Armstrong Whitworth Ape

Infobox Aircraft
name=Ape


caption=
type=Experimental biplane
manufacturer=Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
designer=
first flight=5 January 1926
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=Royal Aircraft Establishment
more users=
produced=
number built=3
variants with their own articles=

The Ape was a British biplane experimental aeroplane built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft in the early 1920s and first flown on 5 January 1926 to "answer all the questions of aerodynamics."

Development

The aircraft was designed to be "infinitely" adjustable: The fuselage could be lengthened or shortened, different fins and tailplanes could be fitted, the incidence angle of both the tailplane and the wings could be altered and the wings could be additionally changed in stagger, rake and dihedral. It could not be converted to a monoplane configuration, nor be fitted with a more powerful engine. Additionally, the entire tail was a single unit and the incidence angle of the tailplane could not be changed without also changing that of the fin. It was equipped with a comparatively small convert|180|hp|abbr=on Lynx engine that did not deliver nearly as much power as the relatively heavy plane needed, and certainly prohibited the Ape from experimenting to its full potential. The second Ape had a bigger engine, the Bristol Jupiter, but additional gadgets added weight that mostly negated the extra power. [http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/arm_ape.php Aviastar.org ]

The Ape would continue to see occasional use throughout the 1920s.

pecifications (First Ape)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
ref= [ [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=108 British Aircraft Directory] ]
crew=2
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 28 ft 3 in to 38 ft 3 in
length alt=
span main=40 ft
span alt=
height main=13 to 15 ft
height alt=
area main= 473 sq ft
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main=
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main= 2,700 - 3,250
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Lynx III
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=1
power main= 180 hp
power alt=
power original=
power more=
propeller or rotor?=
propellers=
number of propellers per engine=
propeller diameter main=
propeller diameter alt=
max speed main= 90 mph
max speed alt=
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main=
range alt=
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 6,400 ft
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
*Climb: 11 min to convert|3000|ft|m|abbr=on

ee also

aircontent
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similar aircraft=
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References

External links

* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=108 British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/arm_ape.php Armstrong-Whitworth Ape, Virtual Aircraft Museum]