35-560: The Roe II Triplane , sometimes known as the Mercury , was an early British aircraft and the first product of the Avro company. It was designed by Alliott Verdon Roe as a sturdier development of his wood-and-paper Roe I Triplane . Two examples were built, one as a display machine for Roe's new firm, and the second was sold to W. G. Windham . The longest recorded flight made by the Roe II Triplane
70-515: A Handley Page 0/400 converted bomber of Handley Page Transport . The aeroplane carried ten passengers in its windowless fuselage and had taken 3 hours 40 minutes flying from London against strong headwinds. The Avro Transport Company operated the UK's first scheduled domestic air service from Alexandra Park via Birkdale Sands ( Southport ) to South Shore ( Blackpool ) between 24 May and 30 September 1919, mainly using Avro 504 three-seat biplanes. Although
105-672: A 350 cc Villiers air-cooled engine. An outrigger wheel kept the car upright when stationary. The Mobile did not go into production. Avro F.C. was founded at the Chadderton factory and still exists today. Alexandra Park Aerodrome Alexandra Park Aerodrome was the second purpose-built aerodrome in the Manchester area in England. The site was chosen by the War Department in 1917 because of its open agricultural nature, and lay between
140-458: A bridge over the Midland Railway line towards Nell Lane. The last known light aircraft touch-and-go landing was in 1986. The remaining area of open land to the west of Princess Road is now Hough End Playing Fields, a council-owned facility with 24 full-size soccer pitches and 3 rugby pitches. Broughton Park RUFC also have their facilities there. These pitches occupy land that
175-599: A nuclear-strike aircraft, was used to maintain the British nuclear deterrent, armed with the Avro Blue Steel stand-off nuclear bomb. The Vulcan saw service as a conventional bomber during the British campaign to recapture the Falkland Islands in 1982. Several Vulcans are prized as museum exhibits. A twin turboprop airliner , the Avro 748 , was developed during the 1950s and sold widely to airlines and governments across
210-476: Is sometimes also loosely called the "Avro 146". The BAe ATP (Advanced Turbo Prop) design evolved from the Avro 748 and examples continue in use on shorter, mainly domestic, scheduled air services. A few Avro 504s, Tutors, Ansons and Lancasters are maintained in flying condition. At 39 years, the Shackleton held the distinction of being the aircraft with the longest period of active RAF service, until overtaken by
245-541: The Anson followed but as tensions rose again in Europe the firm's emphasis returned to combat aircraft. The Avro Manchester , Lancaster , and Lincoln were particularly famous Avro designs. Over 7,000 Lancasters were built and their bombing capabilities led to their use in the famous Dam Busters raid. Of the total, nearly half were built at Avro's Woodford (Stockport) and Chadderton (Oldham) sites, with some 700 Lancasters built at
280-828: The Avro Lancaster , one of the pre-eminent bombers of the Second World War, and the delta wing Avro Vulcan , a stalwart of the Cold War . Avro was founded in 1910 by Alliott Verdon Roe at the Brownsfield Mill on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester . The company remained based primarily in Lancashire throughout its 53 years of existence, with key development and manufacturing sites in Alexandra Park , Chadderton , Trafford Park , and Woodford, Greater Manchester . The company
315-551: The Chilterns during an attempted forced landing in poor weather. The two pilots and three passengers were killed, making this the first fatal accident on an internal air service in the UK: because of this the route was suspended for a period before recommencing. On the merger of Daimler with other airlines to form Imperial Airways in April 1924, the new monopoly airline terminated the service: it
350-477: The English Electric Canberra in 1998. Avro also built motor vehicles in the immediate post-World War 1 era, including the three-wheeler Harper Runabout , as well as their own light car. Powered by a 1,330 cc 4-cylinder engine, wood and aluminium were used in an integral construction similar to an aircraft. Approximately 100 were built. In 1927 Alliott Verdon-Roe designed a two-wheeler car powered by
385-759: The War Department for the assembly, test flying and delivery of aeroplanes for the Royal Air Force (RAF) built in the Manchester area by A. V. Roe & Company ( Avro ) at Newton Heath and the National Aircraft Factory No. 2 (NAF No.2) at Heaton Chapel . The aerodrome took its name from the nearby Alexandra Park railway station on the Great Central Railway branch line to Manchester Central railway station . Many aeroplanes were brought to
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#1733107036782420-471: The Avro "shadow" factory next to Leeds Bradford Airport (formerly Yeadon Aerodrome), northwest Leeds . This factory employed 17,500 workers at a time when the population of Yeadon was just 10,000. It was the largest building in Europe at the time, at 1.5 million square feet (140,000 square metres), and its roof was disguised by the addition of fields and hedges to hide it from enemy planes. The old taxiway from
455-560: The Walthamstow Marshes. In 1911, Roy Chadwick began work as Alliott's personal assistant and the firm's draughtsman and, in 1918, he was appointed Chief Designer. The first Avro aircraft to be produced in any quantity was the Avro E or Avro 500 , first flown in March 1912, of which 18 were manufactured, most for the newly formed Royal Flying Corps . The company also built the world's first aircraft with enclosed crew accommodation in 1912,
490-560: The aerodrome in major sections by rail from Avro and NAF No.2 to the nearby station; other dismantled aeroplanes came by road. A Relief Landing Ground was designated at Turn Moss, one nautical mile to the west, in Stretford . On 1 May 1919, the first day of civil flying in Britain after the First World War, Lt Col Sholto Douglas arrived from Cricklewood Aerodrome London, at the controls of
525-452: The aerodrome to Croydon Airport near London, later followed by a regular extension to Schiphol Airport Amsterdam . The northbound flight left Croydon in the early evening and after an overnight stop, the aircraft returned south during the morning. These timings enabled Manchester passengers to connect readily with Daimler's other continental flights to and from Croydon, and with other airline services from that airport. Because air travel
560-463: The boom in orders during the First World War, the lack of new work in peacetime caused severe financial problems and in August 1920, 68.5% of the company's shares were acquired by nearby Crossley Motors which had an urgent need for more factory space for automotive vehicle body building. In 1924, the company left Alexandra Park Aerodrome in south Manchester where test flying had taken place since 1918;
595-590: The company he had founded and formed the Saunders-Roe company, which after World War II developed several radical designs for combat jets, and, eventually, a range of powerful hovercraft . In 1935 Avro became a subsidiary of Hawker Siddeley . Maintaining their skills in designing trainer aircraft, the company built a more robust biplane called the Avro Tutor in the 1930s which the Royal Air Force (RAF) also bought in quantity. A twin piston-engined airliner called
630-616: The company was absorbed into Hawker Siddeley Aviation in July 1963 following the 1957 Defence White Paper , the Avro name ceased to be used. The brand still had a strong heritage appeal, and as mentioned above the marketing name " Avro RJ " (regional jet) was used by British Aerospace from 1994 to 2001 for production of the RJ70, RJ85 and RJ100 models which were respectively based on the BAe 146-100 , BAe 146-200 and BAe 146-300 . This four engine jet aircraft type
665-547: The earnings of the family webbing business and acting as managing director until he joined the RFC in 1917. Alliot had already constructed a successful aircraft, the Roe I Triplane , named The Bullseye after a brand of braces manufactured by Humphrey. The railway arch where A.V. Roe in 1909 built and achieved the first all-British powered flight still stands in the Lee Valley Park on
700-501: The factory to the runway is still evident. The Avro Lancaster carried the heaviest bomb loads of the war, including the Grand Slam bomb . The civilian Lancastrian and maritime reconnaissance Shackleton were derived from the successful Lancaster design. The Tudor was a pressurised but problematic post-war Avro airliner which faced strong competition from designs by Bristol , Canadair , Douglas , Handley Page , and Lockheed . With
735-681: The four engine jetliner were produced: the Avro RJ70 , the Avro RJ85 and the largest example, the Avro RJ100 . In 1945, Hawker Siddeley Group purchased the former Victory Aircraft firm in Malton, Ontario , and renamed the operation A.V. Roe Canada Limited . Commonly known as Avro Canada , it was actually a subsidiary of the Hawker Siddeley Group and used the Avro name for trading purposes. When
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#1733107036782770-599: The globe, powered by two Rolls-Royce Dart engines. The RAF bought 6 for use by the Queen's Flight and a variant with a rear-loading ramp and a "kneeling" main undercarriage was sold to the RAF (31 aircraft) as the Andover . The Avro name would subsequently be resurrected by British Aerospace when this aircraft manufacturer renamed its BAe 146 family of regional jetliners as Avro regional jets ( Avro RJ ). Three differently sized versions of
805-418: The hangars were demolished. It would have been unable to cope anyway with the increasing size and weight of airliners by the mid-1930s. Princess Road was built through the eastern part of the site in 1924–25 and a council housing estate was built to the east of the new road. During the Second World War temporary housing was built alongside Princess Road by German POWs . This was demolished in 1961, along with
840-529: The land lease, laid down by Maurice Egerton, Baron Egerton of Tatton , stipulated that flying from the site would cease within five years of the war's end. The ancillary buildings that had been erected for training RAF personnel, were converted to provide accommodation for single constables of the Manchester City Police . This marked the start of a police presence that continues through until today. The aerodrome closed to air traffic on 24 August 1924, and
875-667: The monoplane Type F and the biplane Avro Type G in 1912, neither progressing beyond the prototype stage. The Type 500 was developed into the Avro 504 , first flown in September 1913. A small number were bought by the War Office before the outbreak of World War I , and the type saw some front-line service in the early months of the war, but it is best known as a training aircraft, serving in that role until 1933. Production lasted 20 years and totalled 8,340 aircraft from several factories: Hamble, Failsworth, Miles Platting and Newton Heath. After
910-460: The neighbouring districts of Fallowfield , Chorlton-cum-Hardy , Whalley Range , Withington and West Didsbury , at the junction of Princess Road and Mauldeth Road West, three miles south of Manchester's city centre: the land was owned by the Egerton Estate. The aerodrome's brief existence is commemorated on a plaque in the sports pavilion at Hough End Playing Fields, which now occupy part of
945-628: The same wings and engines as the Lincoln, it achieved only a short (34 completed) production run following a first flight in June 1945 and the cancellation of an order from BOAC . The older Avro York was somewhat more successful in both the RAF and in commercial service, being distinguished by a fuselage square in cross-section. Both Tudors and Yorks played an important humanitarian part in the Berlin Airlift . The postwar Vulcan bomber , originally designed as
980-459: The site was used for a mixture of recreation and housing development. A rural site to the south of the city was found at New Hall Farm, Woodford in Cheshire, which continued to be used by aviation company BAE Systems until March 2011; the site has now been earmarked for a mixed use development. In 1928 Crossley Motors sold AVRO to Armstrong Siddeley Holdings Ltd. In 1928 A.V. Roe resigned from
1015-577: The site. A commemorative plaque was unveiled on 7 July 2007 to mark the 90th anniversary of the aerodrome and is located in the grounds of No. 184 (Manchester South) Squadron, Air Cadets , in Hough End Crescent. Following the closure of the Trafford Park Aerodrome (Manchester) in 1918 after only seven years of spasmodic use, Alexandra Park Aerodrome was constructed and opened in May 1918 by
1050-500: The weather caused a few flights to be cancelled, the daily service was operated without mishap. Aircraft left Alexandra Park at 2:00 pm and arrived in Blackpool 45 minutes later, after having stopped over at Southport. Tickets cost nine guineas return or five guineas one-way, equivalent to about £324 and £180 respectively as of 2008. From 1922 until 1924 Daimler Airway operated daily scheduled passenger flights from
1085-455: Was 1930 before Imperial again flew any schedules to any UK airport north of London. Aircraft competing in the King's Cup Race air races landed here in 1922 and 1923; there were also a number of flying displays at the aerodrome. The Lancashire Aero Club , the oldest flying club in Britain, was formed at and operated from Alexandra Park until 1924, when it moved to Woodford Aerodrome . The terms of
Roe II Triplane - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-413: Was 600 ft (180 m). Data from Jackson 1990 p.11 General characteristics Performance Related development Roe I Biplane - Roe I Triplane - Roe II Triplane - Roe III Triplane - Roe IV Triplane Avro Avro (an initialism of the founder's name) was a British aircraft manufacturer . Its designs include the Avro 504 , used as a trainer in the First World War,
1155-422: Was merged into Hawker Siddeley Aviation in 1963, although the Avro name has been used for some aircraft since then. One of the world's first aircraft builders, A.V. Roe and Company was established on 1 January 1910 at Brownsfield Mill, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester , by Alliott Verdon Roe and his brother Humphrey Verdon Roe . Humphrey's contribution was chiefly financial and organizational; funding it from
1190-456: Was part of the grass aerodrome and flying still takes place here with Hough End Model Aircraft Club keeping the spirit of aviation alive. The aerodrome's hangars and ancillary buildings stood on the site of today's GMP Sports and Social Club at Hough End. This is also where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) train their dogs and horses. The GMP helicopter uses the pitches at the Sports and Social Club as
1225-441: Was seen as so dangerous, the ticket agent, Messrs. Robinsons of Whalley Range developed a system to reassure travellers relatives. Upon a safe landing at Croydon Airport, a telegram was despatched to Robinsons' office, on receipt of which a messenger boy was despatched in turn to the travellers' homes. On the evening of 14 September 1923 the northbound de Havilland DH.34 ten-seat biplane airliner crashed near Ivinghoe Beacon in
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