Austin Greyhound

The Austin Greyhound was a British two-seat biplane fighter aircraft of World War I built by car manufacturer Austin. Owing to the end of the War and an unreliable engine, it was unsuccessful, only three being built.

Development and design

In 1918, Britain's Royal Air Force issued the Type III specification for a replacement for the Bristol F.2 Fighter to be powered by the new ABC Dragonfly radial engine. The Austin Motor Company, who had produced large numbers of aircraft, including 800 Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s, submitted a design by R Kenworthy, formerly of the Royal Aircraft Factory, which was named the Austin Greyhound An order for three prototypes was placed on 18 May 1918. Bruce 1965, pp29-30.]

The Greyhound was a two-bay biplane of all-wooden construction. Mason 1992, p.133.] The Greyhound's engine was covered by a conical cowling, with the cylinder heads protruding. The circular shape of the cowling continued down the fuselage. The upper and lower wings were almost the same size.Taylor 1990, p.49. ]

While the first prototype was quickly built, problems with the Dragonfly engine, which was found to be overweight and underpowered, and to have unsolvable reliability problems, meant that testing was delayed, with the second prototype being delivered to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Martlesham Heath in January 1919, being followed by the first prototype in May and the third in February 1920. Although performance was good no production was ordered of any of the competitors, with the Bristol Fighter remaining in service until 1932. The last Greyhound remained in use as a flying test bed at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough until June 1922.

pecifications (variant)

aerospecs
ref=War Planes of the First World War:Volume One: Fighters Bruce 1965, p.32]
met or eng?=eng

crew=2
capacity=
length m=8.14
length ft=26
length in=8½
span m=11.89
span ft=39
span in=0
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=3.15
height ft=10
height in=4
wing area sqm=37.2
wing area sqft=400
empty weight kg=835
empty weight lb=1,838
gross weight kg=1,378
gross weight lb=3,032

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

max speed kmh=208
max speed mph=129
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h=3
endurance min=
ceiling m=5,790
ceiling ft=19,000
climb rate ms=4.7
climb rate ftmin=920 [ Climb to 10,000 ft in 10 min 50 sec]

armament1=Two synchronised .303 in Vickers machine guns
armament2=One .303 in Lewis gun on Scarff ring in rear cockpit
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

ee also

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=*Bristol Badger
*Westland Weasel
lists=

External links

* [http://www.austinmemories.com Austin & Longbridge Aircraft Production]

References

*cite book |title=War Planes of the First World War:Volume One: Fighters |last=Bruce |first= J.M. |year=1965 |publisher= Macdonald|location=London |isbn= |pages= |url=
*cite book |title= British Fighters since 1912|last= Mason|first=Francis K. |year= 1992|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location= Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=1-55750-082-7 |pages= |url=
*cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I |year=1990 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |pages= p.49