Armstrong Whitworth Starling
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| A.W.14 Starling | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Maiden flight | 1927 |
| Status | Prototype only |
| Number built | Two |
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.14 Starling was a British single engined biplane fighter developed for the Royal Air Force in the 1920's. It was unsuccessful, with the Bristol Bulldog being selected instead.
Contents |
[edit] Development
The A.W.14 Starling was developed by Armstrong Whitworth in order to meet the requirements of Specification 28/24, for a replacement for Armstrong Whitworth's earlier Siskin, but was submitted to meet Specification F9/26, for a single-seat fighter capable of operating in day and night-time conditions. The Starling was an all-metal biplane with staggered wings of unequal span.
Two prototypes were ordered, with the first J8027, powered by a 385 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar VII radial engine flying on 12 May 1927[1]. It proved to be underpowered with this engine, and was therefore re-engined with a 460 hp Jaguar V engine. Performance was still unimpressive however, with the first prototype not exceeding speeds of 160 mph rather than the expected 180 mph, and was rejected by the RAF. J8027 was given the civil registration G-AAHC in May 1929 and used by the company as a demonstrator, it was shown at Olympia in London in July 1929. It was last flown on the 14 March 1931 and cancelled from the register in December 1931.
The second prototype, J8028 was redesigned with a smaller lower wing and a more powerful 525 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engine to meet the requirements of Specification N.21/26 for a naval fighter, first flying on 5 December 1929[1]. While showing better performance than the first prototype, it too was unsuccessful, although it did carry out useful development work for the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16.
[edit] Variants
- Starling I
- First prototype - powered by Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar VII or V engine.
- Starling II
- Second prototype to specification N.21/26 for a naval fighter. Powered by Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engine.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (Starling I)
Data from The British Fighter since 1912 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 25 ft 2 in (7.67 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft 4 in (9.55 m)
- Height: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
- Wing area: 246 ft² (22.9 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,060 lb [2] (936 kg)
- Loaded weight: 3,095 lb (1,407 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar V 14 cylinder radial engine, 460 hp (343 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 139 knots (160 mph, 258 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Armament
- Two 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
[edit] See also
Comparable aircraft Bristol Bulldog
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Mason, Francis K (1992). The British Fighter since 1912. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- ^ Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
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