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. 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

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)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

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

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Avro 560
• Hawker Cygnet

External links

• Avro 558 – British Aircraft Directory