Avro Anson 19 In A Tight Low-Speed Aerobatic Display

Avro Anson.

The Royal Air Force used dozens of different aircraft during World War II. The RAF had a variety of fighters, trainers, bombers and reconnaissance to aid them against the Axis Powers. Among the Royal Air Force’s wide variety of planes, few were as versatile as the Arvo Anson.

Introduced in 1936 the Arvo Anson was a multirole plane that could function as a bomber, fighter, or reconnaissance aircraft. Despite a variety of uses the Arvo Anson was found to be very effective as a trainer for new pilots. With over 11,000 units built, it was the most-produced multirole plane used by the Allies.

General Characteristics

• Crew: Three-four
• Length: 42 ft 3 in (12.88 m)
• Wingspan: 56 ft 6 in (17.22 m)
• Height: 13 ft 1 in (3.99 m)
• Wing area: 463 ft² (43.01 m²)
• Empty weight: 5,512 lb (2,500 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,955 lb (3,608 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 8,500 lb (3,900 kg)
• Powerplant: Two × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines, 350 hp (261 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 188 mph (163 kn, 302 km/h) at 7,000 ft (2,100 m)
• Range: 790 mi (690 nmi, 1,271 km)
• Service ceiling: 19,000 ft (5,791 m)
• Rate of climb: 750 ft/min (3.8 m/s)
• Wing loading: 17.2 lb/ft² (83.9 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.088 hp/lb (140 W/kg)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun in front fuselage
  • 1 × .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret
• Bombs: 360 lb (163 kg)

The Avro 19 stands out from the crowd with its vintage blue color scheme and powerful engines. See it soaring low and slow at the Shuttleworth Air Pageant in this clip from the Historical Aviation Unit.