Aeroplane Monthly 1978-11
-
D.Middleton - Airspeed's elegant Envoy (2)
Envoy production at Portsmouth in 1934. Note Courier K4047 behind.
The first production Envoy 1, G-ACVH, with Wolseley A.R.9 Mk I engines.
Envoy Series I G-ADCA was delivered to Portsmouth, Southsea and Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd in mid-1935.
Perhaps the most celebrated Envoy of all was Series 3 G-AEXX, ordered in 1937 as a VIP transport for the King's Flight. It flew as L7270 during the war.
Convertible Envoy ZS-AGD Alexander Biggar for South African Airways during trials at Martlesham Heath before shipment to Cape Town.
Convertible Envoy 251 for the SAAF at Martlesham Heath for tests. The patch covering the forward-firing machine gun on the starboard side of the nose has been removed.
The Airspeed Envoy Series III G-AENA Gabrielle in October 1936, ready for the Portsmouth to Johannesburg race.
The Airspeed Envoy III is normally powered by two Siddeley Cheetah engines of 350 h.p. each, but other makes can be fitted if desired.
Envoy Series 3 G-AHAC did not join the civil register until April 18, 1946. It began life as P5626, one of five for the RAF, and was scrapped at Tollerton in May 1950.
The pilot's position in the Envoy, in this case one with Lynx IVC engines. The handle on the right of the seat is for raising or lowering the undercarriage.
The interior of a Convertible Envoy of South African Airways. Behind and below the left-hand seat is an “Antifyre” extinguisher.