Avro 504K Mk.II

The Avro 504K Mk.II was initially an improved version of the 504K not intended for the military use. In fact it was just an hybrid civilian trainer built in the United Kingdom and Canada consisting on the regular 504K fuselage with the 504N undercarriage and wings. It was powered by the original Gnome engine and made it's maiden flight some time after 1924.

The initial idea of making an hybrid version between the two versions, was to create a cheaper version to be sold to the civilian market, however, it failed and only a few of them were sold. Interesantly enough, Mexico, wanting to replace their aging 504K, bought the manufacturing license of this airplane as they couldn't afford the, by then, expensive 504N. They were locally built in the Talleres Nacionales de Construcción Aeronáutica (TNCA - National Aeronautical Building Workshops) and were used as improvised light bombers -with small bomb boxes attached to the sides- in the Mexican Cristero war by the government forces during 1926-1929.

Sources:
1. http://www.gob.mx/sedena/documentos/material-aereo-historico-de-la-f-a-m (translated)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504#Variants
3. http://www.mexicanaviationhistory.com/articulos/articulo.php?id=36 (translated)

Avro 504K European Users, part five, British Users

Now it's the turn for the last post about the Avro 504K.
As we have previously stated, the Avro 504 was soon outdated for frontline duties, but as it was a very simple airplane to flight, it was used in the trainer and school role.
The K version featured a modified engine bearer in order to fit different engines as they were running short during the World War I. As many as 8340 Avro 504K had been produced by the end of 1918.
During the winter of 1917-1918, some modified Avro 504K replaced the aging RAF B.E.2c which didn't perform well in higher altittudes. They were modified into single-seat fighters with a a Lewis Machine gun Mk.II mounted on the upper wing on a Foster Mounting and powered by either a 100hp Gnome engine or a 110hp Le Rhône one. Two-hundred and seventy-four of them were converted and served with eight Home Defence squadrons during 1918 in the anti-zeppelin role. It's known that at least one of those converted one was sold unarmed to Argentina after the war.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters.

Avro 504K European Users, part four

Now it's the turn for the penultimate post about the European users of this excellent airplane.

• Spain: Avro gifted the Spanish King Alfonso XIII a single Avro 504K in 1919 which he handed it over to the army. As the Spanish Military Aviation judged it to be an excellent airplane, they ordered fifty of them. In 1923, they were delivered second hand machines which had previously served with the RAF and RFC. They served in the Spanish flying schools of Getafe, Cuatro Vientos, Alcalá and Albacete.
• Republican Spain: When the Spanish was proclaimed in 1931, the Avro 504K were transferred to the Republican Naval Aviation, which used them in their air-sea base of San Javier, in the provice of Murcia. They were kept there in the training role until 1938, when, due to the Spanish Civil War newer and better trainer airplanes arrived.
• Sweden: The Royal Swedish Naval Aviation bought some 504K during the early 1920s in order to use them in the training and school roles. They had the peculiarity of removable wheels in order to be replaced by skis during the winter months.

Sources:

1. http://www.ejercitodelaire.mde.es/ea/pag?idDoc=6D5611FEEB41557EC12570D700464507&idRef=C7B461BC45A0A4CFC12576AB002C9667&idImg=D6867819143F567CC12576AB002CB141 (translated)

2. http://avgce.blogspot.com.es/2015/04/avro-504k-aeronautica-naval.html (translated) 

Avro 504K European Users, part three

A little bit later, but here it is, the third post about the European users of the Avro 504K.

• Portugal: In 1923, the Portuguese Aeronautica Militar (Military Aeronautical) decided to update their training airplane fleet. In order to do so, they bought a Caudron C.59 and was confronted with an Avro 504K, which won. They were ordered on 10th November 1923 and arrived on 20th May 1924. Most of them were used in the training/school role at the Portuguese Escola Militar de Aviaçao (EMA) - Military Aviation School located in the city of Sintra, until as late as 1937. In 1925 two of them were given to the Naval Aviation, being this way the first land-based airplanes operated by the Portuguese Navy. 
• Switzerland: The Swiss Army Aviation service bought some of them and operated them in Geneva, however further details are unknown to us.
• USSR: As the USSR built it's own copy of the Avro 504K, it's known that at least one original 504K made by Avro was taken as a model and copied later through reverse engineering.

Sources:

1. http://asasdeferro.blogspot.com.es/2016/04/avro-504.html (translated)

2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

3. http://forum.valka.cz/topic/view/86602 

Avro 504K European Users, part two

Now's the time for the second part of the European users of the Avro 504K.

• Ireland: The Irish Air Corps had six of them from 1922 until 1932. Further details are unknown.
• Latvia: The Latvian air force adquired two Avro 504K in 1924 and 1925 which were active until 1930 when they were replaced by the German Udet U.12 Flamingo.
• Norway: The Norwegian Army Air Service used some 504K apparently during the 1920 with a modified engine. Further details are, unknown.
• Poland: The Polish Air Force had one in inventory during the 1920s. 
• Russian Republic (Whites): Apparently one was used by the Slavonic-British Air Corps during the Northern Campaign of the Russian Civil War. Interestingly enough, it was used in the recon role, hence the observer machine-gun, instead in the training role.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_the_Irish_Air_Corps

2. http://latvianaviation.com/Avro_504K.html

3. http://www.avro504.org/ActualAircraft.html

Avro 504K - European Users, Part One

As the Avro 504K was one of the most produced World War I airplanes, it was widely used by many European countries, we're covering them with this post.

• Belgium: First presented to the Belgian authorities in 1920 at the airfield of Evere, it convinced the Belgian observers who ordered six of them which were delivered from April 1921 onwards. The third and final delivery was made in late 1921 making fifty machines delivered from British sources. In 1924 the Belgian company SABCA built some some additional licensed machines. They were used in the flying schools of Asch and Wevelgem as well as in the liaison role serving with different squadrons and groups. They were replaced in 1929 by the Avro 504N which was a much refined version of the 504K.
• Denmark: Danske Luftfartselskab company, the Danish Airline Company bought some Avro 504K in the United Kingdom on 1919 but, as they never used them, they were sold to the Royal Danish Army who adquired two additional airplanes which were used until 1931 when they were replaced by the Avro 504N. The Royal Danish Navy, bought six of them in 1920 which were also replaced by the 504N in 1931.
• Finland: The Finnish government bought one 504K for evaluation (which is nowadays preserved at the Tikkakoski air base's museum) in as late as 1926. It was extenisvely used until November 1930 when it was written off.
• Estonia: The Estonian government bought seven airplanes in order to equip their training squadrons in 1921. They weren't manufactured by Avro itself but by one of their delegated companies, Grahame-White. They were replaced by the Avro 504R on 1928.
• Germany: The Germans managed to capture some Avro 504K during the World War I. Not very much is known about the fate of these airplanes beyond some pics of the era.
• Greece: Greece got some small number of Avro 504K airplanes after the World War I which were used to train pilots at their school of Dekeleia during the Turkish independence war. It's known that some of them were also destined to the Turkish city of Izmir. They were replaced in 1925 by the Avro 504N.

Sources:

1. http://www.belgian-wings.be/webpages/navigator/Photos/MilltaryPics/interbellum/Avro%20504K/Avro%20504K%20Frontpage.html

2. http://www.natureandtech.com/?cat=121

3. http://www.avro504.org/ActualAircraft.html

4. http://greek-war-equipment.blogspot.com.es/2010/10/1920-1936-avro-504.html

5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

Avro 504K - Oceanian users

Now it's time for the Oceanian or ANZAC users of the Avro 504K.

The first contact of Australian pilots with the 504K was in England as the pilots of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) belonging to the No. 5, 6, 7 and 8 training squadrons used them for their formation.
After the armistice and the end of the Great War, some of them were exported to Australia where they served with the newly created Royal Australian Air Force at Point Cook, home base of the Flying Training School. They arrived in Australia in 1922, and some of them were built locally under license by the Australian Aircraft and Engineering in Sidney, New South Wales. These locally manufactured machines were only 20pounds heavier than the original ones. Either way, they were replaced in the military service in 1928 when the Flying Training School bouth some De Havilland Cirrus Moth trainers to replace them.

The Avro 504K also served with the Permanent New Zealand Air Force, more exactly with the Kohimarama Flying School, in Auckland. As it's based in a very bad quality black & white photo, the colours should be considered as speculative. Apparently it beared the civilian registration G-NZAB.

Sources:
1. https://www.airforce.gov.au/raafmuseum/research/aircraft/series1/A3.htm
2. http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Walsh%20Bros%20Avro.htm
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

Avro 504K - Asian Users

A little bit later than usual but here it is, our post for the Asian users of the Avro 504K:

• Afghanistan: The King Amanullah Khan of Afghanistan bought some Avro 504K in order to equip the newly formed Royal Afghan Air Force during 1924. They were destroyed while on delivering process in a storm at Peshawar, nowadays Pakistan. 
• British India: Some units of the postwar RAF stationed in the British Raj, used the 504K for training purposes. Further details are unknown.
• Dutch East Indies: The first Dutch Avro 504K was bought after World War I by the Dutch East Indies in order to equip their newly created flying division of the army. They arrived in August 1919 together with some other Airco DH.9. Further twelve 504K were delivered in 1922. It was used as a training airplane. During 1924 it was tried to make an improved version of this airplane at Andir and later at Soekamiskin. It had Plywood fuselage and an improvised fuel tank. They were replaced during late 1920s and early 1930s by the Fokker S.IV and one French Morane-Saulnier AR.35
• Republic of China: The early Republic of China bought some Avro504 which were theoretically used for training. In reallity they were used as improvised against the warlords where the pilot dropped hand grenades and modified mortar shells.
• Japan: After the Great War, the Japanese empire bought an undetermined number of 504Ks both for the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in order to train their pilots. They were replaced by the newer Yokosuka K2Y1 in 1928 which was a locally built version of the Avro 504N.
• Turkey: The Turkish forces captured a Greek Avro 504k in the city of Izmir during their war of independence back in 1920. It never flew due to the lack of spare parts. Apparently a second one was found deserted in 1922 at the Gaziemir airport when the war ended.

Sources:

1. http://www.findmodelkit.com/content/afghan-air-force-1924-1928

2. http://www.skytamer.com/Avro%20504.html

3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
5. http://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=735:avro-504-uk&catid=82&lang=en&Itemid=544&showall=1&limitstart=

Avro 504K - South African Users

Now's the turn for the South African users of the Avro 504K, which was, as far as we know, the only African user to own and use this airplane.

When the World War I ended, South African received some donations as part of the Imperial Gift, which consisted on 113 aircrafts, 100 from the British Government, and 13 from other sources. That way, the South African Air Force was stablished on 1st February 1920 with the Col. Pierre van Ryneveld as the Director of air services.

Anyway, not all of the airplanes were assembled inmediatly, and two Avro 504K were sold to the South African Aerial Transport Company. The rest of the airplane (with the 504Ks among them) formed the No.1 flight of the South African Air Force at the airfield of Swartkop on 26th April 1921 and one year later a second flight was formed, which together with the first one, they formed the No.1 Squadron SAAF.
In December 1920 an Avro 504K was painted with the experimental multi-colour roundel but it was soon found unsuitable.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_South_African_Air_Force
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504K - North American Users

Now's the turn for the North American users of this excellent British trainer.

• Canada: The Avro 504K was the very first training airplane ever flown by the Canadian Air Force. It served initially with the Royal Flying Corps Canada, then with the newly created Canadian Air Force and finally with the Royal Canadian Air Force and was locally built in Toronto by the Canadian Aeroplanes Ltd. They were all converted to 504N model on 29th June 1927.
• Mexico: Mexico adquired some of them to equip their trainer squadrons, where they served from 1919 until 1923 when they replaced by the Avro Anahuac, a locally built version by the Talleres Nacionales de Construcción Aeronáutica - TNCA (National Aeronautical Manufacture Workshops) which was also known as the Avro 504k Mk.II.
• United States: It served to train the American volunteers first and the official USAAC pilots later. They served in the American Expeditionary Force training site located at the French town of Issoudun and in July 1918 fifty-two of them were adquired by the American commanders. After the war some were shipped to the USA where they served as trainers. Unfortunately they crashed shortly after due to the inexperience of American pilots with rotary engines.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

2.  http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/46/Old-Gold--the-Golden-Centennaires-of-1967.aspx

3. http://www.gob.mx/sedena/documentos/material-aereo-historico-de-la-f-a-m (translated)

4. http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/MuseumExhibits/FactSheets/Display/tabid/509/Article/197405/avro-504k.aspx

Avro 504K - Latin American users, part two

Now's the turn for more latin-american users of the Avro 504K.

• Chile: In 1920 Chile feared that Bolivia wanted their sea access back, they started to rearm themselves. They bought for the Chilean Army: Twenty Airco DH.9 Bombers,  eight RAF SE.5a, twelve Bristol M.1C plus two Avro 504 and three Sopwith Baby, one Felixstowe F.2A, six Short 184 and two Avro 504K for the Chilean navy. They served in the Chilean aviation school.
• Perú: They bought at least three of them during the early 1920s in order to equip their flying schools.
• Uruguay: Uruguayan government bough some 504K which served from 1919 until as late as 1934 in the Escuela Militar de Aviación (Military Aviation School). 

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

2. http://ivansiminic.blogspot.com.es/2012/04/sucesos-de-1920.html (translated)

3. http://www.insigniamag.com/peru17.html

4. http://www.pilotoviejo.com/avro504k.htm (translated)

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504K - Latin American users, part one

Now it comes the turn for the various latin-American users of this trainer airplane.

• Argentina: The government of the Argentinean president Hipólito Yrigoyen authorised on 31st July 1920 the purchase of various airplanes, among them there were twenty-two Avro 504K powered by a LeRhône 9J engine. They served in the trainer role until 1928 when they were being replaced by the domestically produced FMA version of the 504R Gosport airplane.
• Bolivia: Apparently, Bolivia had some 504 in their Air Corps during the 1920s, however we couldn't find graphical info and the drawing should be considered as speculative.
• Brazil: In 1920 the Brasilian authorities adquired 17 Avro 504k, five of them powered with the Gnome engine and the rest with the LeRhône engine. It was the first airplane adquired by the Brasilian navy destined to operate from land airfields. They were retired in the year 1928 when the government bought the newer N/O version.
• Guatemala: Guatemala funded their Escuela Militar de Aviación (Military Aviation School) back in 1913 and, on 1st May 1920 they renewed their airplane fleet by adquiring some 504Ks.
• Paraguay: There it seems that at least one Avro 504K served with the Paraguayan flying school and some sources claim that it crashed. Anyway we couldn't find any graphical evidence of how it looked like, so the drawing should be considered as speculative.

Sources:

1. http://www.amilarg.com.ar/avro-504.html (translated)

2. https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504 (translated)

3. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escuela_Militar_de_Aviación_(Guatemala) (translated)

4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504

5. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504J

The Avro 504J appeared first in autumn 1916 and this new version was powered by a 100hp Gnome Monosoupape engine. The engine cowling was slightly modified in order to make easier to fit other type of engines.
It was usually called Mono-Avro in the RFC, to which it was destined. It had therefore a comma shaped vertical stabilizer and shorter back ailerons.
As the engines were harder to manufacture, the airplanes were completed as those were completed, that's why many of them ended up being completed as the K model.
It was destined from the very beginning to the training role and it was easy to fly and powerful for it's era. That's why it was the basis for a new training method used by the RAF until the end of the World War II. However, at the end of 1916, Avro was commanded to concentrate their manufacturing efforts on the BE.2c instead of the Avro 504. However, a bit later, the 504J was chosen as the standard RFC trainer and the production was resumed.
It wasn't used only by the United Kingdom but also by the American Expeditionary Forces and also by the Chilean army which, fearing a war against it's neighbours Argentina and Bolivia, rearmed themselves.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504 (translated)
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504 E/F/G/H

We keep going with the Avro 504, this time with more versions.

Avro 504E: As the power of the Gnome engine was insufficient, the RNAS requested from Avro a version with a more powerful engine. Avro fitted a 100hp Gnome engine, which was obviously more powerful than the previous 80hp one plus some more modifications. The engine was fueled with a new vacuum system, and both cockpits had to be moved in order to install a bigger fuel tank. Modification which required the fuselage to be compensated due to the aeronautical offset, from 23 up to 60 centimeters. Due to the modification of the cockpits, the struts had to be reconfigured too.

Avro 504F: Following admiralty orders, Avro modified a 504C version in order to fit a 75hp Rolls-Royce Hawk engine, which was also used in the British airships of the era. Apparently it was very pleasant to fly and 30 airplanes were ordered but only one was manufactured. It seems that only one was on it's way to be refitted and when the order was cancelled, it got back it's regular 80hp Gnome engine. That's why the drawing shown below should be considered as speculative.

Avro 504G: Some 504Bs were modified by the RNAS in order to use them as gunnery/bombing trainers. It seems that a 0.303in Lewis Mk.II machine gun was to be fitted in a scarf ring at the rear cockpit, plus a single second one at the front to fire through the propeller. Apparently it was never completed as the machine guns were never fitted, however some sources lead to the possibility that they were used as night fighters in the Home Defence.

Avro 504H: A single 504C was modified by the pioneer of the naval aviation Squadron Commander E.H. Dunning in order to perform catapult launching trials. In order to perform such achievement, some gear needed to be installed which was designed by R.F. Carey and manufactured by Waygood-Otis. It was reinforced, equipped with catapult launching gear and a special padded seat for the pilot replaced the original one. Dunning died on 7th August 1917 trying to land a Sopwith Pup on the HMS Furious. He was replaced by Flight Commander R.E. Penny who performs the catapult trials without any difficulty or setback at all.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504 (translated)
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
3. http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transport/planes/SunbeamAircraft.htm
4. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/200605-avro-504g/

Avro 504 - A/B/C/D

Today we cover various models of this British pioneer aircraft.

The Avro 504A was the first mass-produced model, from serial 2890 onwards. It held the same 80hp Gnome engine of the previous model but it had the wings ailerons reduced and the bracing struts enlarged. In order to improve the visibility, the lower wing was raised 30cm from the fuselage. The airplanes destined to the RFC were equipped with reconnaissance and observation tools, while those destined to the RNAS were equipped with bombing apparels, however as they soon were outdated for the frontlines, they were relegated to the flying schools. Some of them were converted by Avro with double controls.

The Avro 504B was version specifically designed for the RNAS which appeared first on 1915. It had a distinctive longer vertical stabilizer a bigger wingspan ailerons and some small modifications in order to improve the visibility. Those modifications were adopted by every model destined to the RNAS so the 504B was the first airplane to receive a fixed vertical stabilizer, just like the RAF Be.2c. . Some initial production versions were affected by a light recess but it was quickly corrected. In some later versions, in order to install a scarf ring on the upper wing for the installation of machine-gun, the places of the pilot and the observer were reversed. It still was powered by the 80hp Gnome engine but some later models were powered by a Gnome-Le Rhône delivering also 80hp. Some 504B were employed at the front lines in the Dunkirk area but they retired in the summer of 1916.

Avro 504CAs the range of the 504B wasn't enough for reconnaissance versions or to chase zeppelins, the RNAS ordered a single-seat version and this way the front cockpit was removed and replaced by an addittional fuel tank in order to keep the airplane flying for eight hours. This way the pilot seated in the original rear cockpit encountering the original lateral recess that was present in some original 504Bs. It was powered by the same 80hp Gnome engine and both wings and wingspan were identical to the 504B and, to shot down zeppelins, a single 0.303in Lewis Mk.II was fitted in a 45º angle degree firing through a gap in the upper wing.

The Avro 504D was identical to the 504, designed for the RFC but with the same vertical stabilizer of the A version. It was also powered by the 80hp Gnome engine and the 0.303 Lewis machine-gun was placed on the upper wing mounted in a scarf ring.

Sources:
1. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504 (translated)
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avro 504

The Avro 504 was a two-seater biplane that first flown on 18th September 1913 and was powered by an 80hp Gnome Lambda rotary engine.
It was basically a development of the previous Avro 500 model. It was designed for training and private flying purposes made entirely out of wood with two bays and a square fuselage.

Some small numbers were bought by both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) before the start of the World War I and, when it started, they were taken to France. It was the first type of British airplane shot down by the Germans on 22nd August 1914 and also the first type of British airplane to perform an air raid when four 504s from a special unit of the RNAS bombed the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen, close to the German-Swiss border.
The airplanes departed from the French city of Belfort on 21st November 1914 each of them carrying four 20lbs (9kg) bombs. One aircraft was shot down but the raid was nonetheless a success as several direct hits destroyed the hydrogen generating plants.

It was also the first airplane of the World War I to perform an strafing attack, when on 22nd October 1914, an airplane manned by Strange and Penn-Gaskell fired their crudely fitted Lewis Mk.I machine gun (which in fact was fitted with the tail-boom of a wrecked Farman biplane and a rope) at a train and enemy troops in the French town of Pérenchies.

Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_504
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

Avis III

The Avis III was developed in parallel to the Avis II and flown for the first time in 1935. It was powered by a 550hp Manfred-Weiss built Gnome-Rhône 9Krsd Mistral engine and was equipped with a three-bladed adjustable-pitch Hamilton standard propeller.

Unlike it's predecessors, which were all of them made entirely out of metal, this one had wooden wings with a combination of plywood and fabric skinning in order to make it lighter. Four prototypes were built and they performed better than the preceding ones, but they lacked the agility of the Italian Fiat Cr.32, which was under evaluation by the Légüyi Hivatal. It was adopted into service but didn't enter into production.
It was armed with two 7,62mm Gebauer machine guns and, apparently one of the prototypes was completed with some minor modifications as the Avis IV. Unfortunately, we couldn't even find textual descriptions of these changes.

Sources:
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
2. Hikoki Publications - Hungarian Eagles 1920-1945

Avis II

As the Avis I showed poor performance, the designer, prof. Abody-Anderlik were prompted to redesign the aircraft in spite of the decision taken by the Légüyi Hivatal of purchasing 21 Fiat Cr.20bis fighter airplanes from Italy.

The design held to the Jupiter VI engine and, as redesigned it featured a slimmer, slab-sided fuselage as well as redesigned vertical tail surfaces. It also featured narrower interplace bracing struts and an increased gap.
The overall empty weight was reduced by 100kg and, after some initial testing the engine was enclosed within a Townend ring.
It was flight tested in 1935 but it turned to overweight and it wasn't as agile as other contemporary two-winged foreign fighters. It was to be armed with two 7.62mm Gebauer machine guns but the development was abandoned in favour of the Avis III. Unfortunately we haven't found any blueprint or side-drawing of it, so it remains undrawn.

The only known pic of an Avis II fighter

Sources: 
1. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters