Avro 643 Cadet
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 in United Kingdom |
| Products | Aircraft |
The Avro Cadet is a British single-engine biplane trainer developed and manufactured by Avro during the 1930s. It was conceived as a more compact variant of the Avro Tutor, intended primarily for civilian aviation purposes.
Design and development
Conceived in 1931, the Avro 631 Cadet emerged as a smaller, cost-effective adaptation of the military-oriented Avro Tutor, aimed at flying clubs and private pilots. The initial prototype, registered as G-ABRS, took to the skies in October 1931. The model was officially introduced at Skegness airfield's opening in May 1932; however, prior to this event, the Irish Army Air Corps had already placed an order for six units, which were subsequently delivered.
Production of the Avro 631 Cadet ceased in September 1934, succeeded by the enhanced Avro 643 Cadet. This updated version featured a redesigned rear fuselage with an elevated rear cockpit while maintaining the same 135 hp (101 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major I engine as its predecessor. This design further evolved into the more robust and powerful Avro 643 Mk II Cadet, which incorporated structural reinforcements and improved parachute escape provisions. Introduced in 1935, this variant became the most widely produced model, including 34 units equipped with tailwheels specifically for the Royal Australian Air Force.
Operational history
Despite being smaller and more economical than the Tutor, the Cadet was nevertheless costlier to operate compared to rival two-seat light civil aircraft. Its lack of folding wings also made hangaring more challenging, limiting its appeal mainly to flying schools and military training establishments. The largest civilian operator was Air Service Training Ltd, which maintained a fleet of 17 Avro 631s at Hamble, alongside an additional four aircraft operated by its Hong Kong-based subsidiary, the Far East Aviation Co. Air Service Training also utilized 23 Mk II Cadets; both earlier and later variants continued service within Reserve Training Schools managed by Air Service Training until their conversion to Air Training Corps instructional airframes in 1941.
The other principal user was the Royal Australian Air Force, which received 34 Mk II Cadets between November 1935 and February 1939. These aircraft remained active until 1946, after which the remaining 16 were sold into civilian hands. Notably, two were re-engined in 1963 with 220 hp (160 kW) Jacobs R-755 powerplants for agricultural spraying roles. In the United Kingdom, only two Cadets survived beyond the Second World War.
Variants
- Avro 631 Cadet
- The original model equipped with an Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major I engine; 35 units produced.
- Avro 643 Cadet
- Featured an elevated rear cockpit, with a total of eight constructed.
- Avro 643 Cadet II
- Powered by a 150 hp (110 kW) Genet Major 1A engine, with 61 aircraft built.
Operators
Civil operators
Military operators
- Royal Australian Air Force operated 34 Avro 643 MkII Cadets.[1]
- Irish Air Corps utilized seven Avro 631 Cadets.
- Chinese Nationalist Air Force – During the Second Sino-Japanese War, five Avro 631s were stationed at the Liuzhou Aviation School; all were destroyed by Japanese bombing in 1939.
Survivors
- Three Cadets remain airworthy in Australia (VH-AEJ, VH-AGH, and VH-PRT)
- One example is preserved in Ireland, being the final aircraft from the Irish Air Corps fleet, having returned after extensive service including periods in the U.K. and New Zealand as ZK-AVR
- Portugal's Museu do Ar houses one reportedly airworthy Cadet on display.
- An ex-Australian Air Force A6-25 is maintained in flying condition as NX643AV at Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight museum located in Polk City, Florida.
- The RAAF Museum at Point Cook exhibits a former Australian Air Force A6-34, previously registered VH-RUO, as a static display.
Specifications (Avro 643 Mk II Cadet)
See also
References
- ↑ Wilson, Stewart (1994). Military Aircraft of Australia. Weston Creek, Australia: Aerospace Publications. p. 216. ISBN 1875671080.
- ↑ "Aircraft that took part in the Spanish Civil War". Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
Bibliography
- Lopes, Mario C. (January 2000). "Les avions Avro au Portugal: des inconnu aux plus célèbres" [Portuguese Avro Aircraft: From the Unknown to the Most Famous]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et Son Histoire (in French) (82): 28–33. ISSN 1243-8650.
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External links
- RAAF Museum
- Avro Cadet – British Aircraft Directory
- "The Avro 631 'Cadet'" – article from Flight, 1932