Armstrong Whitworth A.W.14
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.14 Starling was a British single-seat biplane fighter prototype developed during the late 1920s for the Royal Air Force, ultimately losing out in competition to the Bristol Bulldog.
Development
Armstrong Whitworth designed the A.W.14 Starling as their exclusive entry to meet Air Ministry Specification 28/24, which called for a single-seat fighter suitable for both day and night operations, intended to replace the earlier Armstrong Whitworth Siskin. The aircraft featured a single-bay sesquiplane configuration with staggered wings of unequal span, where the lower wing was considerably smaller than the upper. The fuselage was constructed from bolted steel tubing, while the wings incorporated steel spars combined with wooden ribs and had ailerons installed only on the upper wing surfaces. The wings employed the experimental RAF 30 symmetrical aerofoil profile. Armament consisted of two synchronised .303 inch Vickers machine guns.
Two prototypes were commissioned. The first, registered as J8027, was powered by a 385 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar VII radial engine and took its maiden flight on 12 May 1927. This initial model proved underpowered and was subsequently re-engined with a 460 hp Jaguar V; however, performance remained subpar, with maximum speed failing to surpass 160 mph—well below the specified 180 mph—while its low-speed handling characteristics were also unsatisfactory. The prototype underwent evaluation against Specification F.9/26 in February 1926 but was rejected in favour of the Bristol Bulldog. Following this, J8027 was returned to Armstrong Whitworth and modified with new wings featuring a Clark YH aerofoil section and leading-edge slots on the upper wings. Re-registered as G-AAHC for civil demonstration purposes, it was exhibited at Olympia in London in July 1929 before being removed from the civil register in December 1930.
The second prototype, J8028, underwent significant redesigns including a more aerodynamically refined fuselage and altered wings that retained the Clark YH aerofoil but had smaller lower wings. Equipped with a more powerful 525 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engine, it first flew on 5 December 1929. This version was evaluated as a land-based interceptor under Specifications F.9/26 and F.20/27, as well as assessed as a naval fighter against Specification N.21/26 requirements. Although its performance showed improvement over its predecessor, it ultimately did not succeed in securing production orders but contributed valuable development insights that informed the subsequent Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 design.
Variants
- Starling I
- 1927 – initial prototype – equipped with an Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar VII or V engine.
- Starling II
- 1930 – second prototype – developed to meet specification N.21/26 for a naval fighter, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Panther II engine.
Operators
Specifications (Starling I)
See also
Citations
Bibliography
- "The Armstrong Whitworth "Starling"". Flight. Vol. XX, no. 31. 2 August 1928. pp. 660–665. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. New York: Smithmark. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Jackson, A. J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume I. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
- Mason, Francis K. (1992). The British Fighter since 1912. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- Tapper, Oliver (1988). Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-826-7.
- Williams, Ray (July 1980). "Siskin Successor". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 8, no. 7. pp. 368–371.
External links
