Hawker Siddeley Andover

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The Hawker Siddeley Andover is a twin engined turboprop military transport aircraft produced by Hawker Siddeley for the Royal Air Force 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.


Contents

[edit] Design and development

Three examples of the first aircraft with the name Andover, the Avro 651 Andover, served as air ambulances at RAF Halton in the early 1920s. The fourth example of this type, the Avro 563 Andover[1], was a 12 passenger airliner which entered RAF service in 1925.

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. Subsequent RAF types are the Andover CC2 VIP transport and Andover E3 electronic calibration aircraft.


[edit] Operational history

Three of these RAF Andovers continue to fly, one C1 with the Empire Test Pilots School and one C1 with the Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron of the Joint Test and Evaluation Group. The remaining aircraft is a modified C1 converted for photo-reconnaissance, the Andover C1(PR), serial number XS596. This is the UK designated aircraft under the Treaty on Open Skies. All three are based at RAF Boscombe Down.

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).


[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] Operators

[edit] Military operators

Flag of New Zealand New Zealand
Flag of United Kingdom United Kingdom

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] Civil operators

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


[edit] Preserved Aircraft

[edit] Specifications (Andover C1)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2-3
  • Capacity: 44 troops or 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) of cargo
  • Length: 78 ft (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 weight: 25,524 lb (11,577 kg)
  • Loaded weight: 40,000 lb (18,000 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 51,000 lb (23,100 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2× Rolls-Royce Dart 12 Mk 201 turboprop, 3,245 shp (2,420 kW) each

Performance

[edit] External links

[edit] Related content

Related development: Avro 748

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence:

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