ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH AW.23

The 'Armstrong Whitworth AW.23' was a prototype bomber/transport aircraft produced to specification C.26/31 for the British Air Ministry by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. While it was not selected to meet this specification, it did form the basis of the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley.

Contents

Development

Specifications (AW.23)

References

External links

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Development

Specification C.26/31 required a dual purpose bomber/transport aircraft for service with the Royal Air Force, with the specification stressing the transport part of its role. The AW.23 was designed by John Lloyd, chief designer of Armstrong Whitworth to meet this specification, competing with the Handley Page HP.51 and the Bristol Bombay. The AW.23 was a low winged twin engine monoplane, powered by two Armstrong Siddeley Tiger engines. It had a fabric covered braced steel fuselage accommodating a large cabin to fulfill its primary transport role, but with room for internal bomb racks under the cabin floor. It was the first Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft to be fitted with a retractable undercarriage.
A single prototype, ''K3585'', was built first flying on 4 June 1935. Owing to its unreliable Tiger engines, its delivery to the RAF for testing was delayed, with the Bristol Bombay being declared the winner of the specification.
The prototype was given the civil registration ''G-AFRX'' in May 1939 being used for inflight refuelling development by Flight Refuelling Ltd who used it with the Short Empire flying boat. It was used in February 1940 for the world's first night refuelling experiments. It was destroyed in a German bombing raid on Ford airfield in June 1940.^[1]

Specifications (AW.23)

References

1. British Civil Aircraft since 1919 (Volume 1), , A.J., Jackson, Putnam, 1973, ISBN 0-370-10006-9

External links

★ British Aircraft of WW2

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