The Avro 652 Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft, was originally designed as a light, four-passenger civil transport and mail aircraft. The first three were built to civil specifications, and first flew in 1935 for Imperial Airways. The Anson served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm initially as a coastal patrol reconnaissance aircraft. The Avro Anson was named after 18th Century Royal Navy Admiral, George Anson. Avro Nineteen (also known as the Anson XIX) is the civil transport version; 56 aircraft were built in two series. The Series 1 aircraft had the original wooden wings, and Series 2 machines metal ones.
Developing nation: United Kingdom.
Manufacturer/designer: Avro
Production line: Avro and Canadian Federal Aircraft Ltd.
Type aircraft: twin-engine, multi-role aircraft.
First flight: 24 March 1935.
First delivery: Imperial Airways in 1935.
Produced: 1935 – 1952.
Built: 11,020
Retired: 28 June 1968 (RAF)
By the end of production in 1952, the Anson spanned nine variants and a total of 8,138 were built in Britain by Avro. From 1941, a further 2,882 were built by Canadian Federal Aircraft Ltd.
General characteristics
- Crew: 3-4
- Length: 12.88 m (42 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 17.22 m (56 ft 6 in)
- Height: 3.99 m (13 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 43.1 m² (463 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2,500 kg (5,512 lb)
- Loaded weight: 3,608 kg (7,955 lb)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,900 kg (8,500 lb)
- Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines, 355 hp (260 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 303 km/h (188 mph, 163 kn) at 2,100 m (7,000 ft)
- Range: 1,300 km (790 mi, 690 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 5,791 m (19,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 3.8 m/s (750 ft/min)
- Wing loading: 83.9 kg/m² (17.2 lb/ft²)
- Power/mass: 140 W/kg (0.088 hp/lb)
All pictures courtesy of Zijde Aviation Photo and Publishing, Rob Vogelaar
