Armstrong Whitworth Ensign

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstr...itworth_Ensign

The Armstrong Whitworth Ensign was a British four-engine airliner built during
the 1930s for Imperial Airways. It could seat 40 passengers and was designed for
European and Asian routes, connecting Britain with further seaplane flights to
Australia and South Africa.

In the Second World War, they were used for transport duties to and from the
area of Middle East command. After the war they were withdrawn from service –
and with no buyers forthcoming – scrapped.

The Ensign was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of light alloy construction and
an oval, semi-monocoque fuselage with a conventional tailplane. The wings aft of
the single box spar were fabric covered as was the tailplane and fin. It had
retractable landing gear and a castoring tail wheel. The main landing gear was
hydraulically operated and retracted into the inner engine nacelles. The cockpit
had side-by-side seating for two pilots with dual controls; there was also
accommodation for a radio operator. The fuselage was divided into separate
cabins, either four cabins with accommodation for 40 passengers or three cabins
with room for 27 by day or 20 at night with sleeping accommodation.

The aircraft were fitted out for either Empire routes (eight aircraft) or
European routes (four aircraft). The former carried 27 passengers in three
cabins or 20 sleeping; the latter 40 passengers across three cabins and a
four-person "coupe" aft of the third cabin. The only difference in crewing was a
"flight clerk" replacing one of the two stewards on Empire routes.

Despite being underpowered, the aircraft was certified, and full airline service
began between Croydon Airport and Paris, France in October of that year.


Role
Airliner

Manufacturer
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft

First flight
24 January 1938

Introduction
1938

Retired
1946

Primary users
Imperial Airways
BOAC

Number built
14

Ensigns flew throughout the war. On a ferry flight to west Africa, following
trouble with her engines Enterprise made a force landing in the desert in French
West Africa (at that point under Vichy France control) about 300 miles short of
their destination. Codebooks and other paperwork on board was destroyed except
that required to show the crew were civilian. They were picked up by an RAF
Sunderland flying boat and taken on to Bathurst in Gambia. Enterprise was found
by the French authorities, repaired and used as a hospital plane at Dakar before
being flown to Vichy France. (During her service with the French, Enterprise was
initially registered as F-AFZV, later becoming F-BAHD). After the German
occupation of Vichy France, she was taken by the German Air Ministry and tested
before being used as transport for officers. It was scrapped in Toulouse in
1943. Several were broken up for spare parts to support the remaining fleet.

From 1944 under the end of their service, the Ensigns were used between Cairo
and Calcutta. When taken out of use for their Certificate of Airworthiness
overhauls, the camouflage dope – which in combination with the heat had been
rotting the fabric surfaces – was removed and thereafter the Ensigns were in a
"natural" finish.

After the end of the war, due in part to their performance and the problematic
maintenance of the fabric surfaces, it was decided eventually to remove the
Ensigns from service and to return them to the UK. Euterpe, which had been out
of use since February 1945, was sacrificed to make repairs to the others.

The final Ensign passenger flight took place in June 1946 when G-ADSW Eddystone
flew from Cairo to Hurn via Marseille; she had been delayed in the Middle East
by repairs. Conversion of the Ensigns was considered and they were offered for
sale but the projected costs were too much for those who showed interest. The
aircraft were broken up at Hamble in March and April 1947 and removed to Cowley,
Oxford where they were reduced to scrap.

Specifications (A.W.27A)

General characteristics
Crew: 5 (captain, first officer, radio operator, two cabin stewards)
Capacity:
European routes: 40 passengers in 4 cabins
Asian routes: 27 passengers in 3 cabins

Length: 114 ft (34.8 m)
Wingspan: 123 ft (37.5 m)
Height: 23 ft (7.02 m)
Wing area: 2,450 ft² (227.6 m²)
Empty weight: 35,075 lb (15,900 kg)
Useful load: 12,000 lb (5,450 kg)
Loaded weight: 55,500 lb (25,200 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 66,000 lb ()
Powerplant: 4 × Wright GR-1820-G102A geared radial engines, 1,100 hp (820 kW)
each

Performance
Maximum speed: 210 mph (180 kn, 330 km/h) at 6,700 ft (2,000 m)
Cruise speed: 180 mph (160 kn, 290 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Range: 1,370 mi (1,190 nmi, 2,200 km) at 173 mph and 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
Service ceiling: 24,000 ft (7,300 m) when fully loaded
Rate of climb: 900 ft/min (4.57 m/s) at sea level
Wing loading: 22.6 lb/ft² (110 kg/m²)
Power/mass: .079 hp/lb (130 W/kg)



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