From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Avro 523 Pike (the first Avro aircraft to receive a name) was a British multi-role combat aircraft of the First World War that did not progress past the prototype stage. It was intended to provide the Royal Naval Air Service with an anti-Zeppelin fighter that was also capable of long-range reconnaissance and light bombing. It was a large, three-bay biplane of conventional layout driven by two pusher propellers. Three open cockpits were provided, the centre one for the pilot, and gunners fore and aft of him. The Admiralty evaluated the type, but rejected it. Avro then built a second prototype, changing the original's Sunbeam engines for Green engines instead and designating it the 523A. The Admiralty evaluated this in November, but found that the type was now obsolete and did not place an order. The two prototypes flew as testbeds with Avro for the remainder of the war.
[edit] Specifications (519)
General characteristics
- Crew: three, pilot and two gunners
- Length: 39 ft 1 in (11.91 m)
- Wingspan: 60 ft in (18.29 m)
- Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
- Wing area: 815 ft² (75.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)
- Gross weight: 6,064 lb (2,751 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Sunbeam Nubian, 150 hp (112 kW) each each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 97 mph (156 km/h)
- Endurance: 7 hours
- Rate of climb: 370 ft/min (1.9 m/s)
Armament
- 1 × flexible .303 Lewis gun in nose
- 1 × flexible .303 Lewis gun in rear fuselage
- Bombs carried in internal bay
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 93.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing.
- britishaircraft.co.uk
[edit] See also
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