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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 1577.PDF
6 June 1952 Anson Mk 19 (the civil Avro XIX is similar). It is not, perhaps, generally known that some of the earliest trials of airborne radar were made with an Anson; indeed, what is believed to be the first real proof of the success of this equipment was provided on September 4th, 1937, during Home Fleet and Coastal Command exercises. Soon after the start the weather began to deteriorate, and all Coastal aircraft were recalled by wireless before any fleet sightings had been reported. Not being equipped with wireless, however, the Anson continued about its business under the murkiest circumstances, finally picking up Courageous, Southampton and attendant destroyers on the radar screen at a range of about 9 miles. In order to confirm the identity of the warships the pilot closed in to within visual range, and Courageous, believing an attack to be imminent, despatched her fighters to intercept. As they took off, these, too, duly appeared as "blips." Aided by radar responses from the coastline, the Anson pilot made an accurate landfall, and it is recorded how that evening a surprised Duty Air Staff Officer, who had been led to believe that all flying had been cancelled, received an accurate plot of the fleet's position. All this was 15 years ago; but, as Sir Roy Dobson, Avro's managing director, remarked when he handed over the 11,020th Anson on May 27th, "Annie's life isn't yet over by a long chalk, and if she goes on for another nine years she will equal the record of the 504 which, as a glider tug, concluded 26 years of service in 1940." Sir Roy was speaking at Woodford Airfield, Cheshire, and among his guests were : Mr. W. R. McGaw, Director General of Aircraft Production, M.o.S.; Mr. D. W. L. Fairbank, Resident Technical Officer, M.o.S., at A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd.; Mr. L. Pinder, the Principal Inspection Officer, Aeronautical Inspection Directorate, M.o.S., Northern Area; Mr. W. N. Twelvetrees, Inspector-in-charge, A.I.D., at A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd., Chadder- ton; Mr. J. H. Outhwaite, Inspector-in-charge, A.I.D., at A. V. Roe and Co., Ltd., Woodford; Mr. G. F. Clarke, Armstrong Siddeley Motors, Ltd.; W/C. H. Budden, D.S.O., D.F.C., Wing Commander (Air), 41 Group; and S/L. P. R. Robinson, 41 Group. "The corner-stone of the Royal Air Force has always been its training system," said Sir Roy, "and I know everybody in the Avro company shares my pride in the contribution made by Faithful Annie to the winning of the last war. Like all articles of quality, she is deservedly having a long life, and when I add her 17 years in production to the 16 of the famous old 504, the total of 33 years isn't very far short of the time I have been in the Anson Mk 20 (R.A.F. navigational trainer for Rhodesian service). industry and with the company." Sir Roy recalled the feverish haste to finish the first Anson in the six months allowed, and how he flew down to Gosport, where the Service trials were under way, in the Commodore cabin biplane. "There have been, to my mind," Sir Roy went on, "two main reasons for Annie's successful career. The-first was the genius of Roy Chadwick, who, had he been spared, would today have been mildly surprised at this little ceremony and, inwardly, vastly excited at being on the point of gathering the fruit from another seed which he planted before his death. His genius was a combina tion of an uncanny flair, a remarkable foresight and quite extra ordinary ability. Secondly, Faithful Annie has always had two strong and reliable heart-beats. She began life with Cheetah engines and she will finish life with them. It is no exaggeration to say that the Cheetah V made the original design possible, and the Cheetahs which have followed are worthy of a generous share of any tribute to Annie herself. "Finally, I want to use this occasion to thank the thousands of men and women who have helped to build 11,020 Ansons. So many of them are with us today that it was found impossible to invite them all, but a very fair representation of the Avro organiza tion is here now. Many of you helped to build the prototype and some of you helped to build the last Anson. Through you, I want to say to all who had a hand in the design and production of this truly great aircraft, 'Thank you, for a good job—a job well done.'' Thereupon Anson T.21 WJ561 was handed over and went her way. H.F.K. PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN Great Britain Avro production totalled 8,138 machines—3,537 at Newton Heath, 4,061 at Yeadon, and 540 at Chadderton. Of this total 6,779 were Mk 1; 223 Mks 3 and 4; 103 Mk 10; 90 Mk 11; 246 Mk 12; 13 Mk 18; 12 Mk 18C; 326 Mk 19; 60 Mk 20; 252 Mk 21; and 34 Mk 22. Canada A total of 2,882 Ansons was built in Canada, of which 1,832 were Mk 2, and 1,050Mk5andMk6. Anson Mk I Of the 6,779 Anson 1s, 313 were fitted at the time of manufacture with a Bristol Type I Mk 4 hydraulically-operated turret. Anson Mk 19 Of the 326 Mk 19 aircraft, 183 were built with metal wings and tail (17 at Yeadon and 166 at Chadderton) and 143 with wooden wings and tail (140 at Yeadon and 3 at Chadderton). The two "Flight" photographs below were secured at Woodford on the occasion of the handing over of the last Anson. On the left, the machine— a Mk 21 navigational trainer for home service—is seen taxying out to take off. On the right, Mr. J. H. Outhwaite is handing over the log book to VV/C. H. Budden, D.S.O., D.F.C., while Sir Roy Dobson (extreme left) and S/L P. R. Robinson register their pleasure at this transaction. A N O LAST AVRO ANSON
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