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Subject: Airspeed Oxford
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Oxford
The Airspeed AS.10 Oxford is a twin-engine aircraft used for training British
Commonwealth aircrews in navigation, radio-operating, bombing and gunnery during
the Second World War.
With the expansion of the Royal Air Force in the 1930s the service had an
operational requirement (OR.42) for an advanced training aircraft, particularly
for crews destined for bomber aircraft. The Avro Anson was considered for the
role but it was thought an aircraft more difficult to fly was needed and Air
Ministry Specification T.23/36 was issued on 10 July 1936 to Airspeed for a
twin-engined training aircraft to meet OR.42
The Oxford was a low-wing cantilever monoplane, with a semi-monocoque
constructed fuselage and wooden tail unit. Its main landing gear struts
retracted into the engine nacelles. It used conventional landing gear
configuration. With a normal crew of three, the seating could be changed to suit
the training role. The cockpit had dual controls and two seats for a pilot and
either a navigator or second pilot. When used for bomb aimer training, the
second set of controls was removed and the space was used for a prone
bomb-aimer. When used as a navigation trainer, the second seat was pushed back
to line up with the chart table. Aft of the cockpit was a wireless operator
station, facing aft on the starboard side of the fuselage. In the Oxford I a
dorsal turret was located amidships. The aircraft could be used for training
navigators, bomb-aimers, wireless operators, air gunners and camera operators.
The Oxford could also be used as an air ambulance.
A total of 8,586 Oxfords were built, with 4,411 by Airspeed at its Portsmouth
factory, 550 at the Airspeed-run shadow factory at Christchurch, Dorset, 1,515
by de Havilland at Hatfield, 1,360 by Percival Aircraft at Luton and 750 by
Standard Motors at Coventry.
Role
Training aircraft
Manufacturer
Airspeed Ltd.
First flight
19 June 1937
Primary user
Royal Air Force
Number built
8,586
Developed from
Airspeed Envoy
Variants
Airspeed Consul
The Oxford (nicknamed the 'Ox-box') was used to prepare complete aircrews for
RAF Bomber Command and could simultaneously train pilots, navigators, bomb
aimers, gunners and radio operators on the same flight. In addition to training
duties, Oxfords were used in communications and anti-submarine roles and as
ambulances in the Middle East.
The Oxford was the preferred trainer for the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS)
and British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which sent thousands of
potential aircrew to Canada for training. 27 Oxfords were on the strength of No
4 Flying Training School RAF Habbaniya, Iraq in early 1941 and some were
converted locally, for use as light bombers to help in the defence of the School
against Iraqi forces.
Although the Oxford was equipped with fixed-pitch wooden or Fairey-Reed metal
propellers, the cockpit contained a propeller pitch lever, which had to be moved
from "Coarse" to "Fine" for landing. This was to reinforce this important step
for trainee pilots.
Oxfords continued to serve the Royal Air Force as trainers and light transports
until the last was withdrawn from service in 1956. Some were sold for use by
overseas air arms, including the Royal Belgian Air Force.
Specifications (Mk I)
General characteristics
Crew: 3
Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
Empty weight: 5,322 lb (2,419 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,500 lb (3,409 kg)
each
Performance
Maximum speed: 192 mph (167 knots, 309 km/h) at 8,000 ft (2,440 m)
Endurance: 5.5 hr
Service ceiling: 23,550 ft (7,180 m)
Rate of climb: 1,340 ft/min (6.8 m/s)
Armament
Guns: 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret
*
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