1934, from England to Australia, but both remained on the ground, but one was damaged on the eve of the race and was withdrawn, and the other, a specially modified version with long range tanks (the AS 8 Viceroy) got as far as Athens before abandoning the race.[1]

During the Spanish Civil War, two AS.6 Envoy were used on the nationalist side [1]as reconnaissance aircraft or light bombers.[citation needed]

In May 1937, the British King George VI traded his de Havilland Dragon Rapide for an Airspeed AS.6J Envoy III. The AS.6's good stability and flaps, as well as its low landing speed (less than 100 km/h) was decisive. The aircraft received the registration G-AEXX and was painted in distinctive red and blue colours .[1]

During the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe captured some machines and used them as trainer aircraft. The Luftwaffe gave one aircraft to Finland on 22 January 1942, as reparation for the accidental shooting down of a Finnish de Havilland Dragon Rapide. This aircraft was used between 1942 and 1943. Likewise, one aircraft was used between 1941 to 1943 by the Slovaks.[citation needed]

[edit] Japan

Six Envoy Is were delivered to Japan in 1935 for services linking Japan with Manchuria. These were followed by 10 aircraft license built by Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha at Nagoya. The aircraft were named Hina-Zura (en: Flying Crane). The aircraft were used Japanese Air Transportation Company and Manchurian Air Transport, it is believed the rest were operated by the Japanese Navy.

[edit] Variants

[edit] Airspeed Ltd, Portsmouth

  • AS.6 Envoy: Powered by two 200-hp (149-kW) Wolseley AR.9 piston engines. 5 built
  • AS.6A Envoy: Powered by two 240-hp (179-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC radial piston engines. 5 built
  • AS.6D Envoy: Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Wright R-760-E2 Whirlwind 7 radial piston engines.
  • AS.6E Envoy: Powered by two 340-hp (254-kW) Walter Castor engines. 5 built
  • AS.6G: Powered by two 250-hp (186-kW) Wolseley Scorpio I engines.
  • AS.6H Envoy: Powered by two 225-hp (168-kW) Wolseley Aries III engines. 1 built
  • AS.6J Envoy: Seven-seat light transport aircraft. Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 27 built
  • AS.6JC Envoy: Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 4 built
  • AS.6JM Envoy: Powered by two 350-hp (261-kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engines. 3 built

[edit] Mitsubishi, Japan

  • Hina-Zuru: 10 licence built

[edit] Operators

The Envoy saw service in China, Finland, Great Britain, Japan, Slovakia, South Africa and Spain.

[edit] Specifications Airspeed AS.6J Envoy (3rd series)

Data from[citation needed]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1-2
  • Capacity: 6-8 passengers
  • Payload: 1920 kg (4,235 lb)
  • Length: 10.50 m (34 ft 5 in)
  • Wingspan: 15.9 m (52 ft 2 in)
  • Height: 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
  • Wing area: 31.50 m² (339 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 2930 kg (6,460 lb)
  • Powerplant: 2× Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah IX 7-cylinder radial engine, 345 hp (255 kW)[2] each

Performance

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Jackson, A.J (1973). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1., 2nd Edition, Putnam & Co. ISBN 0-370-10006-9. 
  2. ^ Originally measured as 349 PS

[edit] Related content

 

 

Designation sequence

AS.4 - AS.5 - AS.6 - AS.8 - AS.10 - AS.30

Related lists

 

v • d • e
Lists relating to aviation

Timeline of aviation
Aircraft · Aircraft manufacturers · Aircraft engines · Aircraft engine manufacturers · Airports · Airlines
Air forces · Aircraft weapons · Missiles · Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) · Experimental aircraft
Notable military accidents and incidents · Notable airline accidents and incidents · Famous aviation-related deaths
Flight airspeed record · Flight distance record · Flight altitude record · Flight endurance record · Most produced aircraft

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../a/i/r/Airspeed_Envoy_e1dd.html"
In other languages