| Athena | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Avro Athena T.1 prototype with turboprop engine | |
| Role | Trainer |
| Manufacturer | Avro |
| First flight | 12 June 1948 |
| Introduction | 1950 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 22 (including prototypes) |
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.
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. [1]
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. [1] The Merlin-powered Athena T.2 first flew on 1 August 1948, [2] 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.
The 15 production Athenas were used by the RAF from 1950 [3] for armament training at the RAF Flying College at RAF Manby. [4] 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. [1]
United Kingdom Two of the 22 aircraft were lost in flying accidents:
Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1949-50, [6] Avro aircraft since 1908, [1] The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage [7]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
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