Airspeed Tern

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title: "Airspeed Tern" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-british-sailplanes", "glider-aircraft", "airspeed-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1931"] description: "British single-seat glider, 1931" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Tern" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary British single-seat glider, 1931 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	AS.1 Tern
aircraft_type	Sailplane
national_origin	United Kingdom
manufacturer	Airspeed Limited
designer	Hessell Tiltman & Nevil Shute Norway
number_built	2
introduction	1931
first_flight	1931
::

| name = AS.1 Tern | logo = | logo_size = | image = | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Sailplane | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United Kingdom | manufacturer = Airspeed Limited | design_group = | designer = Hessell Tiltman & Nevil Shute Norway | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 2 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = 1931 | retired = | first_flight = 1931 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Airspeed AS.1 Tern was a 1930s British glider aircraft, the first aircraft built by Airspeed Limited at York and one of the earliest British-designed gliders.

Development

The Tern was designed by Hessell Tiltman & Nevil Shute Norway to gain records and publicity for the new Airspeed company, as well as to attract orders for new aircraft. Designed for hill- and cloud-soaring, the Tern was a wood-and-fabric cantilever monoplane. It was designed to be dismantled and was advertised for sale at £248. Only two examples were built. Shute himself was the pilot on the Tern's first test flight.

On 24 August 1931 the Tern was flown by Carli Magersuppe from Stoupe Brow, Ravenscar to Scarborough to gain the first British distance record of 8.3 miles (13.4 km). The glider flew a total of 16 mi but only the straight-line distance counted towards the record.

The Tern was constructed of wood with a fabric-covered two-spar cantilevered tapered wing with no dihedral. A plywood leading edge was fitted but only as an aerodynamic fairing and not as primary structure. The trapezoidal-section fuselage had plywood lower sides and fabric-covered top decking as well as a generous cockpit in the leading edge of the centre-section.

The Tern had some success in establishing gliding records but only one was completed and parts for one more were produced. After languishing through the Second World War the Tern was re-built, using parts from both airframes, but did little flying.

Specifications

|ref=Sailplane and Glider |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|crew=1 |length m=7.49 |span m=15.24 |wing area sqm=18.7 |aspect ratio=12.44 |empty weight kg=101 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=188.24 |gross weight lb= |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |lift kg= |lift lb= |lift note= |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number= |eng1 name= |eng1 type= |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp= |eng1 shp= |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf= |eng1 note= |power original= |thrust original= |eng1 kn-ab= |eng1 lbf-ab=

|eng2 number= |eng2 name= |eng2 type= |eng2 kw= |eng2 hp= |eng2 shp= |eng2 kn= |eng2 lbf= |eng2 note= |eng2 kn-ab= |eng2 lbf-ab=

|eng3 number= |eng3 name= |eng3 type= |eng3 kw= |eng3 hp= |eng3 shp= |eng3 kn= |eng3 lbf= |eng3 note= |eng3 kn-ab= |eng3 lbf-ab= |more power=

|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note=

|rot number= |rot dia m= |rot dia ft= |rot dia in= |rot area sqm= |rot area sqft= |rot area note= Performance

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh=112 |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note=(launch / tow) |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh=65 |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh=40 |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |sink rate ms= |sink rate ftmin= |sink rate note= |lift to drag=25 (theoretical) |wing loading kg/m2=10.05 |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |disk loading kg/m2= |disk loading lb/sqft= |disk loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |thrust/weight=

|more performance= Armament

|armament= specific parameters, remove this parameter-- |guns= |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=

|avionics=

References

• Simons, Martin. Sailplanes 1920-1945 2nd revised edition. EQIP Werbung und Verlag G.m.b.H.. Königswinter. 2006.

References

1. Simons, Martin. Sailplanes 1920-1945 2nd revised edition. EQIP Werbung und Verlag G.m.b.H.. Königswinter. 2006. {{ISBN. 3-9806773-4-6
2. (11 September 1931}}{{Dead link). "The First British Distance Record". Sailplane and Glider.
3. Nevil Shute, "Slide Rule", London: Heinemann, 1954
4. Ellison, Norman. (1971). "British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970". Adam & Charles Black.

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