ANEC III

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ANEC III
Type biplane airliner
Manufacturer Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited
Designed by John Bewsher
Maiden flight 1926
Retired 1932
Primary user Australian Aerial Services
Number built 3

The ANEC III was a 1920s British 6-seat passenger and mail carrier aircraft built by Air Navigation and Engineering Company Limited at Addlestone Surrey.

Contents

[edit] History

Following a requirement for a passenger and mail carrier for the Australian company Larkin Aircraft Supply Company Limited an order was placed for a monoplane airliner known as the Handasyde H.2. Handasyde having no factory of their own contracted Air Navigation and Engineering to build the aircraft on their behalf. Larkin had decided that the H.2 monoplane could not operate in the heat of Australia so transferred the contract to Air Navigation and Engineering. Three ANEC III aircraft were built, they were unequal span biplanes with a Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine. The pilot sat in the open above the mail compartment with space for six-passengers inside.

The first aircraft flew at Brooklands on the 23 March 1926 with the Australian registration G-AEUZ. All three aircraft were crated and shipped to Australia and were operated by Larkin's operating subsidiary Australian Aerial Services. The aircraft were named Diamond Bird, Satin Bird and Love Bird. The three aircraft gave sterling service for a number of years and made a number of important flights in the Australian outback. In 1927 Satin Bird was used by explorer W Oliver into the then unknown central Australia.

In 1928 the aircraft were withdrawn from service. Two aircraft were re-built as 11-seaters with a lengthened fuselage and a larger 485 hp Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar engine. The converted aircraft were known as the Lasco Lascowl. Both aircraft, still retaining their original names Diamond Bird and Love Bird, were charted by the Mackay Aerial Survey Expedition. The expedition set of on the 23 May 1930 to carry out a 67,000 square mile survey of central Australia. Both aircraft returned to Melbourne in July 1930 without a mishap each having flown more than 300 hours.

The two aircraft were then used on a service between Melbourne and Sydney. Love Bird crashed on 14 July 1931 at Temora. The last aircraft Diamond Bird was retired in June 1932 and later scrapped.

[edit] Variants

  • ANEC III - three built
  • Lasco Lascowl - lengthened and re-engined version, two conversions

[edit] Operators

[edit] Specifications (ANEC III)

General characteristics

  • Crew: one
  • Length: 45 ft 0 in (13.72 m)
  • Wingspan: 60 ft 6 in (18.44 m)
  • Height: ()
  • Wing area: 740 ft² (68.7 m²)
  • Empty weight: 3,470 lb (1,577 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 5,600 lb (2,545 kg)
  • Powerplant: 1× Rolls Royce Eagle VIII, 350 hp (261 kW)

Performance


[edit] References

  • Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0 370 10006 9. 

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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