Avro 536

The Avro 536 was a single-engine biplane aircraft of the British manufacturer Avro, designed for short -haul operations. The last machine was a closed cab, and was referred to as the Avro 546.

History

After the First World War originated in England in the shortest time an increased interest in leisure flights. So at Avro one developed an aircraft with seating for four passengers and a pilot, for the special purpose subsidiary Avro Transport Company.

Basis of the design was the highly successful Avro 504 One used the basic design of this machine, due to the higher payload the wings were extended, and one used a more powerful engine for the required takeoff thrust, a Bentley BR1 engine with 152 hp (111, 8 kW). Four passengers were in two double seats behind the pilot course.

The Avro 536 prototype was launched in April 1919 for its first flight in Hamble, already at the end of the month, the first passengers were carried with this machine, one of the first was on April 29, the British Lord Chancellor.

It initially followed the construction of seven machines in Hamble, which were distributed to the missions of the Avro Transport Company in the south of the country. Shortly after, another contingent of twelve aircraft that had been produced in Manchester, of which only seven machines took their service in Blackpool, where the demand for the pleasure flights was so great that three pilots on the first day of the insert about 500 passengers had to carry.

The first three series machines had problems with the torque of the powerful Bentley engine; Therefore, the following examples were fitted with the large vertical tail of the 504.

When the Avro Transport Company stopped the pleasure flights in 1920, acquired some of there so far employed pilots a 536 to become self-employed with their old activities and the proven aircraft.

1923 and 1925, the machines are not used to the Berkshire Aviation Tours Ltd were. and to the Surrey Flying Services Ltd. sold and replaced there the now outdated 504

The Surrey replaced the Bentley motors by somewhat weaker Clerget engines, the vertical tail could be reduced again. Between 1926 and 1927, the " Surrey " four machines built after the pattern of 536 - this aircraft, however, no further information is available. One of these machines was in 1927 still for pleasure flights on the beach in Jersey, and in 1928 as a machine for aerial acrobatics in service.

Variants

The prototype was later fitted with two floats and used as a seaplane for pleasure flights on the Isle of Wight.

The penultimate series engine was rebuilt as a two-seater with an extra-large tank; she served as Avro test vehicle for a long-distance competition aircraft.

The last machine was a closed cabin for three passengers ( similar to the Avro 504M ) and was designated as the Avro 546, but was only used for a few flights in the years 1919 and 1920.

Specifications

  • A Bentley BR1 engine with a power of 111.86 kW ( 152.08 hp)
  • Alternatively a Clerget engine with an output of 96.94 kW ( 131.8 hp)

( The above data do not apply to the version as a seaplane. )

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