Avro Type F

Type F
Role	Experimental aircraft
Manufacturer	A.V.Roe and Company
First flight	1 May 1912
Number built	1

The Avro Type F was an early single seat British aircraft from Avro and the first aircraft in the world to feature a completely enclosed cabin.

Design and development

It was a wire-braced mid-wing monoplane with a tailskid undercarriage. The fuselage was teardrop-shaped with flat sides with cellon windows. Two circular windows at the pilot's head level could be opened for the pilot's head to protrude when flying under poor visibility. Ingress and egress was via a trapdoor in the fuselage top. The cabin was quite cramped, being only 2 ft (60 cm) across at its widest point.

The Type F made a few test flights in mid-1912 until damaged beyond repair in a hard landing on 13 September, after which it was not repaired. Its Viale 35 hp engine is on display at the Science Museum in London.

Specifications

General characteristics

• Crew: one pilot
• Length: 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)
• Wingspan: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
• Height: 7 ft 6 in (2.29 m)
• Wing area: 158 ft² (14.7 m²)
• Empty weight: 550 lb (250 kg)
• Gross weight: 800 lb (360 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Viale 35 hp 5-cylinder radial, 35 hp (26 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 65 mph (105 km/h)
• Rate of climb: 300 ft/min (1.5 m/s)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avro Type F.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 91. 
• World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 889 Sheet 92–93. 
• britishaircraft.co.uk