Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52

Infobox Aircraft
name = A.W.52
type = Experimental aircraft
manufacturer = Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft



caption = The AW-52G experimental glider (as distinct from the jet-powered AW-52)
designer = John Lloyd
first flight = 13 November 1947
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Aircraft Establishment
more users =
produced =
number built = 2
unit cost =
variants with their own articles = The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.52 was a British flying wing aircraft design of the late 1940s.

History

Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft proposed a jet-powered four-engine flying wing bomber design, utilising a laminar flow wing, during the Second World War. The design was tested on a third-scale glider known as the A.W.52G, but the war ended and the project was dropped.

However, Armstrong Whitworth then received a contract that would allow them to produce two prototypes for evaluation, nominally for a mail carrying aircraft. The first prototype flew on 13 November 1947 powered by two Rolls Royce Nene engines. This was followed by the second prototype on 1 September 1948 with the Rolls Royce Derwent. The first prototype crashed without loss of life in May 1949, making it the first occasion of an emergency ejection by a British pilot, but the second prototype remained flying with the Royal Aircraft Establishment until 1954.

The accident

On 30 May 1949, test pilot Jo Lancaster encountered a pitch oscillation while diving at 320 mph, believed to be a result of elevon flutter. Starting at two cycles per second, it rapidly increased to incapacitating levels. With structural failure seemingly imminent, Lancaster bailed out of the aircraft using its Martin-Baker Type 1 ejection seat, becoming the first British pilot to use the apparatus in a "live" emergency. [cite journal |quotes= |last=Lancaster |first=Jo |authorlink= |year= 2006 |month= October |title= Setting the Record Straight |journal= Aeroplane |volume= 34 |issue= 10 |pages= pp. 42–46 |id= |url= |accessdate= ]

Operators

;UK
*Royal Aircraft Establishment

pecifications (A.W.52 prototype)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet

ref=

crew=2
capacity=
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 37 ft 4 in
length alt= 11.4 m
span main= 90 ft
span alt= 27.4 m
span sweep=
height main= 14 ft 4 in
height alt= 4.4 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil= NPL.655-3-218 at root, tapering to NPL.655-3-118 at extremity of the centre section and to NPL.654-3-015 at the tips
empty weight main= 19,662 lb
empty weight alt= 8,919 kg
loaded weight main= 34,154 lb
loaded weight alt= 15,492 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=

engine (jet)= Rolls Royce Nene
type of jet= Turbojet
number of jets= 2
thrust main= 5,000 lbf
thrust alt= 22.2 kN
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=1
type of prop=
number of props=1
power main=
power alt=
power original=

max speed main= 500 mph
max speed alt= 804.7 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 980 miles
range alt= 1,577 km
ceiling main= 36,000 ft
ceiling alt=
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=
*Northrop XP-79
*Horten Ho 229

lists =
*List of aircraft of the Royal Air Force

see also=
*Northrop YB-49

References

External links

* [http://www.airbornegrafix.com/HistoricAircraft/FlyingWings/AW52.htm Historic Aircraft AW52]
* [http://tanks45.tripod.com/Jets45/Histories/AW-52/AW-52.htm Jets 45 Histories]
* [http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/flying%20wings/britain.htm British Flying Wings] at [http://www.century-of-flight.net century-of-flight.net]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H1tyMRtcho Video on Youtube]