Avro
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2008-07-04T17:38:43Z
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{{otheruses1|the British aircraft manufacturer}}
{{Infobox Defunct Company
|company_name = A.V. Roe and Company (Avro)
|company_logo = [[Image:Avro.png|300px|]]
|fate = Subsidiary of [[Hawker Siddeley]] 1935<br>
Merged into Hawker Siddeley Aircraft 1963
|successor = Hawker Siddeley Aviation
|foundation = 1910
|defunct = 1963
|location = [[Alexandra Park, Manchester|Alexandra Park]] , [[Woodford Aerodrome|Woodford]]
|industry = Aviation
|key_people = [[Alliot Verdon Roe|A.V. Roe]], [[Roy Chadwick]], [[Roy Dobson]], [[Harry Broadhurst]]
|products =
|num_employees =
|parent =
|subsid = [[Saunders-Roe]] (1929)
}}
'''Avro''' was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[aircraft manufacturer]], with numerous landmark designs such as the [[Avro 504]] trainer in the [[First World War]], the [[Avro Lancaster]] which was one of the pre-eminent bombers during the [[Second World War]] and the delta wing [[Avro Vulcan]], a stalwart of the [[Cold War]].
==History==
===Early history===
One of the world's first aircraft builders, '''A.V. Roe and Company''' was established at Brownsfield Mills, [[Manchester]], by [[Alliott Verdon Roe]] and his brother H.V. Roe on 1 January 1910. Alliot had already made a name for himself as a pilot at [[Brooklands]] near [[Weybridge]] in [[Surrey]] and [[Farnborough, Hampshire|Farnborough]] in [[Hampshire]]. The company built the world's first totally enclosed [[monoplane]] in 1912, but it was the well-proportioned, wooden [[biplane]] known as the [[Avro 504]] that kept the firm busy throughout the [[World War I|First World War]] and beyond. Production totalled 8,340 at several factories: Hamble, Failsworth, Miles Platting and Newton Heath and continued for almost 20 years. This was a substantial achievement considering the novelty of powered aircraft in this period.
===The inter-war years===
In the 1920s, the Company left [[Alexandra Park, Manchester|Alexandra Park]] aerodrome in south Manchester where test flying had taken place during its early years. A rural site to the south of the growing city was found at New Hall Farm, [[Woodford Aerodrome|Woodford]] in [[Cheshire]], which continues to serve aviation builders [[BAE Systems]] to this day. In 1928, A.V.Roe formed the [[Saunders-Roe]] company that developed several radical designs for combat jets, and, eventually, a range of powerful [[hovercraft]]. In 1935, Avro became a subsidiary of [[Hawker Siddeley]].
===The Second World War===
[[Image:Avro Lancaster B I PA474.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Avro Lancaster]]]]
[[Image:Avro Vulcan Bomber RAF.JPEG|thumb|250px|[[Avro Vulcan]]]]
[[Image:Blue Steel missile.png|thumb|250px|[[Blue Steel missile]]]]
Maintaining their skills in designing [[trainer]] aircraft, the company built a more robust biplane called the [[Avro Tutor]] in the 1930s that the [[Royal Air Force|Royal Air Force (RAF)]] also bought in quantity. A twin piston-engined airliner called the [[Avro Anson|Anson]] followed but as tensions rose again in Europe the firm's emphasis returned to combat aircraft. The Avro [[Avro Manchester|Manchester]], [[Avro Lancaster|Lancaster]], and [[Avro Lincoln|Lincoln]] were particularly famous Avro designs. Over 7,000 Lancasters were built and their bombing capabilities led to their use in the famous ''[[Operation Chastise|Dam Busters]]'' raid. Of the total, nearly half were built at Avro's Woodford and Chadderton (Manchester) sites, with some 700 Lancasters built at the Avro "shadow" factory next to [[Leeds Bradford Airport]] (formerly Yeadon Aerodrome), north-west [[Leeds]]. This factory employed 17,500 workers at a time when the population of Yeadon was just 10,000. The old taxiway from the factory to the runway can still be seen.
===Postwar developments===
The civilian [[Avro Lancastrian|Lancastrian]] and maritime reconnaissance [[Avro Shackleton|Shackleton]] were derived from the successful Lancaster design. The [[Avro Tudor|Tudor]] was a pressurised but problematic post-war Avro airliner that faced strong competition from designs by [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol]], [[Bombardier Aerospace|Canadair]], [[Douglas Aircraft Company|Douglas]], [[Handley Page Aircraft Company|Handley Page]], and [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]]. With 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 [[Avro Vulcan|Vulcan]] [[bomber]]s, originally designed as a nuclear strike aircraft, was used to maintain the British nuclear deterrent armed with the [[Blue Steel missile|Avro Blue Steel]] stand-off nuclear bomb. The [[Avro Vulcan|Vulcan]] saw service as a conventional bomber during the British campaign to recapture the [[Falkland Islands]] in 1982. Recently Vulcan [[XH558]] flew again after several years of refurbishment, and several are prized as museum exhibits.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:vulcan.planview.640pix.jpg|thumb|250px|The [[Avro Vulcan]]]] -->
A twin turboprop [[airliner]], the [[Avro 748]], was developed during the 1950s and sold widely across the globe, powered by two [[Rolls-Royce Dart]] engines. The [[Royal Flight]] bought a few and a variant with a rear-loading ramp and a "kneeling" main undercarriage was sold to the RAF and several members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] as the [[Hawker Siddeley Andover|Andover]].
===Avro Canada===
{{main|Avro Canada}}
In the 1950s, [[Hawker Siddeley|Hawker Siddeley Group]] purchased the former [[Victory Aircraft]] firm in [[Malton, Ontario]], and renamed the operation '''Avro Aircraft Limited (Canada)'''. Commonly known as Avro Canada it was actually a subsidiary of the Hawker Siddeley Group and used the Avro name for trading purposes.
===Amalgamation===
When the company was absorbed into Hawker Siddeley Aviation in July 1963, the Avro name ceased to be used. But the brand had a strong heritage appeal, and the marketing name "''Avro RJ''" (regional jet) was used by British Aerospace to the [[BAe 146]] from 1994 to 2001. This plane is sometimes also called "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 lovingly maintained in flying condition as reminders of the heritage of this influential English company. At 39 years, the noisy but impressive Shackleton held the distinction of being the aircraft with the longest period of active RAF service, until overtaken by the [[English Electric Canberra]] in 1998.
{{BAE Systems evolution}}
==Avro aeroplanes==
*[[Roe I Biplane]]
*[[Avro Triplane]]
**[[Roe I Triplane]]
**[[Roe II Triplane]]
**[[Roe III Triplane]]
**[[Roe IV Triplane]]
*[[Avro Mercury]]
*[[Avro Duigan]]
*[[Avro Type D]]
*[[Avro Type F]]
*[[Avro Type G]]
*[[Avro Canada Jetliner|Avro Canada C102 Jetliner]]
*[[Avro CF-100|Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck]]
*[[CF-105 Arrow| Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow]]
*[[Avrocar| Avro Canada VZ-9 AV Avrocar]]
*[[Avro 146]]: see [[BAe 146]]
*[[Avro 500]]
*[[Avro 501]]
*[[Avro 502]]
*[[Avro 503]]
*[[Avro 504]]
*[[Avro 508]]
*[[Avro 510]]
*[[Avro 511]]
*[[Avro 519]]
*[[Avro 521]]
*[[Avro Pike|Avro 523 Pike]]
*[[Avro 529]]
*[[Avro 530]]
*[[Avro Spider|Avro 531 Spider]]
*[[Avro 533 Manchester]]
*[[Avro Baby|Avro 534 Baby]]
*[[Avro 536]]
*[[Avro 539]]
*[[Avro 547]]
*[[Avro 548]]
*[[Avro Aldershot|Avro 549 Aldershot]]
*[[Avro 552]]
*[[Avro Bison|Avro 555 Bison]]
*[[Avro Ava|Avro 557 Ava]]
*[[Avro 558]]
*[[Avro 560]]
*[[Avro Andover|Avro 561 Andover]]
*[[Avro Avis|Avro 562 Avis]]
*[[Avro Avenger|Avro 566 Avenger]]
*[[Avro Buffalo|Avro 571 Buffalo]]
*[[Avro Avian|Avro 581]]
*[[Avro Avocet|Avro 584 Avocet]]
*[[Avro Avian|Avro 594 Avian]]
*[[Avro Antelope|Avro 604 Antelope]]
*[[Avro Avian|Avro 616 Avian]]
*[[Avro 618 Ten]]
*[[Avro 618 Ten|Avro 619 Five]]
*[[Avro Tutor|Avro 621 Tutor]]
*[[Avro 618 Ten|Avro 624 Six]]
*[[Avro Prefect|Avro 626 Prefect]]
*[[Avro Mailplane|Avro 627 Mailplane]]
*[[Avro Cadet|Avro 631 Cadet]]
*[[Avro 636]] (1935)
*[[Avro 638|Avro 638 Club Cadet]] (1933)
*[[Avro Commodore|Avro 641 Commodore]] (1935)
*[[Avro 618 Ten|Avro 642 Eighteen]]
*[[Avro Cadet|Avro 643 Cadet]]
*[[Avro 652]]
*[[Avro Anson|Avro 652A Anson]] (1935)
*[[Cierva C.30A Autogiro|Avro 671 Rota]] (1935)
*[[Avro Manchester|Avro 679 Manchester]] (1939)
*[[Avro Lancaster|Avro 683 Lancaster]] (1941)
*[[Avro York|Avro 685 York]] (1942)
*[[Avro Tudor|Avro 688 Tudor]] (1945)
*[[Avro Tudor|Avro 689 Tudor]]
*[[Avro Lancastrian|Avro 691 Lancastrian]] (1943)
*[[Avro Lincoln|Avro 694 Lincoln]] (1944)
*[[Avro Athena|Avro 701 Athena]] (1948)
*[[Avro Lincoln|Avro 695 Lincolnian]] (1949)
*[[Avro Shackleton|Avro 696 Shackleton]] (1949)
*[[Avro Vulcan|Avro 698 Vulcan]] (1952)
*[[Avro 707]] (1949)
*[[Avro Ashton]] (1950)
*[[Avro 748]] (1960) - became the [[Hawker Siddeley Andover]], [[HS 748]] and [[BAe 748]]
*[[Avro 720]] - planned [[Armstrong Siddeley Screamer|rocket]] interceptor, to OR.301 as for the [[SR.53]]. Cancelled before flight.
*[[Avro 730]] - planned supersonic bomber, never completed
==Missiles==
* [[Blue Steel missile]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
* Harlin, E.A. and Jenks, G.A. ''Avro: An Aircraft Album.'' Shepperton, Middlesex, UK: Ian Allen, 1973. ISBN 0-7710-0342-4.
* Holmes, Harry. ''Avro: The History of an Aircraft Company.'' Wiltshire, UK: Crowood Press, 2004. ISBN 1-86126-651-0.
* Jackson, Aubrey J. ''Avro Aircraft since 1908.'' London: Putnam, 1965. ISBN 0-85177-797-X.
* Molson, Ken M. and Taylor, Harold, A. ''Canadian Aircraft since 1909.'' Toronto: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-09-200211-0.
* Wood, Derek. ''Project Cancelled: British Aircraft That Never Flew''. New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., 1975. ISBN 0-672-52166-0.
{{Aviation lists}}
[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Aviation in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Hawker Siddeley]]
[[Category:Companies based in Manchester]]
[[Category:Companies established in 1910]]
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