Avro 523 Pike

The Avro 523 Pike (the first Avro aircraft to receive a name) was a British multi-role combat aircraft of the First World War that did not progress past the prototype stage. It was intended to provide the Royal Naval Air Service with an anti-Zeppelin fighter that was also capable of long-range reconnaissance and bombing.

523 Pike
Role Multi-role military aircraft
Manufacturer Avro
Designer Roy Chadwick
First flight May 1916
Primary user Avro
Number built 2

Design and development

The Avro Pike was a large, three-bay biplane of conventional layout driven by two pusher propellers. Three open cockpits were provided, the centre one for the pilot, with gunners fore and aft of him. The Admiralty evaluated the type, but rejected it. Avro then built a second prototype, substituting the original's Sunbeam engines for Green E.6 engines instead and designated it the 523A.

Operational history

The Admiralty evaluated this in November 1916, but found that the type was by then obsolete and did not place an order. The two prototypes flew as testbeds with Avro for the remainder of the war.

Specifications (523)

Data from Avro Aircraft since 1908 [1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: three, pilot and two gunners
  • Length: 39 ft 1 in (11.91 m)
  • Wingspan: 60 ft 0 in (18.29 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.56 m)
  • Wing area: 815 sq ft (75.71 m2)
  • Empty weight: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg)
  • Gross weight: 6,064 lb (2,751 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Sunbeam Nubian , 162 hp (121 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 97 mph (156 km/h, 84 kn)
  • Endurance: 7 hours
  • Rate of climb: 526 ft/min (2.67 m/s) [Note 1]

Armament

  • 1 × flexible .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis Gun in nose
  • 1 × flexible .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun in rear fuselage
  • 2 × 112 lb (51 kg) bombs carried in internal bay [2]

References

Notes
  1. Climb to 5,000 ft (1,524 m) in 9 min 30 sec.

Citations
  1. Jackson 1990, p. 148.
  2. Mason 1994, p. 56.

Bibliography
  • Jackson, A.J. Avro Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
  • Mason, Francis K. The British Bomber since 1912. London: Putnam, 1994. ISBN 0-85177-861-5.
  • Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 1989, p. 93.
  • World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing.
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