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Avro 558
Avro 558
General information
Type	Ultralight Biplane
Manufacturer	A.V.Roe and Company Limited
Number built	2
History
Introduction date	1923
First flight	1923

The Avro 558 was a British single-engined ultralight biplane built by Avro at Hamble Aerodrome.

Design and development

The Avro 558 was designed for the 1923 light aircraft trials for single-seaters at Lympne Aerodrome. Two Avro 558 biplanes were built, they were biplanes powered by motorcycle engines (one with a B&H twin-cylinder air-cooled engine, the second with a 500 cc Douglas engine). The first aircraft was modified with a 698 cc (42.6 in³) Blackburne Tomtit and both had modifications to the landing gear.

Operational history

The aircraft did not win the competition, but the second aircraft went on to establish a world record for its class of aircraft of 13,850 ft (4,222 m) over Lympne on 13 October 1923.^[1] It is not known what happened to the two aircraft, not having been reported since 1923.

Operators

United Kingdom

Specifications

Data from Avro Aircraft since 1908 ^[2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
Wing area: 166 sq ft (15.4 m²)
Empty weight: 294 lb (133 kg)
Gross weight: 480 lb (218 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Douglas 500cc air-cooled motorcycle engine, 18 hp (13 kW) ^[3]
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Service ceiling: 13,850 ft (4,220 m)

References

^ Jackson 1974, p.292.
^ Jackson 1990, p.215.
^ Flight 4 October 1923, p.607.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985). Orbis Publishing.
"The Light 'Plane Competitions at Lympne, Oct 8–13: Twenty-Eight Machines Entered". Flight. Vol. XV, no. 771. 4 October 1923. pp. 602–611.
Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 1. London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-10006-9.
Jackson, A.J. (1990). Avro Aircraft since 1908. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books. ISBN 0-85177-834-8.
Riding, Richard (July 1984). "British pre-war ultra-lights: No. 40: Avro 558". Aeroplane Monthly. Vol. 12, no. 7. pp. 386–388. ISSN 0143-7240.