Time Period: Interwar Period
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Type: Biplane, Airliner
Manufacturer: Airspeed Ltd.
Airspeed AS.4 Ferry Aircraft Overview
The Airspeed AS.4 Ferry was not an aircraft, but rather the fourth design project undertaken by Airspeed Limited. It was a two-seat biplane designed in 1930 by Sir A.H. (Alec) Hesseltine, the co-founder of Airspeed Limited, and was designated AS.4 to represent its fourth design.
The AS.4 Ferry was a light aircraft intended for use as an air taxi or feeder aircraft for smaller airlines. It had a fabric-covered wooden structure and was powered by a single engine. However, the AS.4 Ferry did not progress beyond the prototype stage, and it is believed that only one prototype was built.
Following the development of the AS.4 Ferry, Airspeed Limited shifted its focus to other aircraft designs, notably the successful Airspeed AS.5 Courier, which was the company’s first commercially successful aircraft. The Courier became Airspeed’s first production aircraft and received considerable interest from the aviation industry.
So, while the AS.4 Ferry was an early design project by Airspeed, it did not achieve significant commercial success or become a notable aircraft in the company’s history. The AS.5 Courier, which followed the AS.4, is what truly launched Airspeed into the world of aircraft manufacturing.
Airspeed AS.4 Ferry Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 10 passengers
- Length: 39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
- Wingspan: 55 ft 0 in (16.76 m)
- Height: 14 ft 3 in (4.34 m)
- Wing area: 610.5 sq ft (56.72 m2)
- Empty weight: 3,300 lb (1,497 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 5,400 lb (2,449 kg)
- Powerplant: 3 × de Havilland Gipsy II and III air-cooled inline piston, 120 hp (89 kW) each
Airspeed AS.4 Ferry Performance
- Maximum speed: 112 mph (180 km/h, 97 kn)
- Cruise speed: 100 mph (160 km/h, 87 kn)
- Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h, 43 kn)
- Range: 340 mi (550 km, 300 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 15,500 ft (4,700 m)
- Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)
