Avro

Avro
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Name	Avro
Type	Aircraft manufacturer
Fate	Merged into Hawker Siddeley
Foundation	1910
Founder	Alliott Verdon Roe
Defunct	1963
Location	Manchester, United Kingdom
Key people	Roy Chadwick
Industry	Aerospace
Products	Aircraft

Avro. A pioneering British aircraft manufacturing company, founded in 1910 by aviation pioneer Alliott Verdon Roe. The company, formally A.V. Roe and Company, became one of the most significant and innovative aerospace firms in the world, producing a legendary series of military and civilian aircraft that served with distinction for decades. Its designs, from the iconic Avro Lancaster bomber of the Second World War to the pioneering Avro Vulcan V bomber, left an indelible mark on aviation history before the company was absorbed into the Hawker Siddeley group.

History

The company's origins trace back to 1910 when Alliott Verdon Roe, one of the first Britons to fly, established operations at Brownsfield Mill in Manchester. Early success came with the Avro 504, a legendary biplane used as a trainer by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War and produced in enormous numbers. In the interwar period, the company expanded, developing aircraft like the Avro Tutor and the Avro Anson, which became a mainstay for the Royal Air Force. The company faced financial challenges, leading to a takeover by the Armstrong Siddeley-backed J. D. Siddeley in 1928, but it retained its design identity. During the Second World War, Avro's Manchester and Chadderton factories became centres of immense production, most famously for the Avro Lancaster. Post-war, the company became a key part of the British nuclear deterrent, developing the Avro Vulcan as part of the V bomber force, while also venturing into civil aviation with the Avro Tudor and the Avro Ashton. The company was fully merged into the Hawker Siddeley conglomerate in 1963, ending the Avro name as an independent entity.

Aircraft

Avro's aircraft portfolio is renowned for its innovation and impact. The Avro 504, introduced in 1913, was a phenomenally successful trainer and light bomber, with over 10,000 built. The Avro Anson, a monoplane with a retractable undercarriage, served as a versatile coastal reconnaissance and training aircraft for the RAF. The company's most famous product was the Avro Lancaster, a heavy bomber that formed the backbone of RAF Bomber Command's strategic offensive against Nazi Germany, capable of carrying colossal bombs like the Tallboy and Grand Slam. Other notable wartime designs included the Avro Manchester and the Avro Lincoln. In the jet age, Avro produced the groundbreaking Avro Vulcan, a large delta wing strategic bomber known for its distinctive shape and howl, which served through the Cold War. Civil projects included the Avro York transport, the Avro Tudor airliner, and the Avro 748, a durable turboprop airliner later developed into the HS 748. The company also developed the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow, a technologically advanced interceptor aircraft, though this project was controversially cancelled by the Canadian government.

Legacy and influence

Avro's legacy is profound, deeply embedded in the history of British aviation and industrial achievement. Its aircraft were central to the Allied victory in the Second World War, with the Avro Lancaster symbolizing the might of RAF Bomber Command. The company's engineering prowess, led by designers like Roy Chadwick, pushed aerodynamic boundaries, exemplified by the radical delta wing of the Avro Vulcan. This design influenced later aircraft, including the Concorde supersonic airliner. The cancellation of the advanced Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow remains a pivotal and debated moment in Canadian history, often cited as a blow to the nation's aerospace independence. The Avro name endures with great prestige among aviation enthusiasts and historians, and several of its aircraft, most notably the Vulcan, continue to be celebrated at airshows and preserved in museums like the Royal Air Force Museum London.

See also

* Hawker Siddeley * de Havilland * British Aircraft Corporation * Vickers-Armstrongs * Royal Aircraft Establishment

Category:Aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers Category:Companies established in 1910