Avro Club Cadet
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1910 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
The Avro Club Cadet was a British single-engine biplane trainer from the 1930s, developed and manufactured by Avro as an evolution of the earlier Cadet. Designed primarily for private pilots and flying clubs, it featured folding wings, a capability not present in the original Cadet model.
Design and development
Derived from the Avro Cadet, the Avro 638 Club Cadet was tailored for private ownership and club operations. Unlike its predecessor’s staggered wing configuration, the Club Cadet employed unstaggered biplane wings that could be folded to reduce hangar space requirements. The earlier Cadet’s wing arrangement did not allow for this modification. The prototype took to the skies in May 1933, equipped with an Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major radial piston engine. Following this, sixteen additional units were produced before manufacturing concluded in 1935.
An enclosed three-seat variant known as the Avro 639 Cabin Cadet was also developed, with a single prototype completed and flown in 1933; however, it did not proceed to mass production. Another three-seat model, the Avro 640 Cadet, was created specifically for joy-riding purposes. This version featured a broader fuselage with an open cockpit accommodating two passengers seated side-by-side ahead of the pilot. A total of nine were built: the initial four powered by 140 hp (104 kW) Cirrus Hermes IV engines, while the remaining five utilized Genet Major engines.
Operational history
While the majority of Club Cadets found their roles within flying schools, they were designed for both private owners and flying clubs. The most significant operator was Airwork, which maintained a fleet of five Club Cadets. Subsequently, these aircraft were upgraded with 130 hp (100 kW) de Havilland Gipsy Major engines; these inverted, air-cooled inline engines contributed to reduced aerodynamic drag and enhanced fuel efficiency.
Variants
- Avro 638 Club Cadet
- This two-seat trainer featured either a 135 hp (101 kW) Genet Major radial engine or a 130 hp (100 kW) Gipsy Major I inverted inline engine, with a total of 17 units produced.
- Avro 638 Club Cadet Special
- A single example equipped with a 140 hp (104 kW) Cirrus Hermes IVA inverted inline engine.
- Avro 639 Cabin Cadet
- Constructed with an enclosed cockpit; only one was built.
- Avro 640 Cadet
- Designed as a three-seat aircraft for joyriding purposes, powered initially by a 140 hp (104 kW) Cirrus Hermes IV inverted inline engine on the first four units, or by a 135 hp (101 kW) Genet Major engine on the remainder; nine were manufactured.
Operators
Specifications (Avro 638 Genet Major I)
See also
References
External links
- Canadian Aviation Museum
- Avro Club Cadet – British Aircraft of World War II