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Avro Anson

June 06, 2023

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War.

Anson
Avro Anson ZK-RRA in flight, Classic Fighters Airshow (2015)
Role Multirole aircraft, primarily a trainer
National origin United Kingdom
Manufacturer Avro (UK) / Federal Aircraft Limited (Canada)
First flight 24 March 1935
Introduction 1936
Retired 28 June 1968 (RAF)
Primary users Royal Air Force
Fleet Air Arm
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
Produced 1930s–1952
Number built 11,020
Developed from Avro 652

Initially known as the Avro 652A, the Anson was developed during the mid-1930s from the earlier Avro 652 airliner in response to a request for tenders issued by the British Air Ministry for a maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Having suitably impressed the Ministry, a single prototype was ordered, which conducted its maiden flight on 24 March 1935. Following an evaluation in which the Type 652A bettered the competing de Havilland DH.89, it was selected as the winner, leading to Air Ministry Specification 18/35 being written around the type and an initial order for 174 aircraft being ordered in July 1935. The Type 652A was promptly named after British Admiral George Anson.

The type was placed into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and was initially used in the envisaged maritime reconnaissance operation alongside the larger flying boats. After the outbreak of the Second World War the Anson was soon found to have become obsolete in front line combat roles. Large numbers of the type were instead put to use as a multi-engined aircrew trainer, having been found to be suitable for the role, and became the mainstay of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The type continued to be used in this role throughout and after the conflict, remaining in RAF service as a trainer and communications aircraft until 28 June 1968.

During the post-war climate, the Anson was increasingly produced for the civil market, being used as a light transport and executive aircraft. By the end of production in 1952, a total of 8,138 Ansons had been constructed by Avro in nine variants; in addition, a further 2,882 aircraft were manufactured by Federal Aircraft Ltd in Canada from 1941. By the 21st century, the vast majority of Ansons had been retired from flying. However, a single Anson Mk.I, which had been originally manufactured during 1943, had been restored to airworthiness, having been refitted with later metal wings. On 18 July 2012, this restored aircraft performed its first flight.

Development

In 1933, the British Air Ministry proposed that the Royal Air Force (RAF) acquire a relatively cheap landplane for coastal maritime reconnaissance duties; the proposed aircraft would perform as a supplement to the more capable, but expensive, flying boats which the RAF had adopted for conducting maritime reconnaissance missions. The Air Ministry looked for designs from British manufacturers. Avro responded to the request with the Avro 652A, which was a modified version of their earlier Avro 652, a twin-engined, six-seat monoplane airliner. de Havilland offered a design based on their D.H.89A Dragon Rapide biplane. After evaluating the various submissions received, the Air Ministry decided to order from Avro and de Havilland respectively, single examples of the Type 652A and the de Havilland DH.89 for evaluation purposes late in 1934; an evaluation and the subsequent selection of a design for production to take place by May 1935.[1][2]

On 24 March 1935, the Avro 652A conducted its maiden flight at Woodford Aerodrome, Greater Manchester. Between 11 and 17 May 1935, the prototype participated in a formal evaluation against the competing DH.89M by the RAF's Coastal Defence Development Unit at RAF Gosport, Hampshire. During these trials, the Avro aircraft proved to be superior and was accordingly selected as the winner of the competition on 25 May 1935.[3] In response to its selection, Air Ministry Specification G.18/35 was written around the Type 652A; in July 1935, an initial order for 174 aircraft, which had been given the service name "Anson", was received.[4]

On 31 December 1935, the first production Anson performed its maiden flight; changes from the prototype included an enlarged horizontal tailplane and reduced elevator span in order to improve stability. Additionally, while the prototype had not been fitted with flaps, production aircraft could accommodate their installation from the onset to increase the viable glide angle and reduce landing speed.[5] On 6 March 1936, deliveries to the RAF commenced.[6] By the end of production in 1952, a total of 11,020 Ansons had been completed, which made it the second most numerous (after the approximately 11,500 Vickers Wellington medium bomber) British multi-engined aircraft of the Second World War.[7]

Design

 
The interior of an Anson C Mark XI, looking forward from the passenger compartment towards the cockpit

The Avro Anson was a twin-engine, low-wing cantilever monoplane. Developed as a general reconnaissance aircraft, it possessed many features that lent itself to the role, including considerable load-carrying ability, and long range.[8] The structure of the Anson was relatively straightforward and uncomplicated, relying on proven methods and robust construction to produce an airframe that minimised maintenance requirements.[8] Much of the internal structure had retained similar to the earlier Avro 652 airliner from which it had been developed. The Anson Mk I was furnished with a low-mounted one-piece wooden wing, composed of a combination of plywood and spruce throughout the wingbox and ribs. The fuselage was composed of a welded steel tubing framework which was principally clad in fabric; the exterior of the nose was clad in magnesium alloy.[8]

The Anson was powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, which were each rated at 350 horsepower (260 kW).[9][5] Each engine was provided with its own duplicated fuel pumps and separate fuel and oil tanks; the tanks were composed of welded aluminium and mounted in cradles housed within the wing. The engine cowlings were intentionally designed to have a reduced diameter in order to reduce their negative impact upon external visibility, which was considered to be valuable to the type's reconnaissance function.[8] These engines drove two-bladed Fairey-built metal propellers.[5]

The Anson was the first aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear to enter service with the RAF.[8][10] While the main undercarriage was retracted into recesses set into the bottom of the engine nacelles, the tail wheel was fixed in position. Commonly, the undercarriage was fitted with Dunlop-built wheels, tyres and pneumatic brakes and Turner legs.[5] The retractable undercarriage was mechanically operated by hand; 144 turns of a crank handle, situated beside the pilot's seat, were needed.[11][12] To avoid this laborious process, early aircraft would often perform short flights with the landing gear remaining extended throughout, which would reduce the aircraft's cruising speed by 30 mph (50 km/h).[7]

 
G-VROE, a preserved Anson C.21 operated by the Classic Air Force, 2005

Initially, the Anson was flown with a three-man crew, which comprised a pilot, a navigator/bomb-aimer and a radio operator/gunner, when it was used in the maritime reconnaissance role;[13] from 1938 onwards, it was typically operated by a four-man crew.[14] The bomb-aimer would perform his function from a prone position in the forward section of the nose, which was provisioned with a bombsight, driftsight, and other appropriate instrumentation, including a landing light. The pilot was located in a cockpit behind the bomb-aimer's position and was provided with a variety of contemporary instrumentation, including those to enable flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and indirect instrument lighting for night flying purposes.[15]

Immediately behind the pilot's position is a small folding seat fixed to the starboard side of the fuselage for an additional crew member or passenger, along with racks that would contain a pair of parachute packs that would be clipped onto the harnesses worn by both the pilot and the navigator. Behind these is the navigator's station, a chair and table provisioned with navigational aids such as compasses, Bigsworth chart boards, sea markers, slide rules for course, wind and speed, a signalling lamp and float flares.[13] Aft of the rear spar is the wireless operator's station – a table with contemporary wireless equipment, including a winch for the trailing aerial, which was attached to the upper fuselage immediately behind the aircraft's cockpit.[13]

The defensive armaments of the Anson consisted of a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun which was fixed within the forward fuselage and aimed by the pilot, while an Armstrong Whitworth-built manually operated gun turret located on the Anson's dorsal section was fitted with a single Lewis gun.[13] Additionally, up to 360 pounds (160 kg) of bombs, which could consist of a maximum of two 100 pounds (45 kg) and eight 20 pounds (9 kg) bombs, could be carried in the aircraft's wings.[16] Those Ansons that were used in the training role were outfitted with dual controls and usually had the gun turret removed, although specific aircraft used for gunnery training were fitted with a Bristol hydraulically operated gun turret, similar to that used in the Bristol Blenheim.[17][18] The tail fairing of the starboard nacelle contains an inflatable dinghy which is provided with automatic actuators and marine distress beacons.[13]

Operational history

 
RAF Ansons conducting trials with airborne radar in 1937.

On 6 March 1936, the Anson entered RAF service, No. 48 Squadron was the first RAF unit to be equipped with the type. Upon the type's introduction, it represented a new level of capability for the service, serving not only in a general reconnaissance capacity but also being an effective general-purpose aircraft[8] In July 1937, a Coastal Command Anson was fitted with an experimental airborne early warning radar which was able to detect large warships 5 miles (8.0 km) away in poor visibility and was successfully used in fleet exercises off the east coast of England in September.[19]

By the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAF had received a total of 824 Ansons while there were 26 RAF squadrons that were then operating the Anson I: 10 of these were assigned to Coastal Command and the other 16 were with Bomber Command.[20] By 1939, all of the squadrons assigned to Bomber Command that had been equipped with the Anson I served as operational training squadrons which were used to prepare crews for frontline service. 12 of the squadrons were in No. 6 (Operational Training) Group. Newly formed crews, having previously completed individual flying and technical training courses, were first trained as bomber crews in Ansons before advancing to the various frontline aircraft types, which were in the same squadrons with the Ansons. After training the crews would advance to the frontline bomber squadrons with aircraft such as the Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Vickers Wellington, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley or Handley-Page Hampden.

 
An Anson of No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron, Coastal Command, about to take off on a patrol mission, circa 1940–1941

Even before the start of the war, it had been realised that the Anson's limited capabilities would make it ineffective in its intended main role of a maritime patrol aircraft. In 1938, it had been decided to replace the Anson in this role with the American-built Lockheed Hudson, which was 100 mph faster, had three times the range, carried a much heavier bomb load and had a superior defensive armament. The first squadron to be reequipped with the type was already training with them in September 1939. Meanwhile, the remaining Coastal Command Anson squadrons had to go to war with what they had. The Anson had an endurance of only four hours, so that it could only be employed in the North Sea and other coastal areas; however, it lacked the range to reach the coast of Norway. Its weapons against German U-boats were two small 100 lb bombs, which required a direct hit on the hull of a submarine to be effective, at least in theory. On 3 December 1939, an Anson mistakenly attacked a surfaced Royal Navy submarine, HMS Snapper, and although the aircraft succeeded in hitting the conning tower, the only damage was four broken light bulbs. In an earlier friendly fire incident off the coast of Scotland in September, the bombs of an Anson of No. 233 Squadron had bounced off the surface of the water and exploded in an air burst, which holed the aircraft's fuel tanks causing it to ditch off St Andrews.[19] Despite numerous claims of attacks on U-boats by Ansons in the first months of the war, postwar examination of German records showed that little damage had been inflicted.[citation needed] Despite their obsolescence, Ansons were employed during the Dunkirk evacuation to deter attacks on Allied shipping by German E-boats.[21] On 1 June 1940, a flight of three Ansons was attacked near Dunkirk by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s. According to the unsubstantiated claims, one Anson destroyed two German aircraft and damaged a third, while no Ansons were lost.[22]

The aircraft achieved more success training pilots for flying multi-engined bombers, such as the Avro Lancaster. Ansons were first deployed to Flying Training Schools in November 1936, replacing the obsolete bombers then used for twin-engine training.[23] The Anson was also used to train the other members of a bomber's aircrew, such as navigators, wireless operators, bomb aimers and air gunners. Postwar, the Anson continued in the training and light transport roles. The last Ansons were withdrawn from RAF service with communications units on 28 June 1968.[7]

During the 1939–45 war years, the British Air Transport Auxiliary operated the Anson as its standard taxi aircraft, using it to carry groups of ferry pilots to and from aircraft collection points. There was no fatal mechanical failure of an Anson in ATA service, and it was typically very well regarded.[24]

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) initially ordered 33 Ansons in November 1935 to fill the maritime reconnaissance role. The first were delivered in 1936 and 48 were in service before the start of the war. The RAAF eventually operated a total 1,028 Ansons, the majority of these being Mk Is. These aircraft continued to be operated until 1955.[25]

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) operated 23 Ansons as navigation trainers during the Second World War, (alongside the more numerous Airspeed Oxford), and acquired more Ansons as communication aircraft immediately after the war. A preserved navigation trainer is in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram.

The Royal Indian Air Force operated several Ansons as part of the No.1 Service Flying Training School (India) for Pilot and Navigation training. These Ansons continued this role post-independence and were retired at an unknown date.[26]

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) operated 4,413 Anson aircraft, 1,962 British built and 2,451 Canadian built aircraft.[27] The RCN operated the aircraft until 1952. Although the Canadian Ansons were used throughout the training schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan for training aircrew, some aircraft were pressed into operational service with the RCAF's Eastern Air Command. A good example of the training schools involvement in combat operations with the EAC during the emergency of the battle is illustrated in an article dated 1 March 2006 of the Royal Canadian Legion magazine entitled Eastern Air Command: Air Force, Part 14; the author Hugh A. Haliday wrote: "The need for Atlantic patrols was undiminished, yet the Battle of the St. Lawrence stretched EAC resources. Based at Charlottetown, 31 General Reconnaissance School was mobilised to fly patrols using Avro Ansons, each carrying two 250-pound bombs. At the very outset of the war the Anson and its ordnance had failed in RAF anti-submarine work. Now in Canada it was remobilised as an aerial scarecrow. German views varied as to Canadian countermeasures. The captain of U-517 found his operations increasingly restricted by strengthened air patrols. In October 1942, U-69 reported "strong sea patrol and constant patrol by aircraft with radar."

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), employed 50 Canadian-built Ansons, which were designated the AT-20.

The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) operated a fleet of Ansons in communications and VIP duties. A specially outfitted Anson was presented to the then King of Egypt by the RAF. The Royal Afghan Air Force obtained 13 Anson 18 aircraft for various duties from 1948. These aircraft survived until 1972.

Postwar civil use

 
Anson 11 G-ALIH of Ekco Electronics at Blackbushe, Hants, in September 1955

After the war, Ansons continued in production with Avro at Woodford. At this time, large amounts of the type were being produced for civilian use, where they were operated as light transports by a range of small charter airlines and as executive aircraft by large corporations. Countries which saw civilian operations with Ansons included the United Kingdom, Canada (Mk. V aircraft only), Australia and Denmark.

 
An Anson XIX, which had been operated for aerial survey work in the United Kingdom up to 1973

Railway Air Services operated Ansons on scheduled services from London's Croydon Airport via Manchester to Belfast (Nutts Corner) in 1946 and 1947. Sivewright Airways operated three Mk XIX aircraft from their Manchester Airport base on charter flights as far as Johannesburg and on scheduled flights to Ronaldsway Airport in the Isle of Man until 1951. Finglands Airways operated an ex-RAF Anson I on inclusive tour flights and on scheduled flights from Manchester Airport to Newquay Airport between 1949 and 1952. Kemps Aerial Surveys operated several Anson XIXs on survey work within the UK until their retirement in 1973.[28]

In 1948, India ordered 12 new Anson 18Cs for use by the Directorate of Civil Aviation as trainers and communications aircraft; these were delivered from Yeadon in the spring of 1949.[29]

Ansons continued to be manufactured by Avro at Woodford for the RAF until March 1952; the type was used as trainers and served in the role of Station communications aircraft until 1968.

The wooden wings of Ansons flying in Australia were found to fail at a high rate. The phenolic glue bonds would part, and it was speculated that the problem was due to the high humidity. In 1962, the Commonwealth Government decided to ground the majority of wooden-winged aircraft then in operation; amongst those aircraft affected, the Anson and De Havilland Mosquito were included. Of the Ansons, no such aircraft were re-registered as the government had mandated a test that essentially destroyed the wings, thus requiring the fitting of new wings. Most owners decided to voluntarily scrap their aircraft well before this time.

By the 21st century, the vast majority of Ansons had been retired from flying. However, a single Anson Mk.I, which had been originally manufactured during 1943, had been restored to airworthiness, having been refitted with later metal wings. On 18 July 2012, this restored aircraft returned to the air in Nelson, New Zealand.[30]

Accidents and incidents

 
The two Ansons involved in the Brocklesby mid-air collision of 1940 lying interlocked in a paddock
 
Engines and forward sections of the two Ansons
  • On 11 September 1937, Anson K8778 of No. 233 Squadron RAF crashed in poor visibility on the Gisborough Moor escarpment, above Guisborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire, while returning from an exercise with the Royal Navy; all four crew were killed.[31]
  • On 28 April 1939, Anson A4-32 of No. 6 Squadron RAAF crashed near Riverstone, New South Wales on the return leg of an air navigation course, killing all four crew members.[32]
  • On 18 December 1939, Anson N4887 of 1 Flying Training School crashed on the Richmond Golf Course shortly after take-off from the Richmond RAAF Base, killing all five crew members.[33]
  • On 29 September 1940, Avro Ansons L9162 and N4876 of No. 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF collided in mid-air and became locked together in flight. A successful emergency landing was made at Brocklesby, New South Wales. L9162 became a ground instructional airframe, whilst N4876 was repaired and returned to service (see 1940 Brocklesby mid-air collision).
  • On 8 November 1940 Avro Anson N9945 piloted by RAF Pilot Officer Frederick Phillip Fry struck a barrage balloon cable near Birmingham and crashed killing all 5 on board.
  • On 28 January 1941 RAAF Avro Anson A4-5 left Parkes bound for Mascot on a medical evacuation flight. It approached Glenbrook and suffered a structural failure of the port wing crashing near the corner of Cliffton Ave and Lucasville Road killing all five on board.
  • On 13 April 1941 Avro Anson N9857 of 19 Operational Training Unit from RAF Kinloss crashed on Beinn an Fhurain at an altitude of 2,300 feet (701 m) approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Inchnadamph. At least 4 of the 6 aircrew survived the crash, but died of exposure in blizzard conditions. Their bodies are buried at the crash site.[34]
  • On 17 April 1942 Avro Anson W2630 of RAF Wigtown crashed into the east side of Galloway mountain Cairnsmore of Fleet near Creetown, southwest Scotland. The aircraft exploded on impact, killing the pilot and a civilian passenger. The wireless operator survived with severe burns. [35]
  • On 2 July 1942 Avro Anson Mk.I N5297 of No.2 Observers Advanced Flying Unit (O)AFU crashed on Shalloch-on-Minnoch, South Ayrshire, during a navigation training flight out of Millom, Cumbria. All five airmen, including three trainees, were killed.[36]
  • On 9 October 1942, four Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airmen were killed when their Avro Anson aircraft crashed near Clackline, Western Australia (see Avro Anson Memorial).
  • On 30 October 1942 an Avro Anson took off from Sidney airport on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, with Royal Canadian Air Force Sgt. William Baird and British air force Pilot Officer Charles Fox, Pilot Officer Anthony Lawrence and Sgt. Robert Luckock aboard. The aircraft crashed, killing all aboard, 50 kilometres (30 mi) from takeoff, on a remote mountainside near Port Renfrew. The wreckage and remains of the crew were found by loggers in October 2013 and recovered in May 2014.[37]
  • On 7 December 1943 another piggy-back accident occurred when RCAF #18 SFTS Anson II JS193 came down on top of Anson II JS167 in the landing circuit at Gimli, Manitoba; the aircraft landed safely still entangled, and both were later repaired.[38]
  • On 19 January 1944 RCAF #2 Training Command, Anson II #7164 landed on top of Anson II #8561 and again both landed safely but entangled. In this case #7164 was a write-off, but #8561 was repaired.[39]
  • On 13 February 1944 a USAAF 29(PR) Squadron AT-20 (Anson II) 43-8197 crashed on takeoff at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 2Lt S.F. Jankowski killed, pilot V.N. Luber injured. The pilots had forgotten to remove the gust locks from the controls.[citation needed] This was the only fatal accident involving a USAAF AT-20.
  • On 19 December 1945, a Companhia Meridional de Transportes Avro Anson Mk. II registration PP-MTA crashed in the neighbourhood of Itaipu, Niterói, Brazil killing all passengers and crew, including the pilot and owner of the airline, Álvaro Araújo.[40]
  • On 14 December 1947 a Mark 1 AX505, ex VH-BBY, recently purchased by the Indonesian government and numbered RI-003, was being used to transport war equipment and medicine. It crashed in the sea between Malaya and Sumatra. The two crew were killed and were later appointed Indonesian National Heroes. There is a memorial to them with a sculpture of the aircraft.[41]
  • On 11 June 1948, Avro XIX G-AGNI of Lancashire Aircraft Corporation ditched off Bradda Head, Isle of Man due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Squires Gate Airport, Blackpool to Ronaldsway Airport, Isle of Man via RAF Walney Island, Lancashire. All nine people on board were rescued by a trawler from Port Erin and the MV Silkthorn.[42]

Variants

The main Anson variant was the Mk I, of which 6,704 were built in Britain. The other variants were mainly distinguished by their powerplant with Canadian-built Ansons using local engines. To overcome steel shortages, the 1,051 Canadian-built Mk V Ansons featured a plywood fuselage.

 
Sergeant of No. 14 (P) Squadron, RCAF, installing a vertical camera in an Avro Anson V, Rockcliffe, Ont., 4 July 1944
Mk I
6,688 Mk Is were built. Powered by two 350 hp (260 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX or 395 hp (295 kW) XIX engines.
Mk II
1,401 Mk IIs were built in Canada; powered by two 330 hp (250 kW) Jacobs L-6MB R-915 engines and fitted with hydraulic landing gear retraction rather than the manual system used on the Anson I.
Mk III
432 Mk I aircraft converted in Canada to two 330 hp (250 kW) Jacobs L-6MB R-915 engines.
Mk IV
One aircraft converted from a Mk I in Canada to two Wright R-975 Whirlwind engines.
Mk V
1,069 Mk Vs were built in Canada for navigator training powered by two 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engines and given a new wood monocoque fuselage. 77 early Mk.V aircraft built using Mk.II components were designated Mk.VA.
Mk VI
One aircraft was built in Canada for bombing and gunnery training; it was powered by two 450 hp (340 kW) R-985 Wasp Junior engines.
Mk X
104 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk Xs with a reinforced floor, for use as a transport.
Mk XI
90 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk XIs.
Mk XII
20 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk XIIs, plus 221 new Mk XII aircraft built.
Mk XIII
Gunnery trainer powered by two Cheetah XI or XIX engines; never built.
Mk XIV
Gunnery trainer powered by two Cheetah XV engines; never built.
Mk XVI
Navigation trainer; never built.
Mk XV
Bombing trainer; never built.
C 19
264 were built for the RAF; used as communications and transport aircraft.
T 20
Navigation trainer for the RAF, a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T.24/46 for an overseas navigation trainer, one pilot two wireless operators (one trainee and one instructor) and five navigator positions (three trainees and two instructors). Used for bombing and navigation training in Southern Rhodesia, 60 built.
T 21
Navigation trainers for the RAF, a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T.25/46 for a home navigation trainer, one pilot two wireless operators (one trainee and one instructor) and five navigator positions (three trainees and two instructors). A prototype was flown in May 1948, 252 were built.
C.21
Modification of T.21s for communications and transport duties.
T 22
Radio trainers for the RAF, a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T.26/46, one pilot and four wireless operator stations (three for trainees and one for an instructor), a prototype was flown in June 1948, 54 built.
Anson 18
Developed from the Avro Nineteen; 12 aircraft were sold to the Royal Afghan Air Force for use as communications, police patrol and aerial survey aircraft.
Anson 18C
13 aircraft were built for the Indian government; used for training civil aircrews.
Avro Nineteen
(Also known as the Anson XIX): Civil transport version; 56 aircraft were built in two series.
AT-20
United States military designation for Canadian-built Anson IIs used by the United States Army Air Forces, 50 built.

Operators

 
Military Anson operators
  Afghanistan
Royal Afghan Air Force – 13 Anson 18 aircraft were delivered to the Royal Afghan Air Force from 1948 and retired by 1972
  Argentina
At least one, LV-FBR, in use in 1960
  Australia
Royal Australian Air Force – 1,028 Ansons were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force, retired in 1955
  • Woods Airways, WA (two surplus aircraft, 1948 to 1961)
  • Brain & Brown Airfreighters (one Anson until at least 1977)
  • East-West Airlines, one preserved (non-flying), at Tamworth Airport
  Bahrain
  Belgium
  Brazil
Companhia Meridional de Transportes (three Avro Anson Mk. IIs operated between 1945 and 1946)
  Canada
Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy Ansons were retired in 1952
  Cuba
three Canadian-built Ansons were transported to Cuba, operated by ANSA-Aerolíneas del Norte S.A., a regional airline from 1947 until the mid-1950s
  Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakian Air Force three aircraft, in service from 1945 to 1948
  Egypt
Egyptian Air Force
  Estonia
Estonian Air Force
  Ethiopia
Ethiopian Air Force
  Finland
Finnish Air Force three Avro Anson Mk. Is purchased 1936 and used as training and liaison aircraft. One lost and another written-off in accidents, last flight in 1947.[43]
  France
French Air Force and Aeronavale
  Greece
Hellenic Royal Air Force: twelve Mk I Ansons were ordered in 1938 for the maritime patrol role. Five of these escaped to Egypt after the Battle of Greece and operated under British command until replaced by Blenheims in 1942.[44]
  India
Royal Indian Air Force[26]
  India
Directorate of Civil Aviation
Indian Air Force
  Indonesia
Government of Indonesia chartered 2 Ansons during Indonesian National Revolution[45]
  Iran
Imperial Iranian Air Force
  Iraq
Royal Iraqi Air Force[46]
  Ireland
Irish Air Corps 9 Anson Mk1 delivered between 1937–39 and used for training/maritime patrol/transport. 3 Anson 19s delivered in 1946 for training/transport. Mk1s retired by 1947, 19s by 1962.
  Israel
Israeli Air Force
  Netherlands
Royal Netherlands Air Force and Dutch Naval Aviation Service
  New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Air Force
  Norway
Royal Norwegian Air Force
  Paraguay
Paraguayan Air Arm one Mk.V bought in Argentina in 1947.
  Portugal
Portuguese Air Force
  Portuguese Timor
Transportes Aéreos de Timor operated two Anson Is.[47]
  Rhodesia
Royal Rhodesian Air Force
  Saudi Arabia
Royal Saudi Air Force
  South Africa
South African Air Force
  Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesian Air Force
  Syria
Syrian Air Force[48]
  Turkey
Turkish Air Force
  United Kingdom
Royal Air Force
Fleet Air Arm[49]
  United States
50 Canadian built Ansons were delivered to the USAAF as the AT-20.
  Yugoslavia
SFR Yugoslav Air Force

Surviving aircraft

 
Anson ZK-RRA performing a public display at Classic Fighters 2015
 
An Avro Anson flying in close formation with a de Havilland Dragon Rapide at the Duxford Jubilee Airshow 2012
 
The cockpit of Avro C.19 141, displayed at the Irish Air Corps Museum, 2014
 
A preserved Avro Anson in flight, 2012

Australia

On display
Stored or under restoration

Canada

On display
Stored or under restoration

Ireland

On display

Netherlands

On display
  • VM352 – Anson 19 on static display at the Canadian Allied Forces Museum Foundation in Groningen.[73]

New Zealand

 
Avro 19 (Anson) of the BAe Systems Heritage Flight based at The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in 2013
Airworthy
On display
  • Composite – Anson I on static display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Wigram, Canterbury. This airframe is a composite of several aircraft including the fuselage of NZ415, centre section, mainplane, and tailplane of VL352, and various other parts from NZ410 and NZ422.[76]

United Arab Emirates

On display

United Kingdom

Airworthy
  • G-AHKX – Avro XIX Anson airworthy with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome, Bedfordshire.[78] Formerly operated by the collection on behalf of the BAe Systems Heritage Flight,[79] the aircraft was donated to the collection in 2022.
  • WD413 – Anson C.21, now privately owned and registered as G-VROE. It was previously operated by Classic Air Force at Coventry Airport.[80]
On display
Stored or under restoration

Specifications (GR Mk I)

 

Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II,[9] Avro Aircraft since 1908[96]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3–4
  • Length: 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
  • Wingspan: 56 ft 6 in (17.22 m)
  • Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
  • Wing area: 463 sq ft (43.0 m2)
  • Empty weight: 5,375 lb (2,438 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 8,000 lb (3,629 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 335 hp (250 kW) each
  • Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propellers

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 188 mph (303 km/h, 163 kn) at 7,000 ft (2,134 m)
  • Cruise speed: 158 mph (254 km/h, 137 kn)
  • Range: 660 mi (1,060 km, 570 nmi)
  • Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,800 m)
  • Rate of climb: 960 ft/min (4.9 m/s)

Armament

  • Guns:
  • Bombs:
  • 360 lb (160 kg) of bombs

Notable planes

Main article: Aircraft in fiction § Avro Anson

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

Notes

  1. ^ Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty-two, pp. 38–39.
  2. ^ Jackson 1990, pp. 321–322.
  3. ^ Jackson 1990, pp. 322–323.
  4. ^ Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980, p. 187.
  5. ^ a b c d Flight 30 January 1936, p. d.
  6. ^ Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980, pp. 187–188.
  7. ^ a b c Gunston, Bill. Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-526-8.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Flight 30 January 1936, p. c.
  9. ^ a b Mondey 1994, p. 26.
  10. ^ Jackson 1990, p. 323.
  11. ^ Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty-two, p. 40.
  12. ^ Flight 30 January 1936, pp. c–d.
  13. ^ a b c d e Flight 30 January 1936, p. 117.
  14. ^ Jackson 1990, p. 326.
  15. ^ Flight 30 January 1936, pp. 117–119.
  16. ^ Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty-two, p. 39.
  17. ^ Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty-two, pp. 43–44.
  18. ^ Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980, p. 191.
  19. ^ a b Owen, David (2007). "Chapter 8: The Third Dimension, 1939-42". Anti-Submarine Warfare: An Illustrated History. Barnsley, S. Yorks: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1844157037.
  20. ^ March 1985, pp. 262–263.
  21. ^ Burnet, Ewan (7 August 2018). "Avro Ansons vs Messerschmitt 109s, Dunkirk 1940". www.rafmuseum.org.uk. Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  22. ^ Franks 1983, pp. 125, 181.
  23. ^ Philpott, Ian M (2006). The Royal Air Force: Re-Armament 1930 to 1939. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. p. 41. ISBN 978-1844153916.
  24. ^ Cheesman 1946, pp. 66–67.
  25. ^ Wilson 1994, p. 216.
  26. ^ a b . Archived from the original on 3 August 2012.
  27. ^ Canadian military Aircraft Serials and Photographs 1920–1968, J.A. Griffin, 1969
  28. ^ Sturtivant, 1988, p. 294.
  29. ^ Jackson 1990, pp. 338–339, 344–345.
  30. ^ Neal, Tracy. "Restored-bomber-returns-to-the-skies." Nelson Mail, 18 July 2012. Retrieved: 19 July 2012.
  31. ^ "Aircraft accidents on the North Yorkshire Moors". www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  32. ^ Dunn, Peter. "Crash of An Avro Anson near Riverstone, 28 April 1939". ozatwar.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  33. ^ Dunn, Peter. "Crash of an Avro Anson on Richmond Golf Course, 18 December 1939". ozatwar.com. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  34. ^ "Anson N9857 – Beinn an Fhurain". archieraf.co.uk. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  35. ^ "1942-04-17|Anson Mk.I|W2630|No.1 AOS, RAF|Cairnsmore of Fleet, Dumfries & Galloway". 3 August 2016.
  36. ^ "1942-07-02|Anson Mk.I|N5297|No.2 (O)AFU, RAF|Shalloch-on-Minnoch, South Ayrshire". Peak District Air Accident Research. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  37. ^ "B.C. lumberjacks find bodies of Second World War airmen 72 years after Vancouver Island plane crash". National Post. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  38. ^ Air Force, Spring 1991, Summer 1991, Flypast May 1997, CAHS Journal Vol. 10, No. 4
  39. ^ Air Force magazine, Winter, 1991
  40. ^ Pereira, Aldo. Breve História da Aviação Comercial Brasileira (in Portuguese). Europa, (Rio de Janeiro), 1987, p. 290.
  41. ^ Smith, Harro (9 April 2014). "Accident Avro Anson Mk I RI-003, 14 Dec 1947". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
  42. ^ Poole 1999, pp. 123–24.
  43. ^ Heinonen and Valtonen 2010, pp. 100–101.
  44. ^ "Avro Anson Mk I (pre-WWII)". www.haf.gr. Hellenic Air Force. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  45. ^ "Indonesian aviation 1945-1950." 14 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine adf-serials.com. Retrieved: 20 March 2021.
  46. ^ Sipos & Cooper 2020, p. 32
  47. ^ Archive 1982, p. 32
  48. ^ Sipos & Cooper 2020, p. 37
  49. ^ Thetford 1991, p. 402.
  50. ^ . The Camden Museum of Aviation. The Camden Museum of Aviation. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  51. ^ "Avro Anson". Aviation Heritage Museum. Aviation Heritage Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  52. ^ https://www.visitvictoria.com/regions/Grampians/Things-to-do/History-and-heritage/Nhill-Aviation-Heritage-Centre and . Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  53. ^ "Restoring an Avro Anson – 2016 Update". Aces Flying High. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  54. ^ "Avro 652A Anson I MG390 - Lincoln Nitschke Aviation Collection".
  55. ^ "Avro Anson restoration at Amberley | Warbirds Online". July 2013.
  56. ^ . South Australian Aviation Museum. South Australian Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 5 December 2016. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  57. ^ "Friends of the Avro Anson Air Museum – 2018 Restoration Update". 22 September 2018.
  58. ^ Cuskelly, Ron. "Avro Anson Mk I MG222". Queensland Air Museum. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  59. ^ "The WWII Avro Anson is the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome's latest acquisition". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 May 2018.
  60. ^ . Alberta Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 17 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  61. ^ "AVRO ANSON MKII". Greenwood Military Aviation Museum. GMAM. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  62. ^ . Bomber Command Museum of Canada. Nanton Lancaster Society. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  63. ^ "AVRO ANSON V". Canada Aviation and Space Museum. Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  64. ^ . The Hangar Flight Museum. The Hangar Flight Museum. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  65. ^ "The War Birds (1939–1945)". British Columbia Aviation Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  66. ^ Macdonald, Ian M. "AVRO 652A ANSON 1, K8786, BRITISH COLUMBIA AVIATION MUSEUM". ABPic. Air-Britain. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  67. ^ . Western Development Museum. Western Development Museum. Archived from the original on 18 August 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  68. ^ "Anson – National Air Force Museum of Canada". Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  69. ^ "Avro Anson Mk. I". Saskatchewan aviation museum. SAHS. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  70. ^ "Avro Anson Mk. V". Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  71. ^ "Aviation". Reynolds Museum. Government of Alberta. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  72. ^ a b c Simpson, Andrew (2012). "INDIVIDUAL HISTORY [TX214]" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  73. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Avro Anson C.19, s/n VM352 RAF, c/n 7356". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  74. ^ . Top of the South Aviation Cluster. Top of the South Aviation Cluster. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  75. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Avro 652A Anson, s/n MH120 RAAF, c/n MH-120, c/r ZK-RRA". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  76. ^ . Air Force Museum of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  77. ^ Leeuw, Ruud. "Al Mahatta aviation museum – Sharjah, Feb.2010". Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  78. ^ "BAE Systems Gifts Iconic Heritage Aircraft to Fly with the Shuttleworth Trust". 24 March 2022.
  79. ^ . Shuttleworth. Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  80. ^ CAA G-INFO Retrieved: 4 December 2017]
  81. ^ "Avro Anson Mk 1". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  82. ^ "Avro Anson 1 Painted as and often confused incorrectly with VH-ASM which is on display in Australia". Royal Air Force Museum. Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  83. ^ Simpson, Andrew (2012). "INDIVIDUAL HISTORY [W2068]" (PDF). Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  84. ^ "Avro Anson C.19 (TX213/G-AWRS)". North East Aircraft Museum. North East Land, Sea and Air Museums. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  85. ^ "Avro Anson C.19". Royal Air Force Museum. Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  86. ^ "Anson to be restored". The Courier. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  87. ^ "Aircraft List". Newark Air Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  88. ^ "OUR AIRCRAFT". Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  89. ^ "Avro Anson". National Museums Scotland. National Museums Scotland. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  90. ^ . National Museums Scotland. National Museums Scotland. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  91. ^ Ellis 2016, p. 294.
  92. ^ Ellis 2016, p. 275.
  93. ^ Ellis 2016, p. 321.
  94. ^ (PDF). GEM. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
  95. ^ "Avro Anson T.21". The Yorkshire Air Museum. The Octane Factory. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  96. ^ Jackson 1990, p. 322.

Bibliography

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  • Cheesman, E. C. Brief Glory: the story of the ATA. Harborough Publishing, 1946.
  • "Complete Civil Registers: 5: CR-T: Portuguese Timor". Archive. No. 2. Air-Britain. 1982. p. 32. ISSN 0262-4923.
  • Donald, David and Jon Lake, eds. Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. London: AIRtime Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1-880588-24-2.
  • Ellis, Ken. Wrecks & Relics – 25th Edition. Manchester, England: Crecy Publishing, 2016. ISBN 978 191080 9037
  • Franks, Norman. The Air Battle of Dunkirk. London: William Kimber, 1983. ISBN 0-7183-0349-0.
  • Gerdessen, Frederik. "Estonian Air Power 1918 – 1945". Air Enthusiast, No. 18, April – July 1982. pp. 61–76. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Gunston, Bill. Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways. London: Osprey, 1995. ISBN 1-85532-526-8.
  • Heinonen, Timo; Valtonen, Hannu (2010). Albatrossista Pilatukseen – Suomen sotilaslentokoneet 1917–2010 (in Finnish). Tikkakoski: Keski-Suomen ilmailumuseo. ISBN 978-952-99989-2-0.
  • Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908, 2nd edition. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
  • Hall, Alan W. Avro Anson Mks. 1–22 (Warpaint Series No. 53). Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, UK: Warpaint Books Ltd., 2006.
  • Hall, Alan W. and Eric Taylor. Avro Anson Marks I, III, IV & X. London: Almark Publishing Co. Ltd., 1972. ISBN 0-85524-064-4.
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  • "Modernity for the R.A.F.: A Low-wing Cantilever Monoplane Goes Into Service — The Avro Anson, Equipped for Long-Range Over-water Reconnaissance: High Performance and a Comfortable Cabin". Flight, 30 January 1936, Vol. XXIX, No. 1414, pp. c–d, 117–119.
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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avro Anson.
  • Anson from the IBCC Digital Archive at the University of Lincoln.

June 06, 2023
avro, anson, british, twin, engined, multi, role, aircraft, built, aircraft, manufacturer, avro, large, numbers, type, served, variety, roles, royal, force, fleet, royal, canadian, force, rcaf, royal, australian, force, numerous, other, forces, before, during,. The Avro Anson is a British twin engined multi role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force RAF Fleet Air Arm FAA Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF Royal Australian Air Force and numerous other air forces before during and after the Second World War AnsonAvro Anson ZK RRA in flight Classic Fighters Airshow 2015 Role Multirole aircraft primarily a trainerNational origin United KingdomManufacturer Avro UK Federal Aircraft Limited Canada First flight 24 March 1935Introduction 1936Retired 28 June 1968 RAF Primary users Royal Air ForceFleet Air Arm Royal Canadian Air Force Royal Australian Air ForceProduced 1930s 1952Number built 11 020Developed from Avro 652Initially known as the Avro 652A the Anson was developed during the mid 1930s from the earlier Avro 652 airliner in response to a request for tenders issued by the British Air Ministry for a maritime reconnaissance aircraft Having suitably impressed the Ministry a single prototype was ordered which conducted its maiden flight on 24 March 1935 Following an evaluation in which the Type 652A bettered the competing de Havilland DH 89 it was selected as the winner leading to Air Ministry Specification 18 35 being written around the type and an initial order for 174 aircraft being ordered in July 1935 The Type 652A was promptly named after British Admiral George Anson The type was placed into service with the Royal Air Force RAF and was initially used in the envisaged maritime reconnaissance operation alongside the larger flying boats After the outbreak of the Second World War the Anson was soon found to have become obsolete in front line combat roles Large numbers of the type were instead put to use as a multi engined aircrew trainer having been found to be suitable for the role and became the mainstay of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan The type continued to be used in this role throughout and after the conflict remaining in RAF service as a trainer and communications aircraft until 28 June 1968 During the post war climate the Anson was increasingly produced for the civil market being used as a light transport and executive aircraft By the end of production in 1952 a total of 8 138 Ansons had been constructed by Avro in nine variants in addition a further 2 882 aircraft were manufactured by Federal Aircraft Ltd in Canada from 1941 By the 21st century the vast majority of Ansons had been retired from flying However a single Anson Mk I which had been originally manufactured during 1943 had been restored to airworthiness having been refitted with later metal wings On 18 July 2012 this restored aircraft performed its first flight Contents 1 Development 2 Design 3 Operational history 3 1 Postwar civil use 4 Accidents and incidents 5 Variants 6 Operators 7 Surviving aircraft 7 1 Australia 7 2 Canada 7 3 Ireland 7 4 Netherlands 7 5 New Zealand 7 6 United Arab Emirates 7 7 United Kingdom 8 Specifications GR Mk I 9 Notable planes 10 See also 11 References 11 1 Notes 11 2 Bibliography 12 External linksDevelopment EditIn 1933 the British Air Ministry proposed that the Royal Air Force RAF acquire a relatively cheap landplane for coastal maritime reconnaissance duties the proposed aircraft would perform as a supplement to the more capable but expensive flying boats which the RAF had adopted for conducting maritime reconnaissance missions The Air Ministry looked for designs from British manufacturers Avro responded to the request with the Avro 652A which was a modified version of their earlier Avro 652 a twin engined six seat monoplane airliner de Havilland offered a design based on their D H 89A Dragon Rapide biplane After evaluating the various submissions received the Air Ministry decided to order from Avro and de Havilland respectively single examples of the Type 652A and the de Havilland DH 89 for evaluation purposes late in 1934 an evaluation and the subsequent selection of a design for production to take place by May 1935 1 2 On 24 March 1935 the Avro 652A conducted its maiden flight at Woodford Aerodrome Greater Manchester Between 11 and 17 May 1935 the prototype participated in a formal evaluation against the competing DH 89M by the RAF s Coastal Defence Development Unit at RAF Gosport Hampshire During these trials the Avro aircraft proved to be superior and was accordingly selected as the winner of the competition on 25 May 1935 3 In response to its selection Air Ministry Specification G 18 35 was written around the Type 652A in July 1935 an initial order for 174 aircraft which had been given the service name Anson was received 4 On 31 December 1935 the first production Anson performed its maiden flight changes from the prototype included an enlarged horizontal tailplane and reduced elevator span in order to improve stability Additionally while the prototype had not been fitted with flaps production aircraft could accommodate their installation from the onset to increase the viable glide angle and reduce landing speed 5 On 6 March 1936 deliveries to the RAF commenced 6 By the end of production in 1952 a total of 11 020 Ansons had been completed which made it the second most numerous after the approximately 11 500 Vickers Wellington medium bomber British multi engined aircraft of the Second World War 7 Design Edit The interior of an Anson C Mark XI looking forward from the passenger compartment towards the cockpit The Avro Anson was a twin engine low wing cantilever monoplane Developed as a general reconnaissance aircraft it possessed many features that lent itself to the role including considerable load carrying ability and long range 8 The structure of the Anson was relatively straightforward and uncomplicated relying on proven methods and robust construction to produce an airframe that minimised maintenance requirements 8 Much of the internal structure had retained similar to the earlier Avro 652 airliner from which it had been developed The Anson Mk I was furnished with a low mounted one piece wooden wing composed of a combination of plywood and spruce throughout the wingbox and ribs The fuselage was composed of a welded steel tubing framework which was principally clad in fabric the exterior of the nose was clad in magnesium alloy 8 The Anson was powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven cylinder air cooled radial engines which were each rated at 350 horsepower 260 kW 9 5 Each engine was provided with its own duplicated fuel pumps and separate fuel and oil tanks the tanks were composed of welded aluminium and mounted in cradles housed within the wing The engine cowlings were intentionally designed to have a reduced diameter in order to reduce their negative impact upon external visibility which was considered to be valuable to the type s reconnaissance function 8 These engines drove two bladed Fairey built metal propellers 5 The Anson was the first aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear to enter service with the RAF 8 10 While the main undercarriage was retracted into recesses set into the bottom of the engine nacelles the tail wheel was fixed in position Commonly the undercarriage was fitted with Dunlop built wheels tyres and pneumatic brakes and Turner legs 5 The retractable undercarriage was mechanically operated by hand 144 turns of a crank handle situated beside the pilot s seat were needed 11 12 To avoid this laborious process early aircraft would often perform short flights with the landing gear remaining extended throughout which would reduce the aircraft s cruising speed by 30 mph 50 km h 7 G VROE a preserved Anson C 21 operated by the Classic Air Force 2005 Initially the Anson was flown with a three man crew which comprised a pilot a navigator bomb aimer and a radio operator gunner when it was used in the maritime reconnaissance role 13 from 1938 onwards it was typically operated by a four man crew 14 The bomb aimer would perform his function from a prone position in the forward section of the nose which was provisioned with a bombsight driftsight and other appropriate instrumentation including a landing light The pilot was located in a cockpit behind the bomb aimer s position and was provided with a variety of contemporary instrumentation including those to enable flight under instrument flight rules IFR and indirect instrument lighting for night flying purposes 15 Immediately behind the pilot s position is a small folding seat fixed to the starboard side of the fuselage for an additional crew member or passenger along with racks that would contain a pair of parachute packs that would be clipped onto the harnesses worn by both the pilot and the navigator Behind these is the navigator s station a chair and table provisioned with navigational aids such as compasses Bigsworth chart boards sea markers slide rules for course wind and speed a signalling lamp and float flares 13 Aft of the rear spar is the wireless operator s station a table with contemporary wireless equipment including a winch for the trailing aerial which was attached to the upper fuselage immediately behind the aircraft s cockpit 13 The defensive armaments of the Anson consisted of a single 303 in 7 7 mm Vickers machine gun which was fixed within the forward fuselage and aimed by the pilot while an Armstrong Whitworth built manually operated gun turret located on the Anson s dorsal section was fitted with a single Lewis gun 13 Additionally up to 360 pounds 160 kg of bombs which could consist of a maximum of two 100 pounds 45 kg and eight 20 pounds 9 kg bombs could be carried in the aircraft s wings 16 Those Ansons that were used in the training role were outfitted with dual controls and usually had the gun turret removed although specific aircraft used for gunnery training were fitted with a Bristol hydraulically operated gun turret similar to that used in the Bristol Blenheim 17 18 The tail fairing of the starboard nacelle contains an inflatable dinghy which is provided with automatic actuators and marine distress beacons 13 Operational history Edit RAF Ansons conducting trials with airborne radar in 1937 On 6 March 1936 the Anson entered RAF service No 48 Squadron was the first RAF unit to be equipped with the type Upon the type s introduction it represented a new level of capability for the service serving not only in a general reconnaissance capacity but also being an effective general purpose aircraft 8 In July 1937 a Coastal Command Anson was fitted with an experimental airborne early warning radar which was able to detect large warships 5 miles 8 0 km away in poor visibility and was successfully used in fleet exercises off the east coast of England in September 19 By the outbreak of the Second World War the RAF had received a total of 824 Ansons while there were 26 RAF squadrons that were then operating the Anson I 10 of these were assigned to Coastal Command and the other 16 were with Bomber Command 20 By 1939 all of the squadrons assigned to Bomber Command that had been equipped with the Anson I served as operational training squadrons which were used to prepare crews for frontline service 12 of the squadrons were in No 6 Operational Training Group Newly formed crews having previously completed individual flying and technical training courses were first trained as bomber crews in Ansons before advancing to the various frontline aircraft types which were in the same squadrons with the Ansons After training the crews would advance to the frontline bomber squadrons with aircraft such as the Fairey Battle Bristol Blenheim Vickers Wellington Armstrong Whitworth Whitley or Handley Page Hampden An Anson of No 320 Netherlands Squadron Coastal Command about to take off on a patrol mission circa 1940 1941 Even before the start of the war it had been realised that the Anson s limited capabilities would make it ineffective in its intended main role of a maritime patrol aircraft In 1938 it had been decided to replace the Anson in this role with the American built Lockheed Hudson which was 100 mph faster had three times the range carried a much heavier bomb load and had a superior defensive armament The first squadron to be reequipped with the type was already training with them in September 1939 Meanwhile the remaining Coastal Command Anson squadrons had to go to war with what they had The Anson had an endurance of only four hours so that it could only be employed in the North Sea and other coastal areas however it lacked the range to reach the coast of Norway Its weapons against German U boats were two small 100 lb bombs which required a direct hit on the hull of a submarine to be effective at least in theory On 3 December 1939 an Anson mistakenly attacked a surfaced Royal Navy submarine HMS Snapper and although the aircraft succeeded in hitting the conning tower the only damage was four broken light bulbs In an earlier friendly fire incident off the coast of Scotland in September the bombs of an Anson of No 233 Squadron had bounced off the surface of the water and exploded in an air burst which holed the aircraft s fuel tanks causing it to ditch off St Andrews 19 Despite numerous claims of attacks on U boats by Ansons in the first months of the war postwar examination of German records showed that little damage had been inflicted citation needed Despite their obsolescence Ansons were employed during the Dunkirk evacuation to deter attacks on Allied shipping by German E boats 21 On 1 June 1940 a flight of three Ansons was attacked near Dunkirk by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s According to the unsubstantiated claims one Anson destroyed two German aircraft and damaged a third while no Ansons were lost 22 The aircraft achieved more success training pilots for flying multi engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster Ansons were first deployed to Flying Training Schools in November 1936 replacing the obsolete bombers then used for twin engine training 23 The Anson was also used to train the other members of a bomber s aircrew such as navigators wireless operators bomb aimers and air gunners Postwar the Anson continued in the training and light transport roles The last Ansons were withdrawn from RAF service with communications units on 28 June 1968 7 During the 1939 45 war years the British Air Transport Auxiliary operated the Anson as its standard taxi aircraft using it to carry groups of ferry pilots to and from aircraft collection points There was no fatal mechanical failure of an Anson in ATA service and it was typically very well regarded 24 The Royal Australian Air Force RAAF initially ordered 33 Ansons in November 1935 to fill the maritime reconnaissance role The first were delivered in 1936 and 48 were in service before the start of the war The RAAF eventually operated a total 1 028 Ansons the majority of these being Mk Is These aircraft continued to be operated until 1955 25 The Royal New Zealand Air Force RNZAF operated 23 Ansons as navigation trainers during the Second World War alongside the more numerous Airspeed Oxford and acquired more Ansons as communication aircraft immediately after the war A preserved navigation trainer is in the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram The Royal Indian Air Force operated several Ansons as part of the No 1 Service Flying Training School India for Pilot and Navigation training These Ansons continued this role post independence and were retired at an unknown date 26 The Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF and Royal Canadian Navy RCN operated 4 413 Anson aircraft 1 962 British built and 2 451 Canadian built aircraft 27 The RCN operated the aircraft until 1952 Although the Canadian Ansons were used throughout the training schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training plan for training aircrew some aircraft were pressed into operational service with the RCAF s Eastern Air Command A good example of the training schools involvement in combat operations with the EAC during the emergency of the battle is illustrated in an article dated 1 March 2006 of the Royal Canadian Legion magazine entitled Eastern Air Command Air Force Part 14 the author Hugh A Haliday wrote The need for Atlantic patrols was undiminished yet the Battle of the St Lawrence stretched EAC resources Based at Charlottetown 31 General Reconnaissance School was mobilised to fly patrols using Avro Ansons each carrying two 250 pound bombs At the very outset of the war the Anson and its ordnance had failed in RAF anti submarine work Now in Canada it was remobilised as an aerial scarecrow German views varied as to Canadian countermeasures The captain of U 517 found his operations increasingly restricted by strengthened air patrols In October 1942 U 69 reported strong sea patrol and constant patrol by aircraft with radar The United States Army Air Forces USAAF employed 50 Canadian built Ansons which were designated the AT 20 The Egyptian Air Force EAF operated a fleet of Ansons in communications and VIP duties A specially outfitted Anson was presented to the then King of Egypt by the RAF The Royal Afghan Air Force obtained 13 Anson 18 aircraft for various duties from 1948 These aircraft survived until 1972 Postwar civil use Edit Anson 11 G ALIH of Ekco Electronics at Blackbushe Hants in September 1955 After the war Ansons continued in production with Avro at Woodford At this time large amounts of the type were being produced for civilian use where they were operated as light transports by a range of small charter airlines and as executive aircraft by large corporations Countries which saw civilian operations with Ansons included the United Kingdom Canada Mk V aircraft only Australia and Denmark An Anson XIX which had been operated for aerial survey work in the United Kingdom up to 1973 Railway Air Services operated Ansons on scheduled services from London s Croydon Airport via Manchester to Belfast Nutts Corner in 1946 and 1947 Sivewright Airways operated three Mk XIX aircraft from their Manchester Airport base on charter flights as far as Johannesburg and on scheduled flights to Ronaldsway Airport in the Isle of Man until 1951 Finglands Airways operated an ex RAF Anson I on inclusive tour flights and on scheduled flights from Manchester Airport to Newquay Airport between 1949 and 1952 Kemps Aerial Surveys operated several Anson XIXs on survey work within the UK until their retirement in 1973 28 In 1948 India ordered 12 new Anson 18Cs for use by the Directorate of Civil Aviation as trainers and communications aircraft these were delivered from Yeadon in the spring of 1949 29 Ansons continued to be manufactured by Avro at Woodford for the RAF until March 1952 the type was used as trainers and served in the role of Station communications aircraft until 1968 The wooden wings of Ansons flying in Australia were found to fail at a high rate The phenolic glue bonds would part and it was speculated that the problem was due to the high humidity In 1962 the Commonwealth Government decided to ground the majority of wooden winged aircraft then in operation amongst those aircraft affected the Anson and De Havilland Mosquito were included Of the Ansons no such aircraft were re registered as the government had mandated a test that essentially destroyed the wings thus requiring the fitting of new wings Most owners decided to voluntarily scrap their aircraft well before this time By the 21st century the vast majority of Ansons had been retired from flying However a single Anson Mk I which had been originally manufactured during 1943 had been restored to airworthiness having been refitted with later metal wings On 18 July 2012 this restored aircraft returned to the air in Nelson New Zealand 30 Accidents and incidents Edit The two Ansons involved in the Brocklesby mid air collision of 1940 lying interlocked in a paddock Engines and forward sections of the two Ansons On 11 September 1937 Anson K8778 of No 233 Squadron RAF crashed in poor visibility on the Gisborough Moor escarpment above Guisborough in the North Riding of Yorkshire while returning from an exercise with the Royal Navy all four crew were killed 31 On 28 April 1939 Anson A4 32 of No 6 Squadron RAAF crashed near Riverstone New South Wales on the return leg of an air navigation course killing all four crew members 32 On 18 December 1939 Anson N4887 of 1 Flying Training School crashed on the Richmond Golf Course shortly after take off from the Richmond RAAF Base killing all five crew members 33 On 29 September 1940 Avro Ansons L9162 and N4876 of No 2 Service Flying Training School RAAF collided in mid air and became locked together in flight A successful emergency landing was made at Brocklesby New South Wales L9162 became a ground instructional airframe whilst N4876 was repaired and returned to service see 1940 Brocklesby mid air collision On 8 November 1940 Avro Anson N9945 piloted by RAF Pilot Officer Frederick Phillip Fry struck a barrage balloon cable near Birmingham and crashed killing all 5 on board On 28 January 1941 RAAF Avro Anson A4 5 left Parkes bound for Mascot on a medical evacuation flight It approached Glenbrook and suffered a structural failure of the port wing crashing near the corner of Cliffton Ave and Lucasville Road killing all five on board On 13 April 1941 Avro Anson N9857 of 19 Operational Training Unit from RAF Kinloss crashed on Beinn an Fhurain at an altitude of 2 300 feet 701 m approximately 3 miles 5 km east of Inchnadamph At least 4 of the 6 aircrew survived the crash but died of exposure in blizzard conditions Their bodies are buried at the crash site 34 On 17 April 1942 Avro Anson W2630 of RAF Wigtown crashed into the east side of Galloway mountain Cairnsmore of Fleet near Creetown southwest Scotland The aircraft exploded on impact killing the pilot and a civilian passenger The wireless operator survived with severe burns 35 On 2 July 1942 Avro Anson Mk I N5297 of No 2 Observers Advanced Flying Unit O AFU crashed on Shalloch on Minnoch South Ayrshire during a navigation training flight out of Millom Cumbria All five airmen including three trainees were killed 36 On 9 October 1942 four Royal Australian Air Force RAAF airmen were killed when their Avro Anson aircraft crashed near Clackline Western Australia see Avro Anson Memorial On 30 October 1942 an Avro Anson took off from Sidney airport on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada with Royal Canadian Air Force Sgt William Baird and British air force Pilot Officer Charles Fox Pilot Officer Anthony Lawrence and Sgt Robert Luckock aboard The aircraft crashed killing all aboard 50 kilometres 30 mi from takeoff on a remote mountainside near Port Renfrew The wreckage and remains of the crew were found by loggers in October 2013 and recovered in May 2014 37 On 7 December 1943 another piggy back accident occurred when RCAF 18 SFTS Anson II JS193 came down on top of Anson II JS167 in the landing circuit at Gimli Manitoba the aircraft landed safely still entangled and both were later repaired 38 On 19 January 1944 RCAF 2 Training Command Anson II 7164 landed on top of Anson II 8561 and again both landed safely but entangled In this case 7164 was a write off but 8561 was repaired 39 On 13 February 1944 a USAAF 29 PR Squadron AT 20 Anson II 43 8197 crashed on takeoff at Will Rogers Field Oklahoma City Oklahoma 2Lt S F Jankowski killed pilot V N Luber injured The pilots had forgotten to remove the gust locks from the controls citation needed This was the only fatal accident involving a USAAF AT 20 On 19 December 1945 a Companhia Meridional de Transportes Avro Anson Mk II registration PP MTA crashed in the neighbourhood of Itaipu Niteroi Brazil killing all passengers and crew including the pilot and owner of the airline Alvaro Araujo 40 On 14 December 1947 a Mark 1 AX505 ex VH BBY recently purchased by the Indonesian government and numbered RI 003 was being used to transport war equipment and medicine It crashed in the sea between Malaya and Sumatra The two crew were killed and were later appointed Indonesian National Heroes There is a memorial to them with a sculpture of the aircraft 41 On 11 June 1948 Avro XIX G AGNI of Lancashire Aircraft Corporation ditched off Bradda Head Isle of Man due to fuel exhaustion The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight from Squires Gate Airport Blackpool to Ronaldsway Airport Isle of Man via RAF Walney Island Lancashire All nine people on board were rescued by a trawler from Port Erin and the MV Silkthorn 42 Variants EditThe main Anson variant was the Mk I of which 6 704 were built in Britain The other variants were mainly distinguished by their powerplant with Canadian built Ansons using local engines To overcome steel shortages the 1 051 Canadian built Mk V Ansons featured a plywood fuselage Sergeant of No 14 P Squadron RCAF installing a vertical camera in an Avro Anson V Rockcliffe Ont 4 July 1944 Mk I 6 688 Mk Is were built Powered by two 350 hp 260 kW Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX or 395 hp 295 kW XIX engines Mk II 1 401 Mk IIs were built in Canada powered by two 330 hp 250 kW Jacobs L 6MB R 915 engines and fitted with hydraulic landing gear retraction rather than the manual system used on the Anson I Mk III 432 Mk I aircraft converted in Canada to two 330 hp 250 kW Jacobs L 6MB R 915 engines Mk IV One aircraft converted from a Mk I in Canada to two Wright R 975 Whirlwind engines Mk V 1 069 Mk Vs were built in Canada for navigator training powered by two 450 hp 340 kW Pratt amp Whitney R 985 Wasp Junior engines and given a new wood monocoque fuselage 77 early Mk V aircraft built using Mk II components were designated Mk VA Mk VI One aircraft was built in Canada for bombing and gunnery training it was powered by two 450 hp 340 kW R 985 Wasp Junior engines Mk X 104 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk Xs with a reinforced floor for use as a transport Mk XI 90 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk XIs Mk XII 20 Anson Mk Is were converted into Mk XIIs plus 221 new Mk XII aircraft built Mk XIII Gunnery trainer powered by two Cheetah XI or XIX engines never built Mk XIV Gunnery trainer powered by two Cheetah XV engines never built Mk XVI Navigation trainer never built Mk XV Bombing trainer never built C 19 264 were built for the RAF used as communications and transport aircraft T 20 Navigation trainer for the RAF a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T 24 46 for an overseas navigation trainer one pilot two wireless operators one trainee and one instructor and five navigator positions three trainees and two instructors Used for bombing and navigation training in Southern Rhodesia 60 built T 21 Navigation trainers for the RAF a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T 25 46 for a home navigation trainer one pilot two wireless operators one trainee and one instructor and five navigator positions three trainees and two instructors A prototype was flown in May 1948 252 were built C 21 Modification of T 21s for communications and transport duties T 22 Radio trainers for the RAF a variant of the Mk XIX to meet Air Ministry Specification T 26 46 one pilot and four wireless operator stations three for trainees and one for an instructor a prototype was flown in June 1948 54 built Anson 18 Developed from the Avro Nineteen 12 aircraft were sold to the Royal Afghan Air Force for use as communications police patrol and aerial survey aircraft Anson 18C 13 aircraft were built for the Indian government used for training civil aircrews Avro Nineteen Also known as the Anson XIX Civil transport version 56 aircraft were built in two series AT 20 United States military designation for Canadian built Anson IIs used by the United States Army Air Forces 50 built Operators Edit Military Anson operators Afghanistan Royal Afghan Air Force 13 Anson 18 aircraft were delivered to the Royal Afghan Air Force from 1948 and retired by 1972 Argentina At least one LV FBR in use in 1960 Australia Royal Australian Air Force 1 028 Ansons were operated by the Royal Australian Air Force retired in 1955Woods Airways WA two surplus aircraft 1948 to 1961 Brain amp Brown Airfreighters one Anson until at least 1977 East West Airlines one preserved non flying at Tamworth Airport BahrainGulf Aviation BelgiumBelgian Air Force 15 x Anson I 2 x Anson 12s operated from 1946 to 1954 Brazil Companhia Meridional de Transportes three Avro Anson Mk IIs operated between 1945 and 1946 Canada Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Navy Ansons were retired in 1952 Cuba three Canadian built Ansons were transported to Cuba operated by ANSA Aerolineas del Norte S A a regional airline from 1947 until the mid 1950s Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Air Force three aircraft in service from 1945 to 1948 Egypt Egyptian Air Force Estonia Estonian Air Force Ethiopia Ethiopian Air Force Finland Finnish Air Force three Avro Anson Mk Is purchased 1936 and used as training and liaison aircraft One lost and another written off in accidents last flight in 1947 43 France French Air Force and Aeronavale Greece Hellenic Royal Air Force twelve Mk I Ansons were ordered in 1938 for the maritime patrol role Five of these escaped to Egypt after the Battle of Greece and operated under British command until replaced by Blenheims in 1942 44 India Royal Indian Air Force 26 India Directorate of Civil Aviation Indian Air Force Indonesia Government of Indonesia chartered 2 Ansons during Indonesian National Revolution 45 Iran Imperial Iranian Air Force Iraq Royal Iraqi Air Force 46 Ireland Irish Air Corps 9 Anson Mk1 delivered between 1937 39 and used for training maritime patrol transport 3 Anson 19s delivered in 1946 for training transport Mk1s retired by 1947 19s by 1962 Israel Israeli Air Force Netherlands Royal Netherlands Air Force and Dutch Naval Aviation Service New Zealand Royal New Zealand Air Force Norway Royal Norwegian Air Force Paraguay Paraguayan Air Arm one Mk V bought in Argentina in 1947 Portugal Portuguese Air Force Portuguese Timor Transportes Aereos de Timor operated two Anson Is 47 Rhodesia Royal Rhodesian Air Force Saudi Arabia Royal Saudi Air Force South Africa South African Air Force Southern Rhodesia Southern Rhodesian Air Force Syria Syrian Air Force 48 Turkey Turkish Air Force United Kingdom Royal Air Force Fleet Air Arm 49 700 Naval Air Squadron 701 Naval Air Squadron 703 Naval Air Squadron 707 Naval Air Squadron 710 Naval Air Squadron 711 Naval Air Squadron 719 Naval Air Squadron 720 Naval Air Squadron 724 Naval Air Squadron 725 Naval Air Squadron 728 Naval Air Squadron 732 Naval Air Squadron 735 Naval Air Squadron 737 Naval Air Squadron 739 Naval Air Squadron 740 Naval Air Squadron 742 Naval Air Squadron 743 Naval Air Squadron 744 Naval Air Squadron 745 Naval Air Squadron 747 Naval Air Squadron 749 Naval Air Squadron 750 Naval Air Squadron 751 Naval Air Squadron 758 Naval Air Squadron 762 Naval Air Squadron 763 Naval Air Squadron 766 Naval Air Squadron 771 Naval Air Squadron 772 Naval Air Squadron 773 Naval Air Squadron 778 Naval Air Squadron 781 Naval Air Squadron 782 Naval Air Squadron 783 Naval Air Squadron 784 Naval Air Squadron 785 Naval Air Squadron 786 Naval Air Squadron 787 Naval Air Squadron 789 Naval Air Squadron 790 Naval Air Squadron 792 Naval Air Squadron 798 Naval Air Squadron 799 Naval Air Squadron 809 Naval Air Squadron 1830 Naval Air Squadron 1832 Naval Air Squadron 1833 Naval Air Squadron 1840 Naval Air Squadron 1841 Naval Air Squadron Blue Line Airways British European Airways Finglands Airways Ministry of Civil Aviation Railway Air Services Sivewright Airways Starways Transair United States 50 Canadian built Ansons were delivered to the USAAF as the AT 20 Yugoslavia SFR Yugoslav Air ForceSurviving aircraft Edit Anson ZK RRA performing a public display at Classic Fighters 2015 An Avro Anson flying in close formation with a de Havilland Dragon Rapide at the Duxford Jubilee Airshow 2012 The cockpit of Avro C 19 141 displayed at the Irish Air Corps Museum 2014 A preserved Avro Anson in flight 2012 Australia Edit On displayR9883 Anson I on static display at the Camden Museum of Aviation in Camden New South Wales 50 W2068 Anson 1 VH ASM On public display in glass walled building at Tamworth Airport Tamworth NSW Australia Operated post WW2 by East West Airlines their first aircraft then Marshall Airways W2121 citation needed Anson I on static display at the Aviation Heritage Museum at Bull Creek Western Australia 51 W2364 Anson I displayed at the Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre in Nhill Victoria 52 53 AX350 Anson I on static display at the Lincoln Nitschke Aviation Collection at Greenock South Australia 54 Stored or under restorationW2472 Anson I under restoration at the RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre in Amberley Queensland 55 EF954 Anson I under restoration at the South Australian Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide South Australia The restoration uses parts from AW965 56 LV284 Anson I under restoration at the Avro Anson Museum in Ballarat Victoria 57 MG222 Anson I under restoration at the Queensland Air Museum in Caloundra Queensland 58 MG422 citation needed Anson I under restoration at the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome in Evans Head New South Wales 59 Canada Edit On display886 citation needed Anson II on static display at the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton Alberta 60 7135 citation needed Anson II on static display at the Greenwood Military Aviation Museum in Greenwood Nova Scotia 61 7481 Anson II on static display at the Bomber Command Museum of Canada in Nanton Alberta 62 12125 Anson V on static display at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum in Brandon Manitoba citation needed 12518 Anson V on static display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa Ontario 63 Composite Anson II at The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary Alberta It painted as RCAF 7401 64 Composite Anson II on static display at the British Columbia Aviation Museum in Sidney British Columbia 65 This airframe is K8786 restored using parts of FP846 as which it is painted 66 Unknown Anson I on static display at the Saskatchewan Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan 67 Unknown Anson II on static display at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton Ontario 68 Stored or under restoration6081 Anson Mk I under restoration to static display at Saskatchewan aviation museum in Saskatoon Saskatchewan 69 12417 Anson V under restoration to airworthy condition at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton Ontario 70 12477 Anson V stored at the Reynolds Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin Alberta 71 Ireland Edit On display141 Avro C 19 on static display at the Irish Air Corps Museum in Baldonnel Dublin 72 Netherlands Edit On displayVM352 Anson 19 on static display at the Canadian Allied Forces Museum Foundation in Groningen 73 New Zealand Edit Avro 19 Anson of the BAe Systems Heritage Flight based at The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in 2013 AirworthyMH120 Anson I airworthy with R amp R Aviation Limited in Wakefield Tasman 74 75 On displayComposite Anson I on static display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Wigram Canterbury This airframe is a composite of several aircraft including the fuselage of NZ415 centre section mainplane and tailplane of VL352 and various other parts from NZ410 and NZ422 76 United Arab Emirates Edit On displayTX183 Anson 19 on display at Al Mahata Museum in Sharjah 77 72 United Kingdom Edit AirworthyG AHKX Avro XIX Anson airworthy with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome Bedfordshire 78 Formerly operated by the collection on behalf of the BAe Systems Heritage Flight 79 the aircraft was donated to the collection in 2022 WD413 Anson C 21 now privately owned and registered as G VROE It was previously operated by Classic Air Force at Coventry Airport 80 On displayN4877 Anson I on static display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Duxford Cambridgeshire 81 LT773 VH AZU Anson I fuselage on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in London 82 83 TX213 Anson C 19 on static display at the North East Land Sea and Air Museums in Sunderland Tyne and Wear 84 TX214 Anson C 19 on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Cosford Shropshire 85 72 TX266 Anson C 19 on static display whilst under restoration at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre 86 VL348 Anson C 19 on static display at the Newark Air Museum in Newark Nottinghamshire 87 VL349 Anson C 19 on static display at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in Flixton Suffolk 88 VM360 Anson C 19 on static display at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune East Lothian 89 90 Stored or under restorationAX246 Anson I under restoration with Jet Art Aviation near Leeds Yorkshire 91 TX235 Anson C 19 under restoration with the Classic Air Force near Coventry West Midlands 92 VM325 Anson C 19 under restoration with the Carew Control Tower Group in Carew Pembrokeshire 93 94 VV901 Anson T 21 under restoration to static display at the Yorkshire Air Museum in Elvington West Yorkshire 95 Specifications GR Mk I Edit Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II 9 Avro Aircraft since 1908 96 General characteristicsCrew 3 4 Length 42 ft 3 in 12 88 m Wingspan 56 ft 6 in 17 22 m Height 13 ft 1 in 3 99 m Wing area 463 sq ft 43 0 m2 Empty weight 5 375 lb 2 438 kg Max takeoff weight 8 000 lb 3 629 kg Powerplant 2 Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX 7 cylinder air cooled radial piston engines 335 hp 250 kW each Propellers 2 bladed fixed pitch propellersPerformance Maximum speed 188 mph 303 km h 163 kn at 7 000 ft 2 134 m Cruise speed 158 mph 254 km h 137 kn Range 660 mi 1 060 km 570 nmi Service ceiling 19 000 ft 5 800 m Rate of climb 960 ft min 4 9 m s Armament Guns 1 303 in 7 7 mm machine gun in front fuselage 1 303 in 7 7 mm Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turretBombs 360 lb 160 kg of bombsNotable planes EditAvro Anson RI 003Main article Aircraft in fiction Avro AnsonSee also Edit Aviation portalRelated development Avro 652Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Airspeed Oxford Cessna AT 17 Bobcat Focke Wulf Fw 58 Kyushu Q1W Tokai Siebel Si 204 Tachikawa Ki 54Related lists List of aircraft of World War II List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm List of aircraft of the Royal Air ForceReferences EditNotes Edit Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty two pp 38 39 Jackson 1990 pp 321 322 Jackson 1990 pp 322 323 Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980 p 187 a b c d Flight 30 January 1936 p d Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980 pp 187 188 a b c Gunston Bill Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways London Osprey 1995 ISBN 1 85532 526 8 a b c d e f Flight 30 January 1936 p c a b Mondey 1994 p 26 Jackson 1990 p 323 Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty two p 40 Flight 30 January 1936 pp c d a b c d e Flight 30 January 1936 p 117 Jackson 1990 p 326 Flight 30 January 1936 pp 117 119 Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty two p 39 Sturtivant Air Enthusiast Forty two pp 43 44 Middleton Aeroplane Monthly April 1980 p 191 a b Owen David 2007 Chapter 8 The Third Dimension 1939 42 Anti Submarine Warfare An Illustrated History Barnsley S Yorks Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1844157037 March 1985 pp 262 263 Burnet Ewan 7 August 2018 Avro Ansons vs Messerschmitt 109s Dunkirk 1940 www rafmuseum org uk Royal Air Force Museum Retrieved 3 October 2020 Franks 1983 pp 125 181 Philpott Ian M 2006 The Royal Air Force Re Armament 1930 to 1939 Barnsley South Yorkshire Pen amp Sword Books Ltd p 41 ISBN 978 1844153916 Cheesman 1946 pp 66 67 Wilson 1994 p 216 a b No 1 Service Flying Training School India Archived from the original on 3 August 2012 Canadian military Aircraft Serials and Photographs 1920 1968 J A Griffin 1969 Sturtivant 1988 p 294 Jackson 1990 pp 338 339 344 345 Neal Tracy Restored bomber returns to the skies Nelson Mail 18 July 2012 Retrieved 19 July 2012 Aircraft accidents on the North Yorkshire Moors www yorkshire aircraft co uk Retrieved 18 February 2021 Dunn Peter Crash of An Avro Anson near Riverstone 28 April 1939 ozatwar com Retrieved 18 August 2016 Dunn Peter Crash of an Avro Anson on Richmond Golf Course 18 December 1939 ozatwar com Retrieved 18 August 2016 Anson N9857 Beinn an Fhurain archieraf co uk Retrieved 31 October 2019 1942 04 17 Anson Mk I W2630 No 1 AOS RAF Cairnsmore of Fleet Dumfries amp Galloway 3 August 2016 1942 07 02 Anson Mk I N5297 No 2 O AFU RAF Shalloch on Minnoch South Ayrshire Peak District Air Accident Research 14 May 2018 Retrieved 31 March 2022 B C lumberjacks find bodies of Second World War airmen 72 years after Vancouver Island plane crash National Post 30 May 2014 Retrieved 1 June 2014 Air Force Spring 1991 Summer 1991 Flypast May 1997 CAHS Journal Vol 10 No 4 Air Force magazine Winter 1991 Pereira Aldo Breve Historia da Aviacao Comercial Brasileira in Portuguese Europa Rio de Janeiro 1987 p 290 Smith Harro 9 April 2014 Accident Avro Anson Mk I RI 003 14 Dec 1947 aviation safety net Aviation Safety Network Retrieved 11 August 2018 Poole 1999 pp 123 24 Heinonen and Valtonen 2010 pp 100 101 Avro Anson Mk I pre WWII www haf gr Hellenic Air Force Retrieved 4 October 2020 Indonesian aviation 1945 1950 Archived 14 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine adf serials com Retrieved 20 March 2021 Sipos amp Cooper 2020 p 32 Archive 1982 p 32 Sipos amp Cooper 2020 p 37 Thetford 1991 p 402 Anson 652 A Mk 1 R9883 The Camden Museum of Aviation The Camden Museum of Aviation Archived from the original on 1 June 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 Avro Anson Aviation Heritage Museum Aviation Heritage Museum Retrieved 16 December 2016 https www visitvictoria com regions Grampians Things to do History and heritage Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre and Restoration image library Nhill Aviation Heritage Centre Archived from the original on 16 February 2017 Retrieved 16 December 2016 Restoring an Avro Anson 2016 Update Aces Flying High 28 March 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 Avro 652A Anson I MG390 Lincoln Nitschke Aviation Collection Avro Anson restoration at Amberley Warbirds Online July 2013 Restorations South Australian Aviation Museum South Australian Aviation Museum Archived from the original on 5 December 2016 Retrieved 19 December 2016 Friends of the Avro Anson Air Museum 2018 Restoration Update 22 September 2018 Cuskelly Ron Avro Anson Mk I MG222 Queensland Air Museum Retrieved 26 May 2021 The WWII Avro Anson is the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome s latest acquisition Australian Broadcasting Corporation 3 May 2018 Avro Anson II 1937 Alberta Aviation Museum Archived from the original on 17 December 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 AVRO ANSON MKII Greenwood Military Aviation Museum GMAM Retrieved 16 December 2016 Avro Anson Mk II Bomber Command Museum of Canada Nanton Lancaster Society Archived from the original on 28 August 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 AVRO ANSON V Canada Aviation and Space Museum Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation Retrieved 16 December 2016 AVRO 652 ANSON MK II The Hangar Flight Museum The Hangar Flight Museum Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 The War Birds 1939 1945 British Columbia Aviation Museum Retrieved 16 December 2016 Macdonald Ian M AVRO 652A ANSON 1 K8786 BRITISH COLUMBIA AVIATION MUSEUM ABPic Air Britain Retrieved 17 December 2016 Aviation Gallery Western Development Museum Western Development Museum Archived from the original on 18 August 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 Anson National Air Force Museum of Canada Retrieved 8 March 2020 Avro Anson Mk I Saskatchewan aviation museum SAHS Retrieved 16 January 2023 Avro Anson Mk V Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum Retrieved 16 December 2016 Aviation Reynolds Museum Government of Alberta Retrieved 1 December 2019 a b c Simpson Andrew 2012 INDIVIDUAL HISTORY TX214 PDF Royal Air Force Museum Royal Air Force Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 Airframe Dossier Avro Anson C 19 s n VM352 RAF c n 7356 Aerial Visuals AerialVisuals ca Retrieved 17 December 2016 RR AVIATION Top of the South Aviation Cluster Top of the South Aviation Cluster Archived from the original on 9 April 2017 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Airframe Dossier Avro 652A Anson s n MH120 RAAF c n MH 120 c r ZK RRA Aerial Visuals AerialVisuals ca Retrieved 17 December 2016 Featured Aircraft Air Force Museum of New Zealand Archived from the original on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 16 December 2016 Leeuw Ruud Al Mahatta aviation museum Sharjah Feb 2010 Retrieved 17 December 2016 BAE Systems Gifts Iconic Heritage Aircraft to Fly with the Shuttleworth Trust 24 March 2022 Avro C19 Anson Shuttleworth Archived from the original on 21 October 2020 Retrieved 21 September 2020 CAA G INFO Retrieved 4 December 2017 Avro Anson Mk 1 Imperial War Museums Retrieved 16 December 2016 Avro Anson 1 Painted as and often confused incorrectly with VH ASM which is on display in Australia Royal Air Force Museum Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 Simpson Andrew 2012 INDIVIDUAL HISTORY W2068 PDF Royal Air Force Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 Avro Anson C 19 TX213 G AWRS North East Aircraft Museum North East Land Sea and Air Museums Retrieved 17 December 2016 Avro Anson C 19 Royal Air Force Museum Trustees of the Royal Air Force Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 Anson to be restored The Courier Retrieved 3 May 2018 Aircraft List Newark Air Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 OUR AIRCRAFT Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum Retrieved 17 December 2016 Avro Anson National Museums Scotland National Museums Scotland Retrieved 17 December 2016 Avro Anson G APHV National Museums Scotland National Museums Scotland Archived from the original on 21 December 2016 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Ellis 2016 p 294 Ellis 2016 p 275 Ellis 2016 p 321 Wings Over Carew PDF GEM Archived from the original PDF on 20 December 2016 Retrieved 17 December 2016 Avro Anson T 21 The Yorkshire Air Museum The Octane Factory Retrieved 16 December 2016 Jackson 1990 p 322 Bibliography Edit Aloni Shlomo March April 2001 Turtles and the Cheetahs Air Enthusiast 92 44 49 ISSN 0143 5450 Cheesman E C Brief Glory the story of the ATA Harborough Publishing 1946 Complete Civil Registers 5 CR T Portuguese Timor Archive No 2 Air Britain 1982 p 32 ISSN 0262 4923 Donald David and Jon Lake eds Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft London AIRtime Publishing 1996 ISBN 1 880588 24 2 Ellis Ken Wrecks amp Relics 25th Edition Manchester England Crecy Publishing 2016 ISBN 978 191080 9037 Franks Norman The Air Battle of Dunkirk London William Kimber 1983 ISBN 0 7183 0349 0 Gerdessen Frederik Estonian Air Power 1918 1945 Air Enthusiast No 18 April July 1982 pp 61 76 ISSN 0143 5450 Gunston Bill Classic World War II Aircraft Cutaways London Osprey 1995 ISBN 1 85532 526 8 Heinonen Timo Valtonen Hannu 2010 Albatrossista Pilatukseen Suomen sotilaslentokoneet 1917 2010 in Finnish Tikkakoski Keski Suomen ilmailumuseo ISBN 978 952 99989 2 0 Jackson A J Avro Aircraft since 1908 2nd edition London Putnam Aeronautical Books 1990 ISBN 0 85177 834 8 Hall Alan W Avro Anson Mks 1 22 Warpaint Series No 53 Bletchley Buckinghamshire UK Warpaint Books Ltd 2006 Hall Alan W and Eric Taylor Avro Anson Marks I III IV amp X London Almark Publishing Co Ltd 1972 ISBN 0 85524 064 4 Holmes Harry Avro Anson Images of Aviation London Tempus Publishing Ltd 2000 ISBN 0 7524 1738 X Lopes Mario C January 2000 Les avions Avro au Portugal des inconnu aux plus celebres Portuguese Avro Aircraft From the Unknown to the Most Famous Avions Toute l Aeronautique et Son Histoire in French 82 28 33 ISSN 1243 8650 March Peter R Anson s 50th Birthday Air Pictorial Vol 47 No 7 July 1985 pp 260 264 Modernity for the R A F A Low wing Cantilever Monoplane Goes Into Service The Avro Anson Equipped for Long Range Over water Reconnaissance High Performance and a Comfortable Cabin Flight 30 January 1936 Vol XXIX No 1414 pp c d 117 119 Middleton Don RAF Piston Trainers No 8 Avro Anson Aeroplane Monthly April 1980 Vol 8 No 4 pp 186 193 ISSN 0143 7240 Mondey David The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II London Chancellor Press 1994 ISBN 1 85152 668 4 Pentagon Over the Islands The Thirty Year History of Indonesian Military Aviation Air Enthusiast Quarterly 2 154 162 n d ISSN 0143 5450 Sipos Milos Cooper Tom 2020 Wings of Iraq Volume 1 The Iraqi Air Force 1931 1970 Warwick UK Helion amp Company Publishing ISBN 978 1 913118 74 7 Poole Stephen 1999 Rough Landing or Fatal Flight Douglas Isle of Mann UK Amulree Publications 1999 ISBN 1 901508 03 X Stitt Robert M March April 1999 Adaptable Annie Spartan s Multi Talented Avro Ansons Air Enthusiast 80 12 27 ISSN 0143 5450 Sturtivant Ray C The Anson File Tonbridge Kent UK Air Britain Historians Ltd 1988 ISBN 0 85130 156 8 Sturtivant Ray Avro Anson The chronicles of Faithful Annie Air Enthusiast Forty two 1991 pp 37 51 ISSN 0143 5450 Wilson Stewart 1994 Military Aircraft of Australia Weston Creek Australia Aerospace Publications ISBN 1875671080 Thetford Owen 1991 British Naval Aircraft since 1912 London UK Putnam Aeronautical Books an imprint of Conway Maritime Press Ltd ISBN 0 85177 849 6 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avro Anson RNZAF Museum Anson page Anson from the IBCC Digital Archive at the University of Lincoln Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avro Anson amp oldid 1155796147, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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