Avro 528
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | Hamble , United Kingdom |
The Avro 528 was a large-span, single-engine biplane developed under contract for the British Admiralty in 1916. Designed to accommodate two crew members, only a single example was ever produced.
Development
Information regarding the Avro 528 is scarce, limited primarily to a photograph and a general arrangement drawing.[1] Commissioned by the British Admiralty in 1915,[1] details about its intended operational role remain undocumented. Its design bore resemblances to the Avro 519, a single-seat aircraft created for the Royal Flying Corps (RFC), and the twin-seat 519A developed for the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS),[2] although neither predecessor was armed and both utilized 150 hp Sunbeam Nubian engines rather than the more powerful 225 hp Sunbeam engine fitted on the 528. The Avro 519 series and the 528 also shared several characteristics with the naval variant of the Avro 504.
The Avro 528 was constructed as a large three-bay biplane featuring unswept, unstaggered wings of constant chord but unequal span, with the lower wing measuring approximately 10 feet 0 inches (3.05 m) shorter than the upper wing.[1] Ailerons were installed exclusively on the upper wings, both of which were designed to fold for storage purposes. The fuselage resembled that of the RNAS Avro 504 models but extended roughly 4 feet (1.2 m) longer overall. Unlike the RFC’s Avro 504s, which had an all-moving, comma-shaped rudder, the 528 incorporated a prominent fixed fin. Its vertical stabilizer was comparable in size to that of the Avro 504, while its nearly rectangular horizontal tailplane spanned nearly 60% more. Similar to the Avro 519 variants, a raised decking ran along the top of the fuselage, creating deeper cockpits: the pilot’s position was located beneath the wing’s trailing edge, while an observer/gunner sat directly behind in a separate cockpit equipped with a ring-mounted machine gun. The undercarriage consisted of a fixed single-axle design without a central skid.
Powered by a Sunbeam engine driving a four-bladed propeller, the aircraft featured a single, centrally positioned exhaust pipe oriented almost vertically.[1] Cooling was managed by two radiators mounted longitudinally between the wings, positioned edgewise—this contrasted with the single radiator arrangement found on both the Avro 519s and Avro 527. Additionally, both photographic and diagrammatic sources depict two tank-like structures on the lower wings just inside the innermost interplane struts; these are likely fuel tanks.
Operational history
The initial flight took place on 19 December 1916 at Avro's manufacturing site in Hamble. Despite multiple attempts with different propeller designs, the aircraft continued to experience difficulties. Interest from the Admiralty waned, and the final flight of the 528 occurred in April 1917.
Specifications
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Jackson 1965, pp. 90–1
- ↑ Jackson 1965, pp. 73–4
Bibliography
- Jackson, A.J. (1965). Avro Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam Publishing.
- Jackson, A.J. (1990). Avro Aircraft since 1908 (Second ed.). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
- Mason, Francis K. (1994). The British Bomber since 1914. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.