Airspeed Ferry
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| AS.4 Ferry | |
|---|---|
| Type | 10-Passenger Airliner |
| Manufacturer | Airspeed Limited |
| Designed by | N.S. Norway/A.H. Tiltman |
| Maiden flight | 1932 |
| Introduced | 1932 |
| Retired | 1941 |
| Status | Retired or Destroyed |
| Number built | 4 |
The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was a 1930s British three-engined 10-seat biplane airliner built by Airspeed Limited at York.
Contents |
[edit] History
Designed to meet a requirement for a pleasure flying airliner from Sir Alan Cobham, the Ferry was an unusual configuration biplane with a third engine mounted in the upper wing (it was usual to mount a third engine in the nose). The engine arrangement was designed to give the pilot a better view. Not all three engines were the same, the lower engines were de Havilland Gipsy IIs, and the upper wing had an inverted de Havilland Gipsy III. The first aircraft G-ABSI Youth of Britain II first flew on 10 April 1932 from Sherburn-in-Elmet, followed soon after by the second aircraft G-ABSJ Youth of Britain III. In two years the two aircraft carried 92,000 passengers.
The first aircraft G-ABSI was impressed into service with the Royal Air Force in 1940 and later became an instructional airframe.
The second aircraft was sold in India to Himalaya Air Transport and Survey Company Limited in 1934 as VT-AFO. It was used to ferry pilgrims from Hardwar to Gaucher. It was destroyed by vandals in a hanger fire in 1936.
The third (G-ACBT) and fourth (G-ACFB) aircraft were built for the Midland and Scottish Air Ferries Ltd and used on services from Renfrew to Cambeltown, Belfast and Speke. The firm closed in 1934 and the aircraft were put up for sale. G-ACBT was not sold and was dismantled in 1941. G-ACFB returned to England to carry out pleasure flying for Air Publicity Ltd. It was impressed into service with the Royal Air Force in 1941 and later became an instructional airframe.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Civil operators
India
- Himalaya Air Transport and Survey Company Ltd
United Kingdom
- Air Publicity Ltd
- Midland And Scottish Air Ferries Ltd
- National Aviation Day Displays Ltd
- Portsea, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd
- Sir Alan Cobham
[edit] Military operators
[edit] Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
- Wingspan: 55 ft 0in (16.76 m)
- Height: 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m)
- Wing area: 641 ft² (59.55 m²)
- Empty weight: 3,440 lb (1560 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 5,600 lb (2540 kg)
- Powerplant: 3× de Havilland Gipsy inline piston, 120 hp (89 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 108 mph (174 km/h)
- Range: 320 mi (515 km)
- Service ceiling: 13,000 ft (3960 m)
[edit] Reference
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
- Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10014 X.
[edit] External links
[edit] Related content
Designation sequence
Airspeed AS.4 Ferry • Airspeed AS.5 Courier • Airspeed AS.6 Envoy
Related lists
Timeline of aviation
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