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Aviation History
1954
1954 - 2065.PDF
88 FLIGHT THE AVRO 504 . . . Service Ceiling: 504K (Monosoupape) 13,000ft; 504K (Le Rhone) 16,000ft. Endurance: Prototype, 3 hr; 504A, 4i hr; 504C and D, 8 hr; 504K (Monosoupape), 3 hr. 504K (Dyak), 2J hr. Tankage: Petrol 25 J gallons; oil 6 gallons (on 504K). ARMAMENT In the early days of the war the observer carried a rifle, and a few home-made gun-mountings of various kinds were used in the field to enable the observer to use a Lewis machine-gun. The early service 504 carried four 20-lb bombs, as also did some of the Home Defence Avros. For anti-Zeppelin work incendiary bombs and grenades were carried. Some Avro 504Cs had a Lewis gun firing upwards at an angle of about 45 deg through an aperture in the centre-section. Home Defence single-seaters had a Lewis gun on a Foster mounting above the centre-section. The 504G had a fixed synchronized Vickers machine-gun for the pilot, and a Lewis gun on a Scarff ring-mounting was fitted to the rear cockpit. SERVICE USE France: Avro 504 used by R.F.C. Sqns Nos. 1, 3 and 5. R.N.A.S. Sqn No. 3 (one Avro was received by this unit on 27.11.14 : on 6.2.15 two were on this squadron's strength). R.N.A.S. Sqn No. 1 (eight Avros were delivered to this unit mid-December 1914: five were on strength on 26.2.15). Dardanelles: No. 2 Wing R.N.A.S., Isle of Imbros. Home Defence: R.F.C. Sqns Nos. 33, 51, 75, 76, 77 and 90. R.N.A.S. Stations Westgate, Great Yarmouth. Training Duties: Before the end of 1918 the Avro 504 had been issued in one form or another to every training unit in Great Britain. Trainer versions were used at the Royal Aircraft Park, Farnborough, and at the Schools of Aeronautics at Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Denham, Oxford and Reading; at Flying Instruc tors' Schools at Gosport (S.W. Area), Shoreham (S.E. Area), Lilbourne (Midland Area), Redcar (N.E. Area), Ayr (N.W. Area) and Curragh (Ireland). Used by squadrons working up before going overseas; e.g., Nos. 24, 45, 65. No. 45 Sqn had six Avros on 30.3.16. Used for night- flying training by Sqns Nos. 186, 188 and 190, R.A.F., at East Retford, Throwley and Newmarket respectively. Used by the R.N.A.S. at Cranwell, Chingford, Frieston, Redcar, Port Victoria, War School at Manston. Egypt: 20th Training Wing, Abu Qir. Australia: Australian Flying Corps School, Point Cook. Canada: Camp Borden, Ontario. New Zealand: 504Ks used at flying schools after the war. South Africa: Used by the S.A.A.F. after the war. American Use: In July 1918 fifty- two Le Rhone-powered 504Ks were purchased by America for the use of the A.E.F. as trainers. Some were used at the A.E.F. 3rd Instruction Centre, Issoudun. France: Four Gosport instructors and four Mono- Avros were sent to France in 1918 to advise and assist in the training of French pilots. SERIAL NUMBERS AND MANUFACTURERS (WHERE KNOWN) Nos. 179, 383, 398, 568: 504s built by A. V. Roe. 750-793: 504s built by A. V. Roe. 873-878: 504s built by A. V. Roe. 1001-1050: 504Bs built by A. V. Roe: 1467-1496: 504Cs built by Brush Electrical Engineering Co. 2890-2939: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 3301-3320: 504Cs built by Brush Electrical Engineering Co. 4020-4069: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 4737-4786: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 7446-7455: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 7716-7739: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 7943-7992: 504As built by A. V. Roe. 8574-8603: 504Cs built by A. V. Roe. 9276-9285: 504Es built by A. V. Roe. 9821-9830: 504Bs built by A. V. Roe. 9861-9890: 504Bs built by Parnall. A.412-A.461: 504As built by Saunders. A.462-A.511: 504As built by Bleriot and Spad. A.512-A.561: 504As built by A. V. Roe. A.1970- A.2019: 504As built by Bleriot and Spad. A.2633-A.2682: 504As built by A. V. Roe. A.3355-A.3404: 504As built by Saunders. A.5900- A.5949: 504As built by A. V. Roe. A.8501-A.8600: 504As built by A. V. Roe. A.9763-A.9812: 504As and Js built by Saunders. B.901-B.1000: 504As and Js built by A. V. Roe. B.1390-B.1394 and B.1397-B.1400: Avros renumbered on transfer to the R.F.C. from the R.N.A.S. B.3101-B.3250: 504As and Js built by A. V. Roe. B.3251-B.3300: 504As built by Humber. B.4201-B.4400: 504As and Js ordered from A. V. Roe; B.4351-B.4400 were not built. B.8581- B.8780: 504As and Js built by Parnall. B.8781-B.8830: serial numbers originally allotted for Avros, but contract cancelled. C.551-C.750: 504As built by Humber. C.4301-C.4500: 504Js built by A. V. Roe. C.5751-C.6050: 504Js and Ks built by Harland and Wolff. D.1-D.200: 504Js and Ks built by A. V. Roe. D.1601-D.1650: 504As built by Eastbourne Aviation Co. D.1976-D.2125: 504K (Clerget) built by Sage. D.4361-D.4560: 504Js built by Sunbeam. D.5451-D.5550: 504Js and Ks built by A. V. Roe. D.5851-D.5950: 504Ks (Clerget) built by Henderson Scottish Aviation Factory. D.6201-D.6250: 504As and Ks built by Humber. D.6251-D.6400: 504Js and Ks built by Brush Electrical Engineering Co. D.7051- D.7200: 504Ks (Clerget) built by Hewlett and Blondeau. D.7501- D.7800: 504Js and Ks built by A. V. Roe. D.8251-D.8300: 504As and Ks built by A. V. Roe. D.8781-D.9080: 504Ks built by Grahame White. D.9281-D.9380: 504Ks built by Parnall. E.301-E.600: 504Ks built by Harland and Wolff. E.1601-E.1900: 504Js and Ks built by A. V. Roe. E.2901-E.3050: 504Ks built by Morgan and Co. E.3051-E.3150: 504Ks built by Savage and Co. E.3254-E.3403: 504Ks built by Parnall. E.3404-E.3903: 504Ks built by A. V. Roe. E.4104-E.4303: 504Ks built by Humber. E.4324- E.4373: 504Ks built by Eastbourne Aviation Co. E.6737-E.6786: 504Ks built by Morgan and Co. E.9207-E.9506: 504Ks built by Grahame White. F.2233-F.2332: 504Ks built by Brush Electrical Engineering Co F.2533-F.2632: 504Ks built by Sunbeam. ~ ' H.2146-H.2645: 504Ks built by A. V. Roe. J.731-J.1023 (possiblv to J.1230): 504Ks and Ns built by A. V. Roe. There were other batches of 504Ks within and about the range F.8727-F.8940 (the complete batch may have been F.8696-F.894 j), of which F.8864-F.8882 are known to have been built by Fredk. Page within and about F.9697-F.9922, of which F.9810 is known to have been built by Hewlett and Blondeau; within and about H.1925-H.1970 of which H.1964 and H.1966 are known to have been built by Sunbeam' within and about H.2956-H.3214 (the complete batch may have been H.2946-H.3245) of which H.2987-H.2990 are known to have been built by Brush; within and about H.5196-H.5241, of which H.5240 and H.5241 are known to have been built by Eastbourne; and H.244 H.6630, H.7531, H.9816, H.9840 and H.9847 are all believed to have been 504Ks; while H.5196 became a 504N. There were also much later 504Ks in the J series, e.g., J.8332 J.8333, J.8875. N.5250-N.5279: 504Bs built by Sunbeam. N.5310-N.5329: 504Bs built by Regent Carriage Co. N.5800-N.5829: 504Bs built by Parnall. N.6010-N.6029: 504Bs built by Parnall. N.6130-N.6159: 504Bs built by Sunbeam. N.6650-N.6679: 504Bs. Notes on Individual Machines.—179, 873, 874, 875: the four 504s sent to Belfort to bomb the Zeppelin sheds at Friedrichshafen, 21.11.14, 383: No. 5 Sqn 568: No. 5 Sqn. 753: interned in Holland. 876: R.N.A.S. Chingford. 1001: interned. 1019: had 80 h.p. Le Rhone. 1028: R.N.A.S. Cranwell. 1031: R.N.A.S. Chingford, later Cranwell. 1032, 1033, 1034: R.N.A.S. Chingford. 1033 had 80 h.p. Le Rhone. 1043: No. 2 Wing R.N.A.S., Imbros. 1492, 1493, 1494: R.N.A.S. Cranwell. 2905: left works 17.1.16, used for fabric tests at Farnborough in 1916. 2929: R.N.A.S. Redcar. 2930: fitted with fin of 3307, crashed at Cranwell. 2933, 2934: R.N.A.S. Redcar. 3302, 3318: R.N.A.S. Cranwell. 4043, 4044: transferred to R.N.A.S. 4741: No. 23 Sqn. 4784, 4785: left works 22.8.16. 7944: left works 30.6.16. 7946: left works 1.7.16. 7960, 7961: left works 21.7.16. 7963, 7964: left works 26.7.16. 7987: left works 30.8.16 7990: left works 31.8.16. 8594, 8600: R.N.A.S. Redcar. 8603: modified to have 75 h.p. Rolls-Royce Hawk, redesignated 504F. 9277: R.N.A.S. Chingford. 9278: R.N.A.S. Cranwell. 9821, 9822: R.N.A.S. Cranwell. 9862, 9863, 9864: R.N.A.S. CranweU. 9865, 9866, 9867: R.N.A.S. Redcar. 9870, 9875: R.N.A.S. CranweU. 9880: R.N.A.S. War School, Manston. 9890: fitted with interrupter gear. A.426: No. 31 Training Sqn, Wyton. A.8505: No. 35 Reserve Sqn, Northolt. A.8515: used at Harling Road aerodrome. A.9785: No. 51 Sqn. B.3182: used at Harling Road aerodrome. B.4309, B.4310: trans ferred to R.N.A.S. without engines. B.4311-B.4317: transferred to R.N.A.S. with 80 h.p. Gnomes. C.572: "5" at London Colney, crashed by Lt. Le Feuvre, May 1918. C.4329: prototype 504L. C.4436: No. 31 Training Sqn, Wyton. D.13: Used by American Cadets at Brinstead Manor. D.4388: "A," No. 10 Training Squadron, Gosport. D.4441: "B," No. 10 Training Sqn, Gosport. D.7051: "S," No. 10 Training Sqn, Gosport. D.7601: delivered to School of Special Flying, Gosport, April 1918. D.7608: School of Special Flying, Gosport. D.7613: Delivered to School of Special Flying, Gosport, April 1918. D.7999: "B" Flight, No. 186 Development Sqn, Gosport, 1919. D.9038: 1668 of A.E.F. purchase. E.1621: No. 186 Development Sqn, Gosport, 1919. E.1807: Hamble, 1918. E.1830: No. 186 Development Sqn, 1919. E.3493 : as ER.3493 crashed at No. 4 F.T.S. E.3567: C.F.S. Upavon. E.3746: presented to Australia. E.3763: "A" Flight, No. 186 Development Sqn, 1919. E.3778: Hamble, 1918. E.3800: "F" Fhght, No. 186 Development Sqn, 1919. E.9261, E.9265, E.9266, E.9268: all became 504Ns; E.9265 was first prototype. E.9384: "DON," AustraUan Flying Corps Station, Leighterton. N.5261: fitted with interrupter gear. N.5264: R.N.A.S. Redcar. N.5266: R.N.A.S. Redcar. N.5267: fitted with interrupter gear. N.5271: R.N.A.S. 'Cranwell. N.6015-N.6029: transferred to the R.F.C. N.6158: R.N.A.S. Frieston. N.6654: R.N.A.S. CranweU. N.6666: R.N.A.S. CranweU. Avros of the School of Special Flying, Gosport.—"A" Flight: B.3165, B.3169, C.609, C.4451, D.41. "B" Flight: B.3172, B.4222, B.4223, B.4246, C.608, C.4344, C.4447. "C" Flight: B.987, B.3101, B.3131, B.3167, B.4263, C.4448, C.4450, C.4452, D.6266, D.6269. "D" Flight: A.9811, B.3102, B.3155, B.3159, B.3174, B.3196, B.4242, B.4249, B.4250, B.4266, C.606, D.6270. "E" Flight: A.9799, B.3158, B.4265, B.4243, C.4432, C.4433, D.6267. "F" Flight: A.9810, A.9812, B.3104, B.4245, C.4431, C.4449, D.42, D.7603. H.Q. Flight: D.6268, D.7601-D.7613 : 504Ks delivered during April 1918. Avros in New Zealand, 1921-22.—Most, if not aU, of the foUowing machines were probably included in the Imperial Gift of aircraft. Where an aircraft went on to the New Zealand Civil Register its registration letters are given in parentheses following the serial number. New Zealand Flying School, Auckland: 504Ks—H.2986, H.298S, H.2989 (G-NZAA), H.5240 (G-NZAB); 504L—H.2990 (G-NZAC). Canterbury Aviation Co., Christchurch: 504Ks—D.6243, E.4237, E.4242 (G-NZAK), E.9432 (G-NZAF), H.1952, H.1958, H.196! (G-NZAG), H.1968, H.1970, H.2987 (G-NZAJ). N.Z. Aero Transport Co., Titnaru: 504Ks—E.3142 (G-NZAN; E.9424 (G-NZAP), E.9427 (G-NZAR), E.9429, H.1966 (G-NZAL H.5241 (G-NZAO). COSTS Avro 504K airframe less engine and instruments, £868 19s; 100 h.p. Gnome Monosoupape engine, £696; 110 h.p. Le Rh6ne engine £771 10s; 130 h.p. Clerget engine, £907 10s. I JSK
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