| Anson | |
|---|---|
Avro Anson ZK-RRA in flight, Classic Fighters Airshow (2015) | |
| General information | |
| Type | Multirole aircraft, primarily a trainer |
National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Avro (UK) / Federal Aircraft Limited (Canada) |
| Primary users | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 11,020 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1930s–1952 |
Introduction date | 1936 |
| First flight | 24 March 1935 |
| Retired | 28 June 1968 (RAF) |
Developed from | Avro 652 |
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers served in a variety of roles with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War.
Originally designated the Avro 652A, the Anson was developed during the mid-1930s from the earlier Avro 652 airliner in response to an Air Ministry request for tender for a coastal maritime reconnaissance aircraft. After impressing the Air Ministry during evaluation, a single prototype was ordered and made its maiden flight on 24 March 1935. Following trials in which the Type 652A outperformed the competing de Havilland DH.89, it was selected for production. This led to Air Ministry Specification G.18/35 being written around the design, and an initial order for 174 aircraft was placed in July 1935. The Type 652A was subsequently named Anson after the British Admiral George Anson.
The Anson entered service with the RAF in its intended maritime reconnaissance role, operating alongside larger flying boats. After the outbreak of the Second World War, however, it quickly became obsolete as a front-line combat aircraft. It was instead widely employed as a multi-engine aircrew trainer, proving well suited to the role and becoming one of the main training aircraft of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The type remained in this role throughout and after the war, serving with the RAF as a trainer and communications aircraft until 28 June 1968.
After the war, a small number of new-build aircraft, known as the Avro 19, were produced for the civilian market. Many more surplus military aircraft were converted for civil use as light transports and executive aircraft. By the end of production in 1952, Avro had built 8,138 Ansons in nine variants, while a further 2,882 aircraft were manufactured in Canada by Federal Aircraft Ltd from 1941. By the 21st century, almost all Ansons had been retired, although three aircraft continue to appear at flying displays.
In 1933, the British Air Ministry proposed acquiring a relatively inexpensive landplane for coastal maritime reconnaissance duties to supplement the more capable, but significantly more expensive, flying boats then used by the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Ministry invited proposals from British aircraft manufacturers. Avro responded with the Avro 652A, a modified version of its earlier Avro 652, a twin-engined, six-seat monoplane airliner. de Havilland submitted a design based on its D.H.89A Dragon Rapide biplane. After considering the submissions, the Air Ministry ordered one prototype each of the Type 652A and the de Havilland DH.89 for evaluation in late 1934, with a production decision scheduled for May 1935.
On 24 March 1935, the Avro 652A made its maiden flight from Woodford Aerodrome, Greater Manchester. Between 11 and 17 May 1935, the prototype underwent formal evaluation against the competing DH.89M by the RAF's Coastal Defence Development Unit at RAF Gosport, Hampshire. During the trials, the Avro design proved superior and was selected as the winner on 25 May 1935. In response, Air Ministry Specification G.18/35 was written around the Type 652A. An initial order for 174 aircraft, by then named Anson, was placed in July 1935.
The first production Anson made its maiden flight on 31 December 1935. Compared with the prototype, production aircraft featured an enlarged horizontal tailplane and a reduced elevator span to improve stability. Although the prototype had not been fitted with flaps, production aircraft were designed to accommodate them from the outset, improving the approach angle and reducing landing speed. Deliveries to the RAF began on 6 March 1936.
By the end of production in 1952, a total of 11,020 Ansons had been completed, making it the second most-produced British multi-engined aircraft of the Second World War after the Vickers Wellington, of which approximately 11,500 were built.

The Avro Anson was a twin-engine, low-wing cantilever monoplane. Developed as a general reconnaissance aircraft, it possessed many features that lent itself to the role, including considerable load-carrying ability, and long range. The structure of the Anson was relatively straightforward and uncomplicated, relying on proven methods and robust construction to produce an airframe that minimised maintenance requirements. Much of the internal structure retained similarities to the earlier Avro 652 airliner from which it had been developed. The Anson Mk I was furnished with a low-mounted one-piece wooden wing, composed of a combination of plywood and spruce throughout the wingbox and ribs. The fuselage was composed of a welded steel tubing framework which was principally clad in fabric; the exterior of the nose was clad in magnesium alloy.
The Anson was powered by a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines, which were each rated at 350 horsepower (260 kW). Each engine was provided with its own duplicated fuel pumps and separate fuel and oil tanks; the tanks were composed of welded aluminium and mounted in cradles housed within the wing. The engine cowlings were intentionally designed to have a reduced diameter in order to reduce their negative impact on external visibility, which was considered to be valuable to the type's reconnaissance function. These engines drove two-bladed Fairey-built metal propellers.
The Anson was the first aircraft equipped with retractable landing gear to enter service with the RAF. While the main undercarriage was retracted into recesses set into the bottom of the engine nacelles, the tail wheel was fixed in position. Commonly, the undercarriage was fitted with Dunlop-built wheels, tyres and pneumatic brakes and Turner legs. The retractable undercarriage was mechanically operated by hand; 144 turns of a crank handle, situated beside the pilot's seat, were needed. To avoid this laborious process, early aircraft would often perform short flights with the landing gear remaining extended throughout, which would reduce the aircraft's cruising speed by 30 mph (50 km/h).

Initially, the Anson was flown by a crew of three, which comprised a pilot, a navigator/bomb-aimer and a radio operator/gunner, when it was used in the maritime reconnaissance role; from 1938 onwards, it was typically operated by a four-man crew. The bomb-aimer would perform his function from a prone position in the forward section of the nose, which was provisioned with a bombsight, driftsight, and other appropriate instrumentation, including a landing light. The pilot was located in a cockpit behind the bomb aimer's position and was provided with a variety of contemporary instrumentation, including those to enable flight under instrument flight rules (IFR) and indirect instrument lighting for night flying purposes.
Immediately behind the pilot's position is a small folding seat fixed to the starboard side of the fuselage for an additional crew member or passenger, along with racks that would contain a pair of parachute packs that would be clipped onto the harnesses worn by both the pilot and the navigator. Behind these is the navigator's station, a chair and table provisioned with navigational aids such as compasses, Bigsworth chart boards, sea markers, slide rules for course, wind and speed, a signalling lamp and float flares. Aft of the rear spar is the wireless operator's station – a table with contemporary wireless equipment, including a winch for the trailing aerial, which was attached to the upper fuselage immediately behind the aircraft's cockpit.
The armaments of the Anson consisted of a single .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun which was fixed within the forward fuselage and aimed by the pilot, while an Armstrong Whitworth-built manually operated gun turret located on the Anson's dorsal section was fitted with a single Lewis gun. Additionally, up to 360 pounds (160 kg) of bombs, which could consist of a maximum of two 100 pounds (45 kg) and eight 20 pounds (9 kg) bombs, could be carried in the aircraft's wings. Those Ansons that were used in the training role were outfitted with dual controls and usually had the gun turret removed, although specific aircraft used for gunnery training were fitted with a Bristol hydraulically operated gun turret, similar to that used in the Bristol Blenheim. The tail fairing of the starboard nacelle contains an inflatable dinghy which is provided with automatic actuators and marine distress beacons.

On 6 March 1936, the Anson entered RAF service with No. 48 Squadron, the first RAF unit to be equipped with the type. Its introduction marked a significant advance in capability, serving not only as a general reconnaissance aircraft but also as an effective general-purpose aircraft. In July 1937, a Coastal Command Anson was fitted with an experimental airborne early warning radar capable of detecting large warships 5 miles (8.0 km) away in poor visibility. The system was successfully used during fleet exercises off the east coast of England in September.
By the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAF had received 824 Ansons. Twenty-six RAF squadrons operated the Anson I: 10 with Coastal Command and 16 with Bomber Command. By 1939, all Bomber Command squadrons equipped with the Anson I had become operational training units responsible for preparing crews for frontline service. Twelve of these squadrons formed part of No. 6 (Operational Training) Group. Newly formed crews, having completed their individual flying and technical training, received bomber crew instruction in Ansons before converting to frontline aircraft within the same squadrons. They then progressed to operational bomber squadrons equipped with aircraft such as the Fairey Battle, Bristol Blenheim, Vickers Wellington, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley, and Handley Page Hampden.

Even before the war began, it had become apparent that the Anson's limited performance made it unsuitable for its intended primary role as a maritime patrol aircraft. In 1938, it was decided to replace the type in this role with the American-built Lockheed Hudson, which was 100 mph faster, had three times the range, carried a much heavier bomb load, and possessed a superior defensive armament. The first squadron began converting to the Hudson in September 1939, but the remaining Coastal Command Anson squadrons entered the war with the aircraft already in service. With an endurance of only four hours, the Anson could operate only over the North Sea and other coastal waters, lacking the range to patrol the Norwegian coast. Its anti-submarine armament consisted of two 100 lb bombs, which, at least in theory, required a direct hit on a submarine's hull to be effective. On 3 December 1939, an Anson mistakenly attacked the surfaced Royal Navy submarine HMS Snapper. Although the aircraft struck the conning tower, the only damage was four broken light bulbs. In an earlier friendly fire incident off the coast of Scotland in September, bombs dropped by an Anson of No. 233 Squadron skipped off the water and detonated in an air burst, puncturing the aircraft's fuel tanks and forcing it to ditch off St Andrews. Despite numerous claims of attacks on U-boats during the opening months of the war, postwar examination of German records indicated that little damage had been inflicted.[citation needed]

Despite its obsolescence, the Anson was employed during the Dunkirk evacuation to deter attacks by German E-boats on Allied shipping. On 1 June 1940, a flight of three Ansons was attacked near Dunkirk by nine Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109s. According to unsubstantiated claims, the Ansons destroyed two German aircraft and damaged a third without suffering any losses.
The Anson achieved greater success as a training aircraft for crews of multi-engined bombers such as the Avro Lancaster. It was first introduced to Flying Training Schools in November 1936, replacing obsolete bombers previously used for twin-engine instruction. The Anson was also used to train navigators, wireless operators, bomb aimers, and air gunners. After the war, it continued in training and light transport roles. The final RAF Ansons, serving with communications units, were withdrawn on 28 June 1968.
During the war, the British Air Transport Auxiliary used the Anson as its standard taxi aircraft, transporting groups of ferry pilots to and from aircraft collection points. No fatal mechanical failure occurred in an Anson operated by the ATA, and the type was generally held in high regard.
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) ordered 33 Ansons in November 1935 for the maritime reconnaissance role. The first aircraft were delivered in 1936, and 48 were in service before the outbreak of war. The RAAF eventually operated 1,028 Ansons, the majority being Mk Is, which remained in service until 1955.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) operated 23 Ansons as navigation trainers during the Second World War, alongside the more numerous Airspeed Oxford, and acquired additional aircraft for communications duties after the war. A preserved navigation trainer is displayed at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand at Wigram.
The Royal Indian Air Force operated several Ansons with No.1 Service Flying Training School (India) for pilot and navigation training. The aircraft continued in this role after Indian independence before being retired on an unknown date.
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) operated 4,413 Ansons, comprising 1,962 built in Britain and 2,451 built in Canada. The RCN continued operating the type until 1952. Although most Canadian-built Ansons served with the training schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, some were employed operationally by the RCAF's Eastern Air Command. The role of training schools in combat operations during the Battle of the St. Lawrence was described by Hugh A. Halliday in the Royal Canadian Legion magazine on 1 March 2006:
The need for Atlantic patrols was undiminished, yet the Battle of the St. Lawrence stretched EAC resources. Based at Charlottetown, 31 General Reconnaissance School was mobilized to fly patrols using Avro Ansons, each carrying two 250-pound bombs. At the very outset of the war, the Anson and its ordnance had failed in RAF anti-submarine work. Now in Canada, it was remobilized as an aerial scarecrow. German views varied as to Canadian countermeasures. The captain of U-517 found his operations increasingly restricted by strengthened air patrols. In October 1942, U-69 reported "strong sea patrol and constant patrol by aircraft with radar."
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) operated 50 Canadian-built Ansons, designated AT-20.
The Egyptian Air Force (EAF) operated a number of Ansons for communications and VIP transport duties. A specially equipped Anson was presented to the King of Egypt by the RAF. The Royal Afghan Air Force acquired 13 Anson 18s in 1948 for a variety of roles, and these aircraft remained in service until 1972.

After the war, Ansons continued in production with Avro at Woodford. At this time, large amounts of the type were being converted for civilian use, where they were operated as light transports by a range of small charter airlines and as executive aircraft by large corporations. Countries that saw civilian operations with Ansons included the United Kingdom, Canada (Mk. V aircraft only), Australia and Mexico.

Railway Air Services operated Ansons on scheduled services from London's Croydon Airport via Manchester to Belfast (Nutts Corner) in 1946 and 1947. Sivewright Airways operated three Mk XIX aircraft from their Manchester Airport base on local charter flights, flights to Jersey, and Ronaldsway Airport in the Isle of Man until 1951. Finglands Airways operated an ex-RAF Anson I on inclusive tour flights and on scheduled flights from Manchester Airport to Newquay Airport between 1949 and 1952. Kemps Aerial Surveys operated several Anson XIXs on survey work within the UK until their retirement in 1973.
In 1948, India ordered 12 new Anson 18Cs for use by the Directorate of Civil Aviation as trainers and communications aircraft; these were delivered from Yeadon in the spring of 1949.
Ansons continued to be manufactured by Avro at Woodford for the RAF until March 1952; the type was used as trainers and served in the role of Station communications aircraft until 1968.
The wooden wings of Ansons flying in Australia were found to fail at a high rate. The phenolic glue bonds would part, and it was speculated that the problem was due to the high humidity. In 1962, the Commonwealth Government decided to ground the majority of wooden-winged aircraft then in operation; amongst those aircraft affected, the Anson and De Havilland Mosquito were included. Of the Ansons, no such aircraft were re-registered as the government had mandated a test that essentially destroyed the wings, thus requiring the fitting of new wings. Most owners decided to voluntarily scrap their aircraft well before this time.
During the late 20th century, the vast majority of Ansons were retired, with three aircraft still appearing at flying displays, two in the UK, one in New Zealand. A fourth aircraft in Canada was being restored to airworthiness in 2016.
The main Anson variant was the Mk I, of which 6,704 were built in Britain. The other variants were mainly distinguished by their powerplant with Canadian-built Ansons using local engines. To overcome steel shortages, the 1,051 Canadian-built Mk V Ansons featured a plywood fuselage.

The Avro Anson was used by both military and civilian operators from 1935 until the early 1970s. The main users were the Royal Air Force (5000+), Royal Canadian Air Force (4,413) and Royal Australian Air Force (936)






Data from The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II, and Avro Aircraft since 1908
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists