Avro Athena
1948 British military trainer aircraft
title: "Avro Athena" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1940s-british-military-trainer-aircraft", "avro-aircraft", "low-wing-aircraft", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft"] description: "1948 British military trainer aircraft" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Athena" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary 1948 British military trainer aircraft ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Athena |
| image | Avro Athena.jpg |
| caption | Avro Athena T.1 prototype with turboprop engine |
| type | Trainer |
| manufacturer | Avro |
| first_flight | 12 June 1948 |
| introduction | 1950 |
| retired | |
| status | |
| primary_user | Royal Air Force |
| more_users | |
| produced | |
| number_built | 22 (including prototypes) |
| developed_from | |
| variants | |
| :: |
|name = Athena |image = Avro Athena.jpg |caption = Avro Athena T.1 prototype with turboprop engine |type = Trainer |manufacturer = Avro |designer = |first_flight = 12 June 1948 |introduction = 1950 |retired = |status = |primary_user = Royal Air Force |more_users = |produced = |number_built = 22 (including prototypes) |unit cost = |developed_from = |variants =
The Avro 701 Athena is a British advanced trainer aircraft built by Avro in the late 1940s. It was designed to replace the North American Harvard in the Royal Air Force, but was bought only in small numbers, the competing Boulton Paul Balliol being preferred.
Design and development
The Athena was designed to meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification T.7/45 for a three-seat advanced trainer powered by a turboprop engine for the RAF. The Athena was an all-metal low-winged monoplane, with a side-by-side cockpit. The Air Ministry rethought its requirements in 1947 and replaced the original specification with Specification T.14/47, which specified the use of a Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 piston engine, large stocks of which were held in store.
Despite the change in specification, the first three prototypes were of the turboprop-powered Athena T.1, the first of which, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Mamba engine, flew on 12 June 1948 at Woodford Aerodrome. The Merlin-powered Athena T.2 first flew on 1 August 1948, and was evaluated against the similar Boulton Paul Balliol.
A small production run of 15 Athenas was ordered for the RAF, but the Balliol was preferred, and no further Athenas were ordered.
Operational history
The 15 production Athenas were used by the RAF from 1950 for armament training at the RAF Flying College at RAF Manby. A single aircraft was loaned back to Avro and given the civil registration G-ALWA for a demonstration tour of India. No sales resulted and it was returned to the RAF.
Variants
;Athena T.Mk.1 :Turboprop-powered prototype. One 1010 hp Armstrong Siddeley ASM.3 Mamba engine. Two built. ;Athena T.Mk.1A :Single prototype powered by 1400 hp Rolls-Royce RDa.1 Dart engine. Second prototype to fly. ;Athena T.Mk.2 :Trainer to Spec. T.14/47 powered by 1280 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 35. Four prototypes plus 15 production.
Operators
;
- Royal Air Force
- Aircraft Instrument Experimental Unit, Martlesham Heath (one T2 in 1951)
- Central Flying School, Little Rissington (two T2s 1949-1950)
- Empire Test Pilot's School, Farnborough (one T2 development aircraft)
- Royal Aircraft Establishment (two aircraft)
- RAF College at Manby (ten aircraft 1950-1955)
Accidents and incidents
Two of the 22 aircraft were lost in flying accidents:
- T2 VR569 of the Aircraft Instrument Experimental Unit was written off at Wilby, Suffolk on 27 June 1951. Aircraft broke up in spiral dive after loss of control in cloud, two crew killed.
- T2 VR570 crashed before delivery on 20 March 1950.
Specifications (Athena T.2)
|ref=Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1949-50, Avro aircraft since 1908, The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |prime units?=imp General characteristics
|crew=2 |capacity=720 lb |length m=11.37 |span m=12.2 |height m=3.93 |height note=a/c level with tail up |wing area sqft=270 |aspect ratio=5.93 |airfoil=root: H/1414/37.5 (14%); tip: H/1410/37.5 (10%) |empty weight lb=6384 |gross weight lb=8130 |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity=110 impgal in two flexible wing tanks and 30 impgal in a fuselage collector tank, with provision for 90 impgal in two under-wing drop tanks; Oil: 15 impgal |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Rolls-Royce Merlin 35 |eng1 type=V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine |eng1 hp=1280 |eng1 note=for take-off :::::1245 hp combat rating at 11500 ft :::::1060 hp continuous cruise at 9250 ft |prop blade number=4 |prop name= constant-speed propeller |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= Performance
|max speed mph=293 |max speed note=at 20000 ft |cruise speed mph=223 |cruise speed note=max at 10000 ft |stall speed mph=81 |stall speed note=flaps down |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |range miles=550 |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 ft=29000 |ceiling note=service ceiling |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ftmin=2050 |climb rate note=initial; 2030 ft/min at 10000 ft |time to altitude= |wing loading lb/sqft=30.1 |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=6.4 lb/hp |thrust/weight=
|more performance=
- Take-off run to clear 50 ft: 745 yd off concrete; 770 yd off grass
- Landing run over 50 ft: 740 yd on concrete; 710 yd on grass Armament -- |guns= 1x 0.303 in Browning machine gun |bombs= |rockets= Provision for two 60 lb RP-3 rockets
References
References
- Thetford, Owen. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57, 1st edition London: Putnam, 1957.
- [http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/milestones-of-flight/aircraft/1950.html "Milestones of Flight, 1950".] {{webarchive. link. (2 October 2006 ''RAF Museum.'' Retrieved: 27 May 2007.)
- Taylor, M.J.H., ed. ''Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1989. {{ISBN. 1-85170-324-1.
- "BRITISH FLIGHT TEST FATAL ACCIDENTS — 1946-1970".
- (1949). "Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1949-50". Sampson Low, Marston & Co.
- (1965). "Avro aircraft since 1908". Putnam Aeronautical.
- "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage".
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