The Avro Type 621 Tutor[1][2] is a two-seat British radial-engined biplane from the interwar period. It was a simple but rugged basic trainer that was used by the Royal Air Force as well as many other air arms worldwide.
The Avro Model 621 was designed by Roy Chadwick as an Avro private venture metal replacement for the Avro 504. Conceived as a light initial pilot trainer, the biplane design featured heavily staggered equal-span, single-bay wings; the construction was based on steel tubing (with some wooden components in the wing ribs) with dopedlinen covering. A conventional, fixed divided main undercarriage with tailskid was used in all but the latest aircraft, which had a tailwheel.
The Model 621 was powered either by a 155 hp (116 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV (180 hp/130 kW) or IVC (240 hp/179 kW) engine; later Lynx-powered models had the engine enclosed in a Townend ring cowling. The Mongoose-powered version was called the 621 Trainer and the more numerous Lynx-engined aircraft the Tutor. The Tutor also differed by having a more rounded rudder.
The first flight of the prototype G-AAKT was in September 1929, piloted by Avro chief test pilot Captain Harry Albert "Sam" Brown.
Operational history
Avro Tutor, 1937
Production was started against an order for three Tutors from the Irish Free State and 21 Trainers from the Royal Air Force. The RAF required a replacement for the wooden Avro 504, and after three years of trials against other machines such as the Hawker Tomtit it was adopted as their basic trainer, supplanting the 504 in 1933 and remaining in this role until 1939. As well as the first batch of 21 Trainers, a total of 381 Tutors and 15 Avro 646 Sea Tutors were eventually ordered by the RAF. RAF units to operate the type in quantity included the Royal Air Force College, the Central Flying School and Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 Flying Training Schools.[3]
Subsequently, the Model 621 achieved substantial foreign sales. A.V. Roe and Co exported 29 for the Greek Air Force, six for the Royal Canadian Air Force, five for the Guangxi AF, three for the Irish AF (where it was known as the Triton) and two for each of the South African and Polish AFs. In addition 57 were licence-built in South Africa, and three licence-built by the Danish Naval Shipyard.
The sole surviving Tutor wearing the 1930s yellow training colour scheme at RAF Abingdon in 1968
A total of 30 Tutors were exported to the Greek Air Force and at least 61 were licence-built [4][5] in Greece by KEA. A number of Greek Tutors was incorporated in combat squadrons after Greece's entrance in WWII, used as army cooperation aircraft.
Known for its good handling, the type was often featured at air shows. Over 200 Avro Tutors and five Sea Tutors remained in RAF service at the beginning of the Second World War.
The 621 was designed as a military trainer and few reached the civil registers. In the 1930s, in addition to ten prototypes and demonstrators, two were used by Alan Cobham's Flying Circus and two trainers were retired from the RAF into private use. One 621 was used from new by Australian National Airways. After the war another four ex-RAF 621s appeared on the civil register.
Variants
Avro 621 Trainer (Mongoose powered)
Two-seat primary training aircraft.
Avro 621 Tutor (Lynx powered)
Two-seat primary training aircraft.
Avro 621 Tutor II
One aircraft was modified into a two-bay biplane.
Avro 623
Three-seat version of the Type 621 Tutor upgraded for use in Tanganyika as aerial survey aircraft. Three were built between May and December 1930 and issued to the Director of Surveys of Tanganyika. Powered by a 240 hp Armstrong-Siddeley Lynx IV.
Avro 646 Sea Tutor
Two-seat seaplane fitted with twin floats, 15 built
PWS-18
Polish-built licence version with wooden wings and Wright J-5 engine. 40 bulit
G-AHSA was used for communication duties during the Second World War, struck off December 1946 and purchased by Wing Commander Heywood. After suffering engine failure in the early stages of the filming of Reach for the Sky, it was purchased by the Shuttleworth Collection and restored to flying condition.[8]
Up to the end of 2003, G-AHSA was still flying as K3215 in RAF trainer yellow. Since January 2004 it has flown painted as K3241 in the colours of the Central Flying School. (The real K3241 built in 1933, served RAF College Cranwell, until transferred to the CFA in 1936.)
Specifications (Tutor)
Avro 621 Trainer 3-view drawing from NACA Aircraft Circular No.119
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avro Tutor.
Shuttleworth Collection, Avro Tutor details 10 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine
August 18, 2023
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Not to be confused with Avro Tudor The Avro Type 621 Tutor 1 2 is a two seat British radial engined biplane from the interwar period It was a simple but rugged basic trainer that was used by the Royal Air Force as well as many other air arms worldwide Avro 621 TutorAvro Type 621 Tutor of the Shuttleworth CollectionRole TrainerNational origin United KingdomManufacturer AvroDesigner Roy ChadwickFirst flight September 1929Introduction 1933Retired 1941Primary user Royal Air ForceNumber built 606Variants Avro 626 PWS 18 Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 3 1 PWS 18 4 Operators 5 Surviving aircraft 6 Specifications Tutor 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Notes 8 2 Bibliography 9 External linksDesign and development EditThe Avro Model 621 was designed by Roy Chadwick as an Avro private venture metal replacement for the Avro 504 Conceived as a light initial pilot trainer the biplane design featured heavily staggered equal span single bay wings the construction was based on steel tubing with some wooden components in the wing ribs with doped linen covering A conventional fixed divided main undercarriage with tailskid was used in all but the latest aircraft which had a tailwheel The Model 621 was powered either by a 155 hp 116 kW Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV 180 hp 130 kW or IVC 240 hp 179 kW engine later Lynx powered models had the engine enclosed in a Townend ring cowling The Mongoose powered version was called the 621 Trainer and the more numerous Lynx engined aircraft the Tutor The Tutor also differed by having a more rounded rudder The first flight of the prototype G AAKT was in September 1929 piloted by Avro chief test pilot Captain Harry Albert Sam Brown Operational history Edit Avro Tutor 1937Production was started against an order for three Tutors from the Irish Free State and 21 Trainers from the Royal Air Force The RAF required a replacement for the wooden Avro 504 and after three years of trials against other machines such as the Hawker Tomtit it was adopted as their basic trainer supplanting the 504 in 1933 and remaining in this role until 1939 As well as the first batch of 21 Trainers a total of 381 Tutors and 15 Avro 646 Sea Tutors were eventually ordered by the RAF RAF units to operate the type in quantity included the Royal Air Force College the Central Flying School and Nos 2 3 4 and 5 Flying Training Schools 3 Subsequently the Model 621 achieved substantial foreign sales A V Roe and Co exported 29 for the Greek Air Force six for the Royal Canadian Air Force five for the Guangxi AF three for the Irish AF where it was known as the Triton and two for each of the South African and Polish AFs In addition 57 were licence built in South Africa and three licence built by the Danish Naval Shipyard The sole surviving Tutor wearing the 1930s yellow training colour scheme at RAF Abingdon in 1968A total of 30 Tutors were exported to the Greek Air Force and at least 61 were licence built 4 5 in Greece by KEA A number of Greek Tutors was incorporated in combat squadrons after Greece s entrance in WWII used as army cooperation aircraft Known for its good handling the type was often featured at air shows Over 200 Avro Tutors and five Sea Tutors remained in RAF service at the beginning of the Second World War The 621 was designed as a military trainer and few reached the civil registers In the 1930s in addition to ten prototypes and demonstrators two were used by Alan Cobham s Flying Circus and two trainers were retired from the RAF into private use One 621 was used from new by Australian National Airways After the war another four ex RAF 621s appeared on the civil register Variants EditAvro 621 Trainer Mongoose powered Two seat primary training aircraft Avro 621 Tutor Lynx powered Two seat primary training aircraft Avro 621 Tutor II One aircraft was modified into a two bay biplane Avro 623 Three seat version of the Type 621 Tutor upgraded for use in Tanganyika as aerial survey aircraft Three were built between May and December 1930 and issued to the Director of Surveys of Tanganyika Powered by a 240 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV Avro 646 Sea Tutor Two seat seaplane fitted with twin floats 15 builtPWS 18 Edit Polish built licence version with wooden wings and Wright J 5 engine 40 bulitOperators Edit CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovak Air Force pilots operated at least one aircraft in 310 Fighter Squadron RAF 6 DenmarkRoyal Danish Navy operated five aircraft CanadaRoyal Canadian Air Force operated six aircraft 7 ChinaChinese Nationalist Air Force Kwangsi Airforce operated five aircraft IraqIraqi Air Force operated three aircraft IrelandIrish Air Corps operated three aircraft GreeceHellenic Air Force operated about 90 aircraft PolandPolish Air Force received two aircraft South AfricaSouth African Air Force operated 60 aircraft United KingdomRoyal Air Force received 417 aircraft Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm The Shuttleworth Collection s Avro TutorK3215 G AHSASurviving aircraft EditG AHSA was used for communication duties during the Second World War struck off December 1946 and purchased by Wing Commander Heywood After suffering engine failure in the early stages of the filming of Reach for the Sky it was purchased by the Shuttleworth Collection and restored to flying condition 8 Up to the end of 2003 G AHSA was still flying as K3215 in RAF trainer yellow Since January 2004 it has flown painted as K3241 in the colours of the Central Flying School The real K3241 built in 1933 served RAF College Cranwell until transferred to the CFA in 1936 Specifications Tutor Edit Avro 621 Trainer 3 view drawing from NACA Aircraft Circular No 119Data from Avro Aircraft since 1908 9 General characteristicsCrew 2 Length 26 ft 4 5 in 8 039 m Wingspan 34 ft 0 in 10 36 m Height 9 ft 7 in 2 92 m Wing area 301 sq ft 28 0 m2 Empty weight 1 844 lb 836 kg Gross weight 2 493 lb 1 131 kg Powerplant 1 Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC 7 cylinder air cooled radial piston engine 240 hp 180 kW Propellers 2 bladed fixed pitch propellerPerformance Maximum speed 120 mph 190 km h 100 kn Cruise speed 97 mph 156 km h 84 kn Range 250 mi 400 km 220 nmi Service ceiling 16 000 ft 4 900 m Rate of climb 910 ft min 4 6 m s See also EditRelated development Avro 626 Avro 637 Avro 643 Cadet Avro Prefect PWS 18Aircraft of comparable role configuration and era Bucker Bu 131 Jungmann Bucker Bu 181 Bestmann Repulogepgyar Levente II de Havilland Tiger Moth Hawker Tomtit PWS 26Related lists List of aircraft of the Royal Air ForceReferences EditNotes Edit Jackson 1990 pp 283 291 Thetford 1957 pp 46 47 Halley 1976 pp 22 23 Official Greek Air Force site info about 621 Tutor Archived 30 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine Official Greek Air Force site updated info about 621 Tutor Vancata 2006 p 2 Avro 621 Tutor RCAF The Shuttleworth Collection Avro Tutor Archived 31 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine www shuttleworth org Retrieved 8 April 2010 Jackson 1990 p 290 Bibliography Edit Halley J J Royal Air Force Aircraft K1000 to K9999 Tonbridge Kent UK Air Britain Historians Ltd 1976 ISBN 0 85130 048 0 Jackson A J Avro Aircraft since 1908 2nd edition London Putnam Aeronautical Books 1990 ISBN 0 85177 834 8 Jenks Roy RAF Piston Trainers No 4 Avro Tutor Aeroplane Monthly Vol 7 No 3 March 1979 pp 142 147 Thetford O Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918 57 London Putnam 1957 Vancata Pavel Cechoslovaci v zahranicnim odboji Revi bi monthly magazine 65 Ostrava Poruba REVI Publications 2006 ISSN 1211 0744 Czech language External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avro Tutor Shuttleworth Collection Avro Tutor details Archived 10 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Avro Tutor amp oldid 1152596350, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
