Avro 527
| Industry | Aircraft manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 in United Kingdom |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft |
The Avro 527 represented the final two-seat fighter variant derived from the fundamental 504 model produced by Avro. Constructed in early 1916 for evaluation by the Royal Flying Corps, it incorporated elements from the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) Avro 504G but was equipped with a significantly more powerful engine. Despite this, it did not proceed to mass production.
Design and development
The RNAS Avro 504G was a version of the Avro 504B powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary engine and armed with forward-firing Vickers guns alongside a Scarff ring-mounted Lewis gun positioned in the rear cockpit. The Avro 527[1] served as a comparable two-seat fighter reconnaissance model based on the 504, designed for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). It featured a considerably more potent, 150 hp (110 kW) Sunbeam Nubian water-cooled engine. The aircraft utilized standard 504K wings and retained a central skid with a single-axle undercarriage.[1] Unlike most RFC aircraft equipped with an all-moving, comma-shaped rudder, naval 504 variants typically had a vertical tail with a large fixed fin, a characteristic maintained on the 527.[2] The engine layout differed markedly from other 504 models, featuring two tall, nearly vertical exhaust stacks—one per bank of the upright V-eight Nubian engine—venting just above the upper wing. Its radiator was mounted longitudinally between the wings with its edge facing forward.[1]
The initial flight of the 527 took place during 1916. A proposed variant designated as the 527A, which would have had wings spanning 42 ft (12.3 m), was contemplated; however, there is no documentation confirming that this version ever flew.[1]
Operational history
During evaluations conducted by the RFC, pilots reported inadequate climbing capability and noted that the large engine, along with its radiator and exhaust systems, significantly obstructed their field of vision. Consequently, the aircraft did not enter mass production, with only a single unit ever constructed.
List of operators
Specifications (Avro 527)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jackson 1990, p. 149
- ↑ Jackson 1990, pp. 58, 149
- Jackson, A. J. (1990). Avro Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
- Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. London: Salamander. ISBN 1-85833-777-1.