Armstrong Whitworth Scimitar
| A.W.35 Scimitar | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Fighter |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth |
| First flight | 1935 |
| Introduction | 1936 |
| Primary user | Norway |
| Number built | 6 |
| Developed from | Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 |
The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar was a British single-engine biplane fighter aircraft designed and built by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Four Scimitars were produced for the Norwegian Army Air Service and were delivered in 1936.
Design and development
The A.W.35 Scimitar was a development of Armstrong Whitworth's earlier Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16 fighter, powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Panther engine, with a lowered nose decking and an enlarged fin and rudder. The first prototype (G-ACCD) was a modification of the second A.W.16, and first flew in this form on 29 April 1935.[1] A second prototype (G-ADBL) was constructed by conversion of an A.W.16.
Operational history
Four Scimitars were ordered for the Norwegian Army Air Service. After testing of two of the production aircraft by the A & AEE at Martlesham Heath in late 1935, they were delivered to Norway in 1936.[1] When the Germans invaded in 1940 the Scimitars were all undergoing maintenance and could not be made operational in time to see combat.
The second prototype Scimitar was preserved by Armstrong Whitworth at its Whitley factory until 1958, when it was scrapped.[2]
Operators
Specifications (A.W.35)
Data from The British Fighter since 1912 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: One
Performance
- Climb to 10,000 ft: 5 min 15 sec
Armament
- 2 × forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns
See also
Related development
References
- ^ a b c Mason, Francis K (1992). The British Fighter since 1912. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-082-7.
- ^ Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
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