Armstrong Whitworth Atlas, Ajax and A.W.17 Aries
For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.
Type Description and Production Data
| Atlas | Ajax | A.W.17 Aries |
Atlas Variants
Atlas Mk.I
Two seat single bay biplane army co-operation aircraft, produced against Specifications 30/24, 33/26, 24/27 and 11/28 as indicated. The fuselage was a fabric covered all steel tube structure, except for the forward portion which had duralumin detatchable panels. The wings of the prototype, of unequal span and chord, were of all wood construction without sweepback, but production aircraft featured fabric covered, two spar, all metal wings with 6 degrees of sweepback, raked wingtips, large horn balanced ailerons on the upper wing only, and automatic wingtip slots. Aircraft supplied to Canada also featured Frise ailerons on the lower wing. Early aircraft had a normal fin with horn balanced rudder, but this was later replaced by a balanced rudder with no fin. The gunner/observer was located behind the pilot in his own cockpit and provided with a Lewis machine gun on a Scarff mounting. The pilot was provided with a fixed Vickers machine gun. Four 120 lb bombs could be carried. One 400 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IVC powerplant.
Atlas TM
Advanced trainer version of Mk.I, to meet the requirements of Specification 12/28, with the Scarff ring deleted and the aft cockpit fitted with a full set of controls and instruments for the instructor, the pupil occupying the front seat. See note 5.
Atlas Mk.II
Two seat day fighter, day bomber or army co-operation aircraft. Compared to the Mk.I, it featured new wings of different sect, square wingtips and inset ailerons on both wings. The fuselage was redesigned with a straight top decking resulting in a much deeper stern post. The tailplane featured a large fixed fin and larger rudder. One 535 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Panther powerplant.
| Atlas Mk.I Specification | |||||||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW | Cruise Speed | Maximum Speed | Endurance | Service Ceiling |
| 39 ft 7 in | 28 ft 7 in | 10 ft 6 in | 391 sq ft | 2550 lb | 4020 lb | 142 mph/ 123 kn | 3-1/4 hr | 16800 ft | |
| 12.07 m | 8.71 m | 3.2 m | 36.33 m2 | 1157 kg | 1823 kg | 229 km/h | 5121 m | ||
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 4 civil aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley. | ||||||
| G-EBLK | 139 | Prototype | 1 | Retained by Armstrong Whitworth. First flew May 1925. | ||
| G-ABDY | 140 | TM | 1 | See note 1. | ||
| G-EBLM | 141 | Mk.I | 1 | Registered June 1925. Armstrong Whitworth demonstrator. See note 2. | ||
| G-EBNI | 142 | 1 | Registered January 1926. Armstrong Whitworth demonstrator. See note 2. | |||
| 1 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 735668/27, to meet Specification 30/24. | ||||||
| J8675 | 278 | Mk.I | (1) | G-EBLK rebuilt wth metal wings in 1927. | ||
| 37 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 750052/27, dated June 1927, to meet Specification 33/26. | ||||||
| J8777 - J8787 | 248-258 | Mk.I | 11 | |||
| J8788 - J8789 | 297-298 | 2 | Replacements for c/n 259 and 260, diverted to Canada. | |||
| J8790 - J8801 | 261-272 | 12 | (1) | J8792 (c/n 363) converted to TM prototype to Specification 12/28. J8798 (c/n 269) to RCAF as 406, November 1934. J8799 tested as a seaplane. |
||
| J9039 - J9050 | 285-296 | 12 | ||||
| 4 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 783694/27, to meet Specification 24/27 for the RCAF. Delivered December 1927 and July 1928. | ||||||
| 16 - 17 | 260, 259 | Mk.I | 2 | Registrations G-CYZB, 'ZA reserved, only used briefly. Renumbered 401, 402 | ||
| 18 - 19 | 279, 280 | 2 | Renumbered 403, 404. 19 (c/n 280) fitted with floats for trials. | |||
| 1 aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, in 1928. | ||||||
| G-EBYF | 346 | Mk.I | 1 | (1) | Retained by Armstrong Whitworth. See note 3. | |
| 43 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 837620/28, to meet Specification 12/28. | ||||||
| J9435 - J9447 | 347-359 | TM | 13 | |||
| J9448 - J9477 | 365-394 | 30 | ||||
| 49 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 837619/28, to meet Specification 11/28. | ||||||
| J9516 - J9540 | 401-425 | Mk.I | 25 | J9522 (c/n 407) to RCAF as 407, November 1934. | ||
| J9541 - J9564 | 429-452 | 24 | ||||
| 2 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley for the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia). Delivered in July 1929. | ||||||
| ??? | 360-361 | Mk.I | 2 | |||
| 2 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 783694/27, to meet Specification 24/27 for the RCAF. Delivered between August and October 1929. See note 4. | ||||||
| 111 | 426 | TM | 1 | |||
| 112 | 427 | Mk.I | 1 | Renumbered 405 | ||
| 1 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley and delivered to Japan. | ||||||
| ??? | 453 | Mk.I | 1 | |||
| 89 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 933799/29, dated August 1929, to meet Specification 11/28. Delivered between June and October 1930. | ||||||
| J9951 - J9999 | 461-509 | Mk.I | 49 | J9951 to Egypt in 1939. J9998 tested with stainless steel floats and 560 h.p. A.S. Panther VI powerplant. |
||
| K1000 | 510 | 1 | ||||
| K1001 - K1037 | 537 - 573 | 37 | ||||
| K1113 - K1114 | 574 - 575 | 2 | ||||
| 26 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 972069/29, to meet Specification 12/28. Delivered between April and June 1930. | ||||||
| K1172 - K1197 | 511-536 | TM | 26 | |||
| 53 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 34471/30, to meet Specification 12/28. Delivered between August 1930 and January 1931. | ||||||
| K1454 - K1481 | 576-603 | TM | 28 | |||
| K1482 - K1506 | 616-640 | 25 | ||||
| 96 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 35536/30, to meet Specification 11/28. Delivered between November 1930 and August 1931. | ||||||
| K1507 - K1516 | 606-615 | Mk.I | 10 | |||
| K1517 - K1526 | 641-650 | 10 | ||||
| K1527 - K1566 | 656-695 | 40 | K1529, K1531, K1540, K1545, K1550, K1556, K1561 and K1566 to RCAF as 408 - 415 in November 1934. |
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| K1567 - K1586 | 700-719 | 20 | ||||
| K1587 - K1602 | 723-728 | 16 | ||||
| 3 aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, in 1931. | ||||||
| G-ABHV, G-ABHW, G-ABHX | 653-655 | TM | 3 | To the Armstrong Whitworth flying School, Hamble (later Air Service Training) | ||
| 3 aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley. | ||||||
| G-ABIV, G-ABKE | 696, 697 | Mk.II | 2 | Retained by Armstrong Whitworth. See note 6. | ||
| 1 aircraft built by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, in 1931. | ||||||
| G-ABOO | 739 | TM | 1 | To the Armstrong Whitworth flying School, Hamble (later Air Service Training) | ||
| 53 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 103834/31, to meet Specification 8/31. Delivered September 1931 and July 1932. | ||||||
| K2514 - K2533 | 745-764 | TM | 20 | |||
| K2534 - K2543 | 774-783 | 10 | ||||
| K2544 - K2553 | 787-796 | 10 | ||||
| K2554 - K2566 | 805-817 | 13 | ||||
| 12 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, by the Kwangsi Provincial Air Force, China. Delivered between June and August 1932. | ||||||
| ??? | 768-773 | Mk.II | 6 | Alloted ferry registrations G-ABRU - 'RZ respectively. | ||
| ??? | 799-804 | 6 | Alloted Hong Kong ferry registrations VR-HAV(7) , 'HBA, 'HBE, 'HAX, 'HBD, 'HBG respectively | |||
| 2 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, by the Kwangsi Provincial Air Force, China. Delivered in July 1934. | ||||||
| ??? | 821-822 | Mk.II | 2 | Alloted Hong Kong ferry registrations VR-HCQ, 'CR. | ||
| 1 civil aircraft rebuilt by Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, in November 1932. | ||||||
| G-ACAI | 830 | Mk.II | (1) | G-EBYF brought up to full Mk.II standard. Retained by Armstrong Whitworth. See note 6. | ||
| Total Production | 480 | (4) | ||||
Ajax
Two seat general purpose day bomber or fighter derivative of the Atlas, to Specification 34/26, basically identical to the Atlas prototype, with the original Atlas wing structure and geometry. One 385 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar II powerplant
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 2 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 743656/27. | |||||
| J8802 - J8803 | 273-274 | 2 | |||
| 1 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 807413/27. First flew January 1928. | |||||
| J9128 | 141 | (1) | Originally flown as Atlas G-EBLM (see note 2). Rebuilt as J9128. | ||
| 1 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 821309/28. First flew (May?) 1928 | |||||
| J9129 | 142 | (1) | Originally flown as Atlas G-EBNI (see note 2). Rebuilt as J9129. | ||
| Total Production | 2 | (2) | |||
A.W.17 Aries
Improved Atlas Mk.I to Specification 20/25, featuring Warren-truss wing bracing and quick detachable panels for ease of maintenance. One 460 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar IV (later Jaguar VIC) powerplant.
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 1 aircraft ordered from Armstrong Whitworth, Whitley, to Contract 725892/26. First flew March 1930. | |||||
| J9037 | 454 | 1 | |||
| Total Production | 1 | ||||
Projected Variants
- A.W.36
- Two seat biplane army co-operation aircraft based on the Atlas II, with new body fairing and wheel spats. One Armstrong Siddeley Tiger powerplant. See note 6.
Foreign Derivatives
Phaliron Aircraft Factory (Εργοστάσιο Αεροπλάνων Φαλήρου, Ergostasio Aeroplanwn Falhrou), Greece
Atlas
Lower cost derivative produced for the Royal Hellenic Air Force. To reduce costs, the Greek Atlas' were different than the British ones: the structure of the wings was made from wood and the slats were removed. The Jaguar engines had been modified with a reducing gearbox and larger propellers.
Production Details
| Serial Range | C/n | Type | Batch Qty |
Conv. | Canc'd | Notes |
| 10 aircraft ordered from Phaliron Aircraft Factory (Ergostasio Aeroplanwn Falhrou) for the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia). Delivered in 1928. | ||||||
| Mk.I | 10 | Serials included M102, M104 | ||||
| Total Production | 10 | |||||
Production Summary
All Aircraft By Type
| Type | Built New | Conv | Canc'd | Total |
| Prototype | 1 | 1 | ||
| Atlas Mk.I | 242 | (1) | 243 | |
| Atlas TM | 181 | (1) | 182 | |
| Atlas Mk.I/II Hybrid (3) | (1) | 1 | ||
| Atlas Mk.II | 16 | (1) | 17 | |
| EAF Atlas Mk.I | 10 | 10 | ||
| Ajax | 2 | (2) | 4 | |
| A.W.17 Aries | 1 | 1 | ||
| 453 | (6) | 0 |
Air Ministry Contracts Associated With Atlas, Ajax and Aries Production
| Contract | Type | Total |
| 725892/26 | Aries | 1 |
| 735668/27 | Atlas Mk.I | 1 |
| 750052/27 | Atlas Mk.I | 37 |
| 783694/27 | Atlas Mk.I | 4 |
| 783694/27 | Atlas TM | 1 |
| 743656/27 | Ajax | 2 |
| 807413/27 | Ajax | 1 |
| 821309/28 | Ajax | 1 |
| 837619/28 | Atlas Mk.I | 49 |
| 837620/28 | Atlas TM | 43 |
| 933799/29 | Atlas Mk.I | 89 |
| 972069/29 | Atlas TM | 26 |
| 34471/30 | Atlas TM | 53 |
| 35536/30 | Atlas Mk.I | 96 |
| 103834/31 | Atlas TM | 53 |
Notes
- G-ABDY appeared during 1930. Per Ray Williams [3], records indicate that this was c/n 140, which was intended to be a structural test specimen. Possibly these tests were either not carried out, or at least not to destruction, and the airframe was completed as a dual control trainer for use by the company. G-ABDY has also been identified by some sources (including G-INFO) as being c/n 536, but this applied to K1197 and there is no indication that K1197 ever carried civil markings.
- It is unclear whether G-EBLM, 'NI (c/n's 141 and 1420 were Atlas or Ajax. Tapper refers to them as the first two Ajax, but G-INFO gives them as Atlas. Williams [3] also refers to G-EBNI as an Atlas, but makes no mention of G-EBLM.
- Rebuilt in 1931 with its original Mk.I fuselage, but featuring the wings and A.S. Panther powerplant of the Mk.II.
- Walker [5] has 111 as Mk.I, 112 as TM.
- The trainer is variously refered to in publications as Atlas TM or Atlas DC. The RAF Delivery Register refers to this variant as the 'Atlas Dual' or 'Atlas TM'.
- G-ABIV (c/n 696) and G-ACAI (c/n 830) were both modified to virtually A.W.36 standard during the second half of 1934, with an Armstrong Siddeley Tiger IV powerplant in a long chord cowling.
- Returned to Hong Kong for repair in April 1933 and re-registered VR-HCD; returned to China October 1933.
Production References
- Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Since 1913, Oliver Tapper (Putnam., 1973)
- Air Britain RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes, (Air-Britain Publications)
- Aeroplane Monthly Sep - Oct 1989
- Greek Air Force aircraft at https://www.haf.gr/en/history/historical-aircraft/armstrong-whitworth-atlas/
- Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers at CASPIR (Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource) at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Page Revision History
Revised at Version 2.0.0- Improved Type Description and Added Specification details.
- Added Contracts Table.
- Page completely rewritten and updated.