Avro Avocet

Avro

Industry	Aerospace
Founder	Humphrey Edward Moreton Armstrong
Headquarters	United Kingdom

The Avro Type 584 Avocet was a British naval fighter prototype powered by a single engine, developed and constructed by Avro. Although it never entered mass production, one prototype served as a seaplane trainer for the Royal Air Force's (RAF) High Speed Flight.

Design and development

Designed by Avro's lead designer, Roy Chadwick, the Avro 584 Avocet was created to satisfy the requirements outlined in Specification 17/25 for a naval fighter. This aircraft was a single-engine, all-metal biplane driven by a 230 hp Armstrong Siddeley Lynx engine, featuring interchangeable landing gear capable of switching between wheels and floats. While it lacked folding wings, it was engineered for straightforward disassembly to facilitate storage aboard ships.

Two prototypes were constructed: the initial one first flew as a landplane in December 1927, followed by a second prototype configured as a seaplane that took flight in April 1928. Both underwent evaluation at RAF Martlesham Heath for the Fleet Air Arm, but due to the relatively low power of its engine, their performance was deemed unsatisfactory, leading to the decision not to proceed with production.

Operational history

Despite the absence of production orders, the second prototype was employed by the RAF's High Speed Flight at Calshot as a seaplane trainer supporting pilots preparing for the Schneider Trophy.

Operators

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• Royal Air Force
  • High Speed Flight RAF

External links

• Avro Avocet – Directory of British Aircraft