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The Anson was derived from the Avro 652 - two of which were built to an Imperial Airways order of 1933 - and was among the first aircraft in Europe to reach high performance by adopting the twin-engined, cantilever low-wing formula with retractable landing gear. Avro designers, having had experience with Fokker aircraft and derivatives, used a similar steel tube fuselage construction and basically moved the wooden wings of the earlier types from a high to a low position.
The production prototype flown in December 1935 was a forerunner of 7,195 Avro-built Anson I for the RAF, RN, RAAF, SAAF, RGAF, Greece and Egypt. Production Ansons were first issued to No 48 Squadron, which put the RAF's first low-wing, retractable landing gear monoplane into service on 6 March 1936. Armament included two 45kg and eight 9kg bombs, a forward-firing Vickers gun and a Lewis gun in a turret amidships. Operational with Coastal Command between 1936 and 1939 and for air-sea rescue until 1942, the majority were delivered as turretless trainers for the Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada, Australia and South Africa.
The Anson 10, introduced in 1943, had strengthened floors for continental freight runs by Air Transport Auxiliary. After the war surplus Ansons were sold to civil charter firms and the air forces of Belgium, Holland, Iran, Israel, Norway, Portugal and Saudi Arabia. Increased headroom, introduced in 1944, created the Anson 11 or 12 according to engine. The latter, furnished as a feeder-liner eight-seater, became the Avro 19 Series 1 or Series 2 (tapered metal wing) for the RAF, BEA and civil operators in the UK and abroad. Final variants of 1948-49 were Anson 18 trainers for Afghanistan and India; Anson T.20 (perspex nose) for navigation training in Southern Rhodesia; T.21 (metal nose) for the RAF in the UK; and T.22 radio trainer.
 | A three-view drawing (666 x 604) |
| CREW | 6 |
| ENGINE | 2 x AS "Cheeta IX", 260kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 3630 kg | 8003 lb |
| Empty weight | 2438 kg | 5375 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 17.2 m | 56 ft 5 in |
| Length | 12.9 m | 42 ft 4 in |
| Height | 4.0 m | 13 ft 1 in |
| Wing area | 38.1 m2 | 410.10 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 303 km/h | 188 mph |
| Cruise speed | 254 km/h | 158 mph |
| Ceiling | 5800 m | 19050 ft |
| Range | 1270 km | 789 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 2-3 machine-guns, 170kg of bombs |
| Geoff Garrett, geoffgarrettuk(@)googlemail.com, 20.10.2009 thanks cooke299 for comments would be grateful for any more. | | Ed Cooke, cooke299_266(@)msn.com, 16.10.2009 Flew for many hours in the Mk 1 as W/T instructor at Kinloss,went to Canada where I trained on the MK 2 Which was superior to the Mk 1,no more 150 turns to raise the undercarriage etc.for it had power undercarriage and flaps plus a two pitch prop.a delightful aircraft to fly. | | Geoff Garrett, geoffgarrettuk(@)googlemail.com, 04.09.2009 I am doing a project on my father-in-law who trained as a pilot on the anson also was navigator pre pilot training any info on the anson would be a great help what if any does and donts | | Barry, 16.06.2009 My first flight ever was an air experince flight in an Anson from R.A.F. Wittering in August 1961 when that station was a V Bomber base with Vickers Valiants. I was a member of 1155 ATC Squadron and 12 years of age, which was below the minimum eligible age to be in the corps, but I do not suppose anyone will receive a court martial now! | | Barry, 16.06.2009 My first flight ever was an air experience flight in an Anson from R.A.F. Wittering in 1961 when that station was a V Bomber base with Vickers Valiants. I was a member of 1155 ATC squadron and only 12 years of age which was below the minimum age to be in the corps, but I don't suppose anyone will face a court martial now! | | Mr A J Lloyd, ajlloyd(@)jerseymail.co.uk, 01.05.2009 Many happy hours servicing and flying supernumery, 1951 to 1954 at HQ 25 group RAF Manby my favourits were VS 513 (T21) and VM 408 a VIP (19). East Lindsey CC, Resident on Manby (old camp), have an oil painting I did, of VS 513 (probably not on display though) Another oil of VM 408 overflying Manby c1953 may be offered to East Kirkby, at some time in the future. 1954/5 Ansons T21 again RAF Shawbury training GCA at ?Slaep? memory vague. | | Bernard Rumbold, b, 28.03.2009 I believe that the last RAF Ansons flew with the Western Communications Squadron (230 Sqn?)at RAF Andover in the early 70s. I remember many happy school holidays flying in them as an ATC cadet in the late 50s to such far-flung outposts ar RAF Kirkbride and St Athan. | | George E. Sutton, sutton.george(@)sbcglobal.net, 16.08.2008 It was a handful for an 18 year old LAC and cold in a Canadian Winter, but it did its job of training me to be a multi-engine pilot! The only real difficulty we had with it was, when there was a cross wind, getting it realigned when we got below the ridges on the sides of the runway created by the snow plows! | | Aladdin, aladdinmakki(@)yahoo.com, 07.11.2007 Hi I am an old Iraqi pilot . I am a collector of old A/C pictures , specially those of the old Iraqi air force , known as Royal Iraqi Air Force RIAF before 1958 , then IAF after 1958 . I know that the Avro Anson have served with the RIAF . but found no mention to that in the text . It might be usefull to note that . Thank you |
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