Armstrong Whitworth Scimitar
| Industry | Aerospace, Defense |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft |
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar was a British single-engine biplane fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. A total of four units were produced and delivered to the Norwegian Army Air Service in 1936.
Design and development
The A.W.35 Scimitar evolved from Armstrong Whitworth's previous fighter model, the Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16, featuring an Armstrong Siddeley Panther powerplant, a redesigned lower nose profile, and an enlarged vertical stabilizer with a bigger rudder. The initial prototype (registration G-ACCD) was a conversion of the second A.W.16 airframe, making its maiden flight on 29 April 1935.[1] A second prototype (G-ADBL) was similarly created by modifying another A.W.16.[2]
Operational history
An order for four Scimitars was placed by the Norwegian Army Air Service, accompanied by a licence production contract for manufacturing at the Norwegian Army Aircraft Factory in Kjeller. Following evaluation by the A & AEE at Martlesham Heath in late 1935, these aircraft were delivered to Norway in 1936.[1][2] However, the licence production agreement was terminated within the same year after it was determined that the aircraft required additional design modifications to operate effectively on skis. At the onset of the Second World War, the Scimitars were relegated to training duties.[2] During the German invasion in 1940, all Scimitars were undergoing maintenance and were thus unavailable for combat deployment.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
The second prototype was retained by Armstrong Whitworth at their Whitley facility until it was dismantled in 1958.[3][4]
Operators
Specifications (A.W.35)
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedmason fighter - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtapp185 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedjackson1 - ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedtapp186
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. 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.