Armstrong Whitworth Ara

The Armstrong Whitworth Ara was an unsuccessful British single seat biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War built by Armstrong Whitworth.

Development and design

In early 1918, the British Air Ministry wrote RAF Specification Type 1 for a single seat fighter to replace the Sopwith Snipe. The specified engine was the ABC Dragonfly, a new radial engine which had been ordered into productioon based on promised performance before any testing had been carried out. To meet this specification, Armstong Whitworth's chief designer, Fred Murphy, produced the Armstrong Whitworth Ara, three prototypes being ordered. Bruce 1965, p.20.]

The Ara was a two-bay biplane. It had a square fuselage, the engine was covered in a pointed cowling, but with the cylinder heads exposed. The upper wing was low to give the pilot a better upwards view.Taylor 1990, p.48.]

As with the other fighters built to meet the Type 1 specification, the Dragonfly engine proved to be the Ara's undoing, demonstrating hopeless reliability. Two of the three prototypes were completed, the first flying in mid 1919. The Ara was abandoned towards the end of the year when Armstong Whitworth closed down its aircraft department. Mason 1992, p.148.] [ Note: Armstrong Whitworth purchased the engineering company Siddeley-Deasy in 1920, splitting off its aircraft department to form the Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company.]

Specifications (variant)

aerospecs
ref=War Planes of the First World War:Volume One: Fighters Bruce 1965, p.22]
met or eng?=eng

crew=1
capacity=
length m=6.17
length ft=20
length in=3
span m=8.36
span ft=27
span in=5
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=2.39
height ft=7
height in=10
wing area sqm=23.9
wing area sqft=257
empty weight kg=600
empty weight lb=1,320
gross weight kg=877
gross weight lb=1,930

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=ABC Dragonfly air cooled radial engine
eng1 kw=239
eng1 hp=320
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=

max speed kmh=242
max speed mph=150
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=3¼
endurance min=
ceiling m=8,500
ceiling ft=28,000
climb rate ms=11
climb rate ftmin=2,200 [ Climb to 10,000 ft 4 min 30 sec]

armament1=Two .303 in Vickers machine guns
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

See also

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
* Sopwith Dragon
* BAT Basilisk
* Sopwith Snark
* Sopwith Snapper
lists=

References

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