Time Period: Interwar Period, World War II
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Trainer Aircraft
Manufacturer: Airspeed Ltd.
Airspeed Oxford Aircraft Overview
The Airspeed Oxford was a British twin-engine aircraft used primarily as a training aircraft during World War II. It was designed and built by the Airspeed Ltd. company and first flew in 1937.
The Oxford was a low-wing monoplane with a retractable undercarriage and powered by two 355-horsepower Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial engines. It was typically operated by a crew of two and could accommodate up to eight passengers or trainees.
The Oxford was used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other Allied air forces as a multi-engine training aircraft for pilots, navigators, and other aircrew. It was also used for transport and communications duties, and as a light bomber in some theaters of war.
The Oxford was well-regarded for its ease of handling and forgiving flight characteristics, which made it an ideal training aircraft for novice pilots. It remained in service with the RAF until the mid-1950s, and a few examples were used by civilian operators for various purposes, including aerial survey and air ambulance services. Overall, over 8,500 Oxfords were built, making it one of the most widely used multi-engine training aircraft of World War II.
Airspeed Oxford Specifications
- Crew: 3
- Length: 34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
- Wingspan: 53 ft 4 in (16.26 m)
- Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.38 m)
- Wing area: 348 sq ft (32.3 m2)
- Empty weight: 5,322 lb (2,414 kg)
- Gross weight: 7,500 lb (3,402 kg)
- Fuel capacity: 156 imp gal (187 US gal; 710 L)
- Powerplant: 2 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X radial engines, 350 hp (260 kW) each.
Airspeed Oxford Performance
- Maximum speed: 192 mph (309 km/h, 167 kn)
- Endurance: 5.5 hr
- Service ceiling: 23,550 ft (7,180 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,340 ft/min (6.8 m/s)
Airspeed Oxford Armament
- Guns: 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret.
- Bombs: 16× 11.5 lb (5 kg) practice bombs carried externally.
