Type 621 Tutor
G-AHSA (above) was used for communication duties during WWII, struck off December 1946 and purchased by a 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.
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.)
Seen during the Shuttleworth Collection's 50th Anniversary Air Show.
A V Roe's Type 621 Tutor was a two-seat British radial-engined biplane from the inter-war period. It was a simple but rugged initial trainer that was used by the RAF 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 doped linen covering. A conventional, fixed divided main undercarriage with tail skid was used in all but the latest aircraft, which had a tail wheel.
The Model 621 was powered either by a 155 hp Siddeley Mongoose or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV (180 hp) or IVC (240 hp) 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. Production was started against an order for three from the Irish Free State and 21 Trainers from the RAF. The RAF required a replacement for the wooden Avro 504 (see elsewhere in my stream), 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 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 RAF College, the Central Flying School and Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 Flying Training Schools.
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 Kwangsi Air Force, three for the Irish Air Force (where it was known as the Triton) and two for each of the South African and Polish Air Forces. In addition 57 were licence built in South Africa, and three licence built by the Danish Naval Shipyard.
A total of 30 Tutors were exported to the Greek Air Force and at least 61 were licence built in Greece by KEA. A number of Greek Tutors was incorporated in combat squadrons after Greece's entrance in WWII, used as army co-operation 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 WWII.
The 621 was designed as a military trainer and few reached the civil registers. In the 1930s, in addition to 10 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.
Another larger, and I think improved, version of an earlier image on my stream from many years ago...
Type 621 Tutor
G-AHSA (above) was used for communication duties during WWII, struck off December 1946 and purchased by a 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.
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.)
Seen during the Shuttleworth Collection's 50th Anniversary Air Show.
A V Roe's Type 621 Tutor was a two-seat British radial-engined biplane from the inter-war period. It was a simple but rugged initial trainer that was used by the RAF 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 doped linen covering. A conventional, fixed divided main undercarriage with tail skid was used in all but the latest aircraft, which had a tail wheel.
The Model 621 was powered either by a 155 hp Siddeley Mongoose or Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IV (180 hp) or IVC (240 hp) 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. Production was started against an order for three from the Irish Free State and 21 Trainers from the RAF. The RAF required a replacement for the wooden Avro 504 (see elsewhere in my stream), 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 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 RAF College, the Central Flying School and Nos. 2, 3, 4 and 5 Flying Training Schools.
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 Kwangsi Air Force, three for the Irish Air Force (where it was known as the Triton) and two for each of the South African and Polish Air Forces. In addition 57 were licence built in South Africa, and three licence built by the Danish Naval Shipyard.
A total of 30 Tutors were exported to the Greek Air Force and at least 61 were licence built in Greece by KEA. A number of Greek Tutors was incorporated in combat squadrons after Greece's entrance in WWII, used as army co-operation 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 WWII.
The 621 was designed as a military trainer and few reached the civil registers. In the 1930s, in addition to 10 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.
Another larger, and I think improved, version of an earlier image on my stream from many years ago...