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Avro 626 and Variants

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For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Contents

Type Description
Production Details

Type Description

  • Type 626
  • Two seat, multi-purpose development of the later model Type 621, offered with conversion kits to make it suitable for initial flying training, or bombing, photographic, gunnery, wireless, night flying, navigation, blind flying and seaplane instruction. Basically identical to a late model Type 621, it featured a third cockpit behind the rear seat of the 621 and accessible from it, though the aircraft was only be flown with two occupants. This additional cockpit was fitted with a Scarff ring for a machine gun. A fixed, forward firing Vickers machine gun could be fitted on the port side of the forward fuselage. The removable side panels on the fuselage were more extensive than on the Type 621, extending from the engine bulkhead to the gunners position, and the forward fuselage metal skinning extended aft past the front cockpit. Some aircraft featured an additional fuel tank above the wing centre section. One 215 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC or 270 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V powerplants.
  • Type 626 Prefect
  • 2 seat navigation trainer variant of Type 626 to meet Specification 32/34. This was basically the Type 621 brought up to Type 626 condition, but without the third cockpit, and equipped with a tail wheel and modified aileron circuits. One 215 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC powerplant.
  • Type 637
  • Lightly armed frontier patrol variant of the Type 626, with rounded wingtips, giving 4 ft greater wingspan. The front cockpit was eliminated and replaced by a long, tunnel-like windscreen incorporating the telescoping gun sight. A Vickers machine gun was located in the upper coaming forward of the pilot, and a large reserve fuel tank replaced the lower part of the forward cockpit. One 270 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V powerplant.

Type 626 (Lynx IVC) Specification
Span Length Height Wing Area Empty Wt Max AUW Cruise Speed Maximum Speed Range Service Ceiling
34 ft 26 ft 6 in 9 ft 7 in 300 sq ft 1765 lb 2750 lb 95 mph/ 83 kn 112 mph/ 97 kn 240 mi 14800 ft
10.36 m 8.08 m 2.92 m 27.87 m2 801 kg 1247 kg 153 km/h 180 km/h 386 km 4511 m

Production Tables Index

Type 626 and Prefect - UK Built
Type 626 - Non-UK Built
Type 626 and Prefect Civil Conversions
Type 637

Type 626 and Prefect - UK Built
Type 626
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in November 1930.
 G-ABGG  476  1      Demonstrator, retained by A.V. Roe. Originally flew under Class 'B' conditions as K-7.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in October 1930.
 G-ABFM  478  1      Demonstrator, registered to A.V. Roe. To Argentine military, September 1931.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in March 1931.
 G-ABJG  496  1      Demonstrator. Retained by A.V. Roe. Used to develop the configuration of the Type 637, with B-conditions serial
 K-10.
 9 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Kwangsi Air Force. Delivered in 1932.
   517-521  5      One machine serialed 105
   571-574  4      
 15 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, for the Argentinian Military Aviation Service (Servicio de Aviacion Militar). Delivered in 1931.
 1  478    (1)    Ex demonstrator G-ABFM.
 2 - 15  536-549  14      
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in October 1931.
 G-ABRK  553  1      Demonstrator, retained by A.V. Roe. To the Earl of Amherst, July 1932.
 5 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, for the Chinese Central Government, Nanking. Delivered between June 1932 and October 1933.
   569 - 571, 620, 634  5      Delivered via To Far East Aviation Co Ltd, Hong Kong, with temporay Hong Kong registrations VR-HAU, 'AW, 'BX,
 'BZ and 'CA.
 1 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, for the Far East Flying Training School. Delivered in March 1934.
 VR-HCO  573  1      To Chinese Central Government, Nanking, in November 1934.
 4 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Estonian Air Defense Force (Eesti Õhukaitse). Delivered in 1932
 141 - 144  593, 595, 596, 594  4      Supplied with interchangeable float undercarriages.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in July 1932.
 G-ABYM  622  1      To Air Service Training Ltd.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in April 1933.
 G-ACFZ  643  1      Seaplane demonstrator. To Brazil, September 1936.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in October 1931.
 G-ACFW  648  1      Demonstrator, retained by A.V. Roe.
 10 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, by the U.K. Government and supplied to the Egyptian Army Air Force. Delivered in November 1933.
 J300 - J309  668-677  10      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 16 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Egyptian Army Air Force. Delivered in 1934.
 J310 - J312  680, 695, 793  3      All aircraft with A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 J320 - J331  761-770, 799, 942  12      
 J328  950  1      Replacement aircraft for original J328, c/n 769.
 4 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Irish Army Air Corps. Delivered April, 1934
 A.10 - A.13  687-690  4      Serials changed to 10 - 13 post-1938.
 2 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Lithuanian Military Aviation (Lithuanian Karo Aviacijos). Delivered in 1937.
 703, ??  703, 979  2      See note 2.
 12 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Belgian Air Force (L'Aeronautique Militaire Belge). Delivered in 1935
 A-1 - A-12  783-790, 822-825  12      
 4 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, to Contract 36122/34 for the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Delivered September, 1935
 NZ201 - NZ204  809-812  4      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 20 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Chilean Air Force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile). Deivered in 1935.
 1 - 20  828-847  20      See note 3.
 1 aircraft built by A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath in July 1935.
 G-ADKZ  862  1      To Czechoslovakia (Presumably as pattern a/c for Tata)
 1 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Austrian Air Force (OsterreichischeLuftstreitkrafte). Delivered late 1935.
 055  868  1      Ferry registration G-ADUJ.
 14 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Portuguese Military Aeronautical Service (Serviço Aeronáutico Militar). Delivered in 1936.
   869, 890, 996-1007  14      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 6 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Austrian Air Force (OsterreichischeLuftstreitkrafte). Delivered between late 1936 and mid 1937.
 056 - 058  923 - 925  3      See note 1. Ferry registrations G-AEGA, 'GB, 'GC respectively.
 523 - 525  982 - 984  3      Ferry registrations G-AEVI, 'VJ, 'VK respectively.
 3 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Delivered between October and November, 1937.
 225 - 227  927-929  3      
 9 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia). Delivered in 1936.
 Π1 - Π9  930-938  9      See note 4.
 16 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Brazilian Army (Aviacao Militar). Delivered in 1937.
 1  643    (1)    Ex demonstrator G-ACFZ.
 2 - 16  952-966  15      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 9 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Royal Canadian Air Force. Delivered in 1939.
 266 - 274  1070-1078  9      
 2 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Lithuanian Military Aviation (Lithuanian Karo Aviacijos). Delivered in 1939.
 901, 902  1089-1090  2      
 12 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Portuguese Naval Air Arm (FAA, Forças Aéreas da Armada). Delivered in December 1938.
   1091-1098, 1123-1126  12      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
 12 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Royal Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Vassiliki Aeroporia). Delivered in 1938.
 Π10 - Π21  1099-1110  12      See note 4.
 1 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, to Works Order 21050 for the Egyptian Air Force. Delivered in April, 1940.
 J332  1152  1      A.S. Cheetah V powerplant.
Total Production 193
Prefect
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 7 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, to Contract 368655/34, Requisition 3/34. Delivered between June and July, 1935.
 K5063 - K5069    7      
Total Production 7
Type 626 - Non-UK Built
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
Portugal  17 aircraft ordered from OGMA (Oficinas Gerais de Material Aeronáutico) for the Portugese Army Air Service (Arma da Aeronautica Militar Portuguesa). Delivered in
 1938.
     17      
Civil Registered Type 626 and Prefect
All Aircraft Converted from Military (In Alphabetical Order of Country)
Initial
Registration		 Original Military
Serial		 Notes
Argentina Total (5)
 LV-XHY  6  To Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil in September 1946.
 LV-XHZ  7  To Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil in September 1946.
 LV-XID  9  To Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil in September 1946.
 LV-XIE  10  To Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil in September 1946.
 LV-XIF  12  To Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil in September 1946.
Germany Total (3)
 D-IPMC    To NSFK Gruppe 17 See note 1.
 D-ISCX    See note 1.
 D-IVHD    C/n 983. See note 1.
New Zealand Total (1)
 ZK-APC  NZ203  To J. Frogley, May 1947.
United Kingdom Total (2)
 G-AHRZ  K6069  To Southern Aircraft (Gatwick) Ltd, May 1946.
 G-AHVO  K6066  To Southern Aircraft (Gatwick) Ltd, May 1946.
Total Conversions  (11)
Type 637
Serial Range C/n Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 8 aircraft ordered from A.V. Roe and Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, for the Kwangai Provincial Government. Delivered in 1934
   635-637, 662-665, 681  8      
Total Production 8

Foreign Derivatives

Ringhoffer–Tatra Ltd, Studenka, Czechoslovakia
Tatra T-126
Licence built 626, manufactured in Czechoslovakia; two versions were planned, one with 355 h.p. Avia Rk. 17 and an export version for Turkey and the Balkans with 270 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V powerplant.
Production Details
Serial Range C/n Type Batch
Qty		 Conv. Canc'd Notes
 1 aircraft under construction by Ringhoffer–Tatra Ltd, Studenka, Czechoslovakia starting in 1937 but construction abandoned in 1939.
     T-126      1  
Total Production (1)

Production Summary

All Aircraft By Type and Mark
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
 Type 626 193 193
 Type 626 (Non-U.K. Built) 17 17
 Prefect 7 7
 Type 637 8 8
225 (0) 0
All Aircraft By Type
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
 Type 626 and Prefect 217 217
 Type 637 8 8
225 (0) 0
Exports of British Built Aircraft to Foreign Air Arms
Customer Type 626 Type 637
 Argentina 15
 Austria 7
 Belgium 12
 Brazil 16
 Canada 12
 Chile 20
 China 5
 Egypt 27
 Estonia 4
 Greece 21
 Ireland 4
 Kwangsi 9 8
 Lithuania 4
 New Zealand 4
 Portugal Army 14
 Portugal Navy 12
186 8
Foreign Derivatives
Type Built New Conv Canc'd Total
Czechoslovakia
 Tatra T-126      1  1
0 0 1 1

Notes

  1. Three Ex Austrian Type 626 appeared on the German civil register as D-IPMC, D-IHVD (C/n 983) and D-ISCX.
  2. Jackson [1] gives c/n 797 as a Type 626 to Lithuania, but this c/n belongs to a Type 638 Club Cadet. This author believes the correct c/n here should be 979.
  3. Rivas [9] gives 30 serials for aircraft used by the Chilean Army, though from Jackson [1], only 20 c/ns have be identified, with serial 1 to 20. Certainly serials greater than 20 have been identified photographically. From Dan Hagedorn [10]: "While the Chilean Army routinely issued serial codes in strict numeric order to newly acquired aircraft in the late 1930s prior to adopting the familiar four-digit system, it is clear from existing records that they apparently assigned NEW numbers to rebuilt (composite?) aircraft and I strongly suspect these to be the sources for the numbers known above 20."
  4. In January 1942, three aircraft, Π4 (c/n 933), Π6 (c/n 935) and Π16 (c/n 1105) of the former RHAF managed to escape to Egypt and were impressed as HK833 - HK835, but serial tie-up is unknown.

Production References

  1. Avro Aircraft Since 1908, A.J. Jackson (Putnam, 1965 and 1990)
  2. Avro An Aircraft Album, E.A. Harlin and G.A. Jenks (Ian Allen, 1973)
  3. Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers at CASPIR (Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource) at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
  4. Aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, David Duxbury, Ross Ewing and Ross Macpherson (Heinemann, 1987)
  5. http://aviators.cz/en/history-of-Tatra-airplanes
  6. Irish Air Corps Aircraft 1922-2007 at https://studylib.net/doc/7859875/aircraft-of-the-irish-air-service--irish
  7. https://ex-ogma.blogspot.com/2009/03/avioes-da-am-avro-626.html
  8. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/
  9. British Combat Aircraft in Latin America, Santiago Rivas (Hikoki, 2019)
  10. Dan Hagedorn, via posts on the Air Britain Information Exchange (AB-IX) forum, December 17, 2021
  11. RAF Air Historical Branch: Delivery Serial Ledger (A.M. Form 622) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-1)
  12. RAF Air Historical Branch: RAF Aircraft Movement Card (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-77-15-83)
  13. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-3)

Page Revision History

Revised at Version 2.0.0
  • Improved Type Description and Added Specification details.
  • Corrections to exports to Brazil.
  • Exports to Greece - Corrections to serials and added impressment note.
  • Notes 3 and 4 added.
  • Corrected c/n of Lithuanian aircraft.
  • Added Requisition Number to Prefect list.
  • Civil converted table rewritten.
Revised at Version 1.4.0
  • Added user details.
  • Increased build quantity by 2 - identified two further Type 621 to China.