Airspeed Consul / AS.65
Варианты:
Airspeed - Consul / AS.65 - 1949 - Великобритания
Страна: Великобритания
Год: 1949


Двухмоторный многоцелевой транспортный самолет
Описание
Фотографии
Airspeed AS.65 Consul

   В годы Второй мировой войны менеджеры фирмы "Airspeed" думали о послевоенном периоде, считая, что переделка самолета AS.10 Oxford в легкую транспортную машину гражданского назначения будет востребована рынком. После окончания войны фирма приступила к покупке ранее построенных учебных самолетов Oxford у британского правительства. Переделанные машины получили наименование Airspeed AS.65 Consul.
   Входе модернизации в фюзеляже самолета делали два дополнительных иллюминатора, в удлиненной носовой части фюзеляжа устраивали багажный отсек, оборудовали перегородку между пассажирской кабиной и кабиной летчиков. С целью сохранения центровки самолета изменяли форму горизонтального хвостового оперения. Самолет был рассчитан на перевозку шести пассажиров, мог использоваться в качестве легкого транспортного, санитарного и связного.
   Всего в вариант AS.65 Consul конвертировали примерно 160 самолетов AS.10 Oxford.


ТАКТИКО-ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ТРЕБОВАНИЯ

   Airspeed AS.65 Consul

   Тип: двухмоторный многоцелевой транспортный самолет
   Силовая установка: два звездообразных поршневых двигателя воздушного охлаждения Armstrong Siddeley X взлетной мощностью по 395 л. с
   Характеристики: максимальная скорость на высоте 1500 м - 310 км/ч; экономическая крейсерская скорость на высоте 3050 м - 230 км/ч; максимальная скороподъемность на уровне моря 375 м/мин, время набора высоты 3050 м - 10 минут, дальность полета с максимальным запасом топлива 1000 км
   Массы: пустого снаряженного 2720 кг; максимальная взлетная 3750 кг
   Размеры: размах крыла 16,26 м; длина 10,82 м; высота 3,07 м; площадь крыла 32,33 м^
Last Consul to fly (certainly in the UK) was the Rapid Flying Group’s G-AIKR, which was based at Baginton. Built by Airspeed as Oxford I PK286 in 1945, it saw no service and was sold to the makers in September 1946, emerging as a Consul for Chartair that December. The Rapid group retired G-AIKR in May 1965 and it went to the RAF Museum and then to the Canadian National Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe.
This beautifully preserved Airspeed Consul recalls the use of this type by Singapore Airlines in its formative post-war years. The photograph comes from Y C Loh.
Malayan Airways started operations with Consuls in May 1947. To mark its 30th anniversary Singapore Airlines (as it had become) restored former RAF Museum Consul G-AJLR to pristine condition as ‘VR-SCD’ - it is preserved at SAL’s maintenance base.
The Airspeed A.S.65 Consul Light Transport Monoplane (Two 395 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X engines).
Самолет Consul представлял собой не более чем гражданскую модификацию учебно-тренировочного самолета Oxford.
The Consul prototype was G-AGVY, built originally by de Havilland as Oxford IV 3679. As a Consul, it was sold to the Bata Shoe company in March 1946 and crashed in the Lebanon in February 1949.
Airspeed Consul G-AIBC of Westminster Airways Ltd at Croydon on March 15, 1947. This aircraft was scrapped at Southend in 1952.
In the immediate post-war period, Billy Butlin acquired his own fleet of corporate aircraft, which in 1950 comprised Fairchild Arguses G-AJGW, G-AJNN, G-AJPE and G-AJVI, Percival Proctor G-AGTE, Miles Martlet G-AAYX and Airspeed Consul G-AIKU, as seen here with the company’s logo, “Butlin’s Camps”, on its rudder.
Butlin acquired Airspeed Consul G-AIKU (c/n 4348) in September 1946.
The longer nose made the Consul a smoother-looking evolution of the already handsome Oxford. Airspeed-built Oxford I EB748 became Consul G-AIOX for Transcontinental Air Services of Gatwick in February 1947. It was sold in Transjordan as TJ-ABD in 1950.
Oxford I G-AIUH served the Reid & Sigrist company at Desford from early 1949. It was later acquired by Hunting Aerosurveys and gained a Consul nose (illustrated). It was sold in Kenya as VP-KOX in 1959.
Consul G-AIUX ‘Star Master’ was used by British South American Airways and later by BOAC for training - note the comprehensive array of aerials and the faired D/F loop. Built by Airspeed as Oxford I LB527 it saw no service use, becoming a Consul in late 1948.
Built at Portsmouth in 1940 and demobbed in February 1947, Oxford I R6029 became Consul G-AJLR in June 1947 serving in turn with Olley Air Services from Croydon; Cambrian Air Services, Cardiff and Morton Air Services of Gatwick. In 1956 it was acquired by All Power Transformers (illustrated) and operated out of Fairoaks until being withdrawn in 1963 and moving on to the RAF Museum. It went to Singapore in 1986.
Airspeed AS.65 Consul.
G-AJWR, originally Airspeed-built Oxford I HN829, served as the prototype (and only?) ambulance version in October 1947. Here it demonstrates the standard Consul swing-nose baggage bay.
Singapore Airlines’ Airspeed Consul, ex-G-AJLR, was restored to static condition in time for the airline’s 40th anniversary on May 1, 1987. It is painted in the colours of Malayan Airways, SA’s predecessor, which used the type on its first operations in 1947.
With Oxfords awaiting conversion in the background, Consul VR-TAU on the compass circle at Portsmouth prior to delivery to United Air Services of Tanganyika in mid-1948. Built as Mk I Oxford EB974 at Portsmouth in 1942, it served only with 116 Squadron in the anti-aircraft gun calibration role. It was registered as G-AJWY for the Consul conversion.
Liverpool-based Steiner’s Air Service operated a fleet of seven Consuls. G-AJND, formerly Airspeed-built Oxford I EB718 was converted to Consul status at Portsmouth (where it is illustrated) and was delivered direct to the Burma Corporation as XY-ABJ without entering service with Steiner’s.
Two Consuls in the Airspeed compound at Portsmouth showing the rare use of the company’s ‘B Condition’ (or ‘trade plate’) markings G-22-. Their previous identities and destination(s) are not known.
The first Bedek hangar under construction in 1954 - though a Beech Bonanza, an Airspeed Consul and a Boeing PT-17, as well as a Spitfire, can be seen inside the yet-to-be completed structure.
The Airspeed A.S.65 Consul.