Country of origin:

United Kingdom

Description:

Military aircrew trainer and communications transport

Power Plant:

Two 261 kw (350 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

Armament:

One 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Vickers machine gun fixed firing forward in front fuselage; one 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Lewis machine gun in mid upper turret; two 113 kg (250 lb) depth charges internally; or two 45 kg (100 lb) bombs

History:

On 24 March 1935 the prototype (K4771) of the Avro Anson, a military derivative of the Avro 652 airliner, flew for the first time. Subsequently 8,138 examples were built in the United Kingdom, and 2,882 in Canada, incorporating Mks 1 to 21, with the last of the total of 11,020 being completed in 1952.

Designed for coastal reconnaissance duties, it filled many other roles, including crew training, communications, and transport. In the 1930s 48 were ordered for the RAAF for coastal reconnaissance duties. At that time efforts were being made by Avro to interest overseas customers and, if orders were received, some aircraft were diverted from RAF orders. These aircraft for the RAAF were diverted from a batch which was to become K6212 to K6223.

The first aircraft (A4-1) of the first batch of 12 arrived in Melbourne, VIC on 19 November 1936 on board the ‘SS Orani’  and was conveyed to Laverton, VIC where it was erected by No 1 Aircraft Depot, being flown from there on 2 December 1936. As more aircraft arrived and were erected they were used to equip Nos 2 and 4 Squadrons formed at Laverton and Richmond, NSW. They were fitted with a fixed forward firing Vickers machine gun in the port side of the fuselage, and a Lewis gun in the dorsal turret. Normal bomb load was 91 kg (200 lb).

The next unit formed was No 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron which was equipped in February 1938, the Ansons joining Hawker Demons and de Havilland Gipsy Moths with this unit. The next batch came from aircraft destined to become K8792 to K8812, K8840 to K8844 and L7914 to L7922 with the RAF, becoming A4-13 to A4-48, the last of this original order, A4-48, entering service in September 1938.

In late 1938 a further 40 Ansons were diverted from the RAF to the RAAF on a loan basis pending the arrival of new aircraft, and these retained their RAF serials in the K, L and N blocks. No 6 Squadron then equipped with Ansons at Richmond, NSW pending the arrival of Lockheed Hudsons in May 1940. No 71 Squadron at Lowood, QLD also received the type.

Most Anson operations were carried out in daylight due to the lack of instrument flying equipment. These early Ansons usually flew overloaded, with 636 litres (140 Imp gals) of fuel, a crew of three, ASV radar, and two 113 kg (250 lb) depth charges carried internally. In addition, some were also fitted with external racks to carry two 45 kg (100 lb) bombs under the fuselage. The dorsal turret was often removed for these duties and the fuselage faired over. As well, the Anson served with Advanced Flying Training Schools, Bombing and Gunnery Schools, Wireless Air Gunnery Schools, and Air Observer Schools.

Because of the war in Europe, and the demands made on its aviation industry, the British Government advised the Australian Government in May 1940 that no further Ansons would be supplied and a proposal was put forward that 800 Ansons should be built in Australia. However, in the event further aircraft became available and the last RAAF Anson was delivered on 20 January 1945, nearly all of these having serials in the R block. The exact number received in Australia is uncertain but most records seem to indicate it was 1,034 aircraft. However, only the first 48 carried RAAF serials, the others all retaining their RAF serials, the initial aircraft delivered being in overall silver colour but the remainder being in standard RAF camouflage.

Those used in the training role were painted overall yellow. They served with Nos 1, 2, 6, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 25, 33, 34, 35, 66, 67, 71, 73 and 92 Squadrons, and a small number were allotted to Royal Navy and USAAF units operating in Australia. Many went eventually to Engineering Schools. All supplied, except two, were Mk Is, the other two being Mk XIIs which were supplied for use by the Governor General in the VIP role.

Two Ansons serials, N4876 and L9162, from No 2 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) made headlines when, on cross-country flights on 29 September 1940, the two aircraft collided in flight at 305 m (1,000 ft) and became wedged together, one on top of the other. Three of the four occupants bailed out, the trainee pilot in the upper machine accomplishing a successful forced landing about 32 km (20 miles) north-west of Albury, NSW. The upper machine was rebuilt and the lower was converted to become an instructional airframe. A similar event occurred with two Ansons in Canada.

The Anson was mainly used in VFR conditions, but night take-offs and landings were often required, particularly when it was necessary to meet incoming convoys from the United States. These were made at first light and often almost at the limit of the Anson’s radius of action. This daylight use was mainly due to the limitations at the time of the early ASV Mk I radar sets installed in the aircraft, the scan angle being insufficient to give the necessary coverage.

The Anson continued in RAAF service up to the 1950s, mainly in the communications and freight roles. In the early 1950s a further two Anson Mk 19 series 2 aircraft were brought to Australia for use at the Long Range Weapons Establishment at Woomera, SA.

At the end of the war large numbers of Ansons were declared surplus. Some 674 were placed in the hands of the Commonwealth Disposals Commission and many were sold to farmers and small engineering firms as a source of nuts, bolts and metal tubing, these items for a period of time being in short supply. Many of these have been located by enthusiasts around the country over the years and a few have been recovered for museums.

Approximately 150 appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register performing a variety of roles from commercial airliner to freighter. Many retained their ‘glasshouse’ windows, but others were re-worked and had separate windows fitted. Many passenger and freight operators commenced their services with the Anson, and these included Flinders Island Airways, Brain & Brown, Woods Airways, Adastra Hunting Geophysics Ltd, Department of Civil Aviation, Butler Air Transport, Marshall Airways, Australian Air Traders, MacRobertson Miller Airlines, and East West Airlines Ltd. A few went to Papua New Guinea but they were not very successful in that region. Three are known to have been flown to the United Kingdom, VH-AKI, VH-ALY and VH-ALX, becoming G-AJSC, G-AJSD and G-AJSE.

On 30 June 1962 all Ansons in Australia were grounded because of perceived structural problems due to deterioration of glued joints in the wings, and the poor performance of the type if one engine failed. Further, the Department of Civil Aviation was of the view that, as they were all similar to the Mk I delivered to the RAF in 1936, they had many obsolescent design features that were not particularly well suited to commercial operations.

The Anson in civil service saw a lot of use as a freighter, particularly across Bass Strait and on paper runs, the maximum allowance of some being increased to 3,992 kg (8,800 lb) when carrying newspapers. The first converted for civil work was VH-AGA (ex R9883) used by G Lewis at Kalgoorlie, WA for air-taxi and survey work.

Only one has been airworthy in recent years. VH-BAF (ex MH120) was restored to airworthiness at Moorabbin, VIC and was operated for a period by Brain & Brown from Essendon, VIC. After a period it was placed on display at the Airworld Museum at Wangaratta, VIC. In 2004 it was sold to New Zealand where work commenced to restore it to airworthiness, the registration ZK-AGI being initially reserved.

This aircraft was restored as ZK-RRA / K6183 (c/n MH120), being registered on 2 February 2012.  It was finished in the markings of Anson I K6183 of No 206 Squadron RAF Coastal Command and made its first post restoration flight at Auckland on 18 July 2012. Anson I N1334 supplied some parts. The original K6183 was the first RAF combat loss of World War II on 5 September 1939, being shot down by a Heinkel He 115 off the Friesian Islands, the Heinkel in turn being shot down by the crew of the Anson.

Others on display have included R9883 (ex VH-AGA) at the Camden Museum of Aviation; VH-FIA at the Moorabbin Air Museum; and another at the RAAF Museum at Point Cook, VIC. VH-ASM, the first aircraft used by East West Airlines, was rebuilt in Sydney and placed on display in a specially built building at Tamworth airport. Others are under restoration for museums.

Nearly all civil conversions were of the Mk I but a Mk 19 was registered and became VH-BIX (ex VM375). Another was imported by Nicholas Air Charter from the United Kingdom and became VH-RCC, this being fitted with metal wings and tailplane, having Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah Mk 15 engines with constant speed propellers, and having an engine-driven hydraulic pump to operate the undercarriage in lieu of the hand-winding system.

The Anson also saw extensive service in New Zealand. Twenty-three Anson 1s (NZ401 to NZ422) and two Anson XIIs (PH599 and PH600) saw service with the RNZAF between 1942 and 1952, the latter two being maintained on behalf of the RAF between 1946 and 1951. Initially obtained for communications duties, they were used to expand the General Reconnaissance School into the School of Navigation and Reconnaissance following increased requirements for navigators. After the war they operated from Wigram at the Air Navigation School until replaced by de Havilland Devons in 1952.

Two later appeared on the NZ civil register with Southern Scenic Air Services, one Anson XII registered as ZK-AXY (ex PH599) and ZK-BCL, an Anson I. The latter was used for freight services and ZK-AXY operated on Queenstown to Dunedin and Taieri services. The Anson XII was fitted with hydraulically-operated flaps and undercarriage, the cabin roof being raised and it being powered by Cheetah XV.91 engines of 313 kw (420 hp). From 1944  254 examples were produced. Late production models were fitted with an all-metal wing and became known as the Mk XII Series 2.

Another Anson I ZK-AYJ (ex NZ418) was only used for spares. One (ZK415) was rebuilt for static display at the MOTAT Museum in Auckland. Another, using the tailplane from a Mk XIX (VL352), was restored for the RNZAF Museum.

At least two Ansons have been airworthy in the United Kingdom, these including Anson T-21 (WD413) operated by the Air Atlantique Historic Flight.

An Anson (W2472) has been acquired W2472 for restoration by the RAAF Base Amberley Heritage Centre, QLD, this aircraft restored for static display to join other aircraft in the base’s museum marked as AW665.  Others are under restoration, including EF954 (using parts from AW9)at the South Australian Aviation Museum; and another at Nhill, VIC.