English Electric Ayr
The English Electric M.3 Ayr was a British three-seat coastal patrol flying boat designed and built by the English Electric Company. The aircraft refused to become airborne and the project was abandoned.
| Ayr | |
|---|---|
| Role | coastal patrol flying boat |
| Manufacturer | English Electric |
| Designer | W.O. Manning |
| Produced | 1924 |
| Number built | 2 |
Development
While the company were working on the Kingston they decided to experiment with a design for a small flying boat. The aircraft was a single-engined biplane flying-boat named the Ayr and was built in 1924. The hull was designed by Linton Hope who had designed the Kingston hulls. The lower wing was mounted low on the hull where the root was fully submerged while on the water, and inclined with considerable dihedral. It was designed to both provide lateral stability while on the water, and to carry bombs. During trials the aircraft rolled to the right and was unable to become airborne.
Specifications
Data from British Flying Boats[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 40 ft 8 in (12.40 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft 0 in (14.02 m)
- Height: 13 ft 8 in (4.17 m)
- Wing area: 466 sq ft (43.3 m2)
- Empty weight: 4,406 lb (1,999 kg)
- Gross weight: 6,846 lb (3,105 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Napier Lion IIB W-12 water-cooled piston engine, 450 hp (340 kW)
- Propellers: 4-bladed fixed-pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 127 mph (204 km/h, 110 kn)
- Service ceiling: 14,500 ft (4,400 m)
Armament
- Guns:
- 1 x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis machine gun in nose
- 1 x 0.303 in Lewis machine gun in rear cockpit
- Bombs:
- Provision for sponson carried bombs
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to English Electric aircraft. |
- London 2003, pp. 260–261.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1613
- London, Peter. British Flying Boats. Stroud, UK:Sutton Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0-7509-2695-3.