Avro 636
| Company type | Aircraft manufacturer |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Founder | Humphrey Verdon Roe, Alliott Verdon Roe |
| Headquarters | Manchester , United Kingdom |
The Avro 636 was a British single-engine fighter-trainer aircraft developed by Avro during the mid-1930s. A total of four units were constructed specifically for the Irish Air Corps.
Development
Conceived in November 1934 by Avro’s lead designer, Roy Chadwick, the Avro 636 was intended as a one- or two-seat fighter-trainer capable of mimicking the flight dynamics of single-seat fighters. Its design shared similarities with the Tutor, featuring a welded steel tube fuselage combined with metal wings and tail surfaces covered in fabric.
The aircraft could be configured either as a single-seater or with dual seats, and provisions were made for installing two forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns. When equipped with two seats and powered by a 420 hp (310 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV radial engine, it carried the designation Avro 636, suitable for advanced pilot training. Alternatively, fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Panther engine and having the rear cockpit faired over, it served as a dedicated fighter under the designation Avro 636A.
Operational history
In December 1934, the Irish Air Corps placed an order for four Avro 636 aircraft. These machines were powered by older Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVC engines, originally procured by Ireland in 1930 for use in Vickers Vespa army cooperation planes. Although these Jaguar IVC-powered versions were initially intended to be labeled Avro 667, they were commonly referred to as Avro 636s.
The quartet of aircraft was delivered in August 1935 and assigned to the 1st Fighter Squadron stationed at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, County Dublin. Two of the Avro 636s were lost due to landing accidents; however, the remaining pair remained operational into the early period of The Emergency, Ireland’s term for the Second World War. During this time, they were employed to intercept unauthorized aircraft entering Irish airspace. The type was officially withdrawn from service in 1941.
Variants
- Avro 636
- Initial model designed to be equipped with a 420 hp (313 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV engine.
- Avro 636A
- Variant featuring a 680 hp (510 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther XI engine.
- Avro 667
- Model fitted with an unsupercharged 460 hp (340 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVC engine. Four units were produced for the Irish Air Corps, where they were referred to as Avro 636.
Operators
Specifications (Avro 667)
References
- Jackson, A J (1990). Avro Aircraft since 1908 (2nd ed.). London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
- MacCarron, Donald (June 1974). "Irish acrobats". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 2, no. 6. pp. 720–721.