Hawker Siddeley Andover

infobox Aircraft
name = HS780 Andover
type = Transport aircraft
manufacturer =Hawker Siddeley


caption = A Royal Air Force Andover C.1 of No 46 Sqn
deletable image-caption
designer =
first flight = July 1965
introduced =
retired =
status =
primary user = Royal Air Force
more users = Royal New Zealand Air Force Eureka Aviation 748 Air Services
produced =
number built =37
unit cost =
developed from = Hawker Siddeley HS 748
variants with their own articles =

The Hawker Siddeley Andover (HS 780) is a twin engined turboprop military transport aircraft produced by Hawker Siddeley for the Royal Air Force developed from the Avro-designed HS 748 airliner. The Andover was named after the Avro Andover, a Royal Air Force (RAF) biplane transport used for medical evacuation between the wars, and RAF Andover, where trials of the aircraft were partially carried out.

Design and development

The HS Andover has good short field performance. It was expected to deliver cargo and evacuate casualties intra-theatre in a European-war scenario. The Royal Air Force ordered 31 aircraft and these were delivered as the Andover C.1. Subsequent RAF types are the Andover CC.2 VIP transport and Andover E.3 electronic calibration aircraft.

Operational history

The Andover C.1 was flown for the first time on 9 July 1965. The first four examples were flown to RAF Boscombe Down for acceptance trials that year. The full contract of 31 aircraft were delivered and deployed to squadrons in Transport Command. These were No. 46 Squadron RAF at RAF Abingdon, 52 Squadron at RAF Seletar (Far East) and 84 Squadron at RAF Sharjah (Middle East). [ Jefford ]

There was a follow on order for six aircraft that were designated C.C.2 and these went initially to 21 Squadron at RAF Khormaksar. The squadron had these for six months before being disbanded when the aircraft went to 32 Squadron at RAF Northolt, designated the "Metropolitan Communications Squadron". The aircraft were with 32 Squadron for over 18 years including some time spent on detachment at RAF Bruggen (Germany). [ Jefford ]

Three of these RAF Andovers continue to fly, one C.1 with the "Empire Test Pilots' School" and one C.1 with the "Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron" of the "Joint Test and Evaluation Group". The remaining aircraft is a modified C.1 converted for photo-reconnaissance, the Andover C.1(PR), serial number "XS596". This is the UK-designated aircraft under the Treaty on Open Skies. All three are based at RAF Boscombe Down.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force operated 10 aircraft, acquired while still relatively new in 1976. These saw service with UN missions to Somalia and on the Iran-Iraq border, and in disaster relief work in the Pacific. The type was retired from service in 1998. The main difficulty with their service in New Zealand was their limited range - convert|1000|nmi|km of Pacific Ocean separate New Zealand from its nearest neighbours.

Variants

;Andover C.1:First production series for RAF, 31 aircraft built.;Andover C.1(PR):One C1 aircraft was converted for Photographic Reconnaissance duties.;Andover CC.2:Not a variant of the cargo/transport Andover but a VIP transport version of the HS 748.;Andover E.3:Six C.1 aircraft were converted for radio and airport aids calibration.

Operators

Military operators

;NZL:
*Royal New Zealand Air Force
**No. 1 Squadron RNZAF
**No. 42 Squadron RNZAF

;UK:
*Royal Air Force
**No. 21 Squadron RAF
**No. 32 Squadron RAF
**No. 46 Squadron RAF
**No. 51 Squadron RAF
**No. 52 Squadron RAF
**No. 60 Squadron RAF
**No. 84 Squadron RAF
**No. 115 Squadron RAF
**No. 242 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
**Queen's Flight RAF
**Empire Test Pilots' School
**Royal Aircraft Establishment

Only 3 Aircraft currently remain airworthy. All 3 are operated out of Boscombe Down by the Empire Test Pilots' School, Heavy Aircraft Test Squadron and the UK open skies mission.

Civil operators

In August 2007 a total of 5 former-military Andover aircraft remain in airline service. Current operators are [Flight International, 21-27 October 2007] :

;COD
*Air Transport Office (1)
*International Trans Air Business (3);KEN
*748 Air Services (1)

Both former RAF and RNZAF [ [http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/nz7620.shtml New Zealand Military Aircraft Serial Numbers Hawker Siddeley HS.748MF Andover C.1] ] aircraft were later sold to civil operators mainly in Africa.

;COD
*Bionic Aviation (Congo) operates at least one Andover CC2 (reg. 9Q-CLL) currently (2007) on charter use between Johannesburg (Lanseria) and Kolwezi, DR Congo
*Eureka Aviation bought 4 aircraft from RNZAF for operations in Africa.
*Eastern Congo Airlines operated at least one Eureka Aviation aircraft.
*ITAB (Congo) operates at least one ex-RNZAF Andover between Lubumbashi and Kolwezi carrying passengers and limited cargo.
*Katanga Air bought 2 aircraft from Thameside Aero Services.;flag|Dubai
*ITAB Cargo bought one aircraft from Eureka Aviation in 1997.;EQG
*Gabon Express bought 1 aircraft from Eastern Congo Airlines in 1998.
*Jesus Alive Ministries bought 1 aircraft.
*Thameside Aero Services bought 3 aircraft from RNZAF in 1998.
*Thames Aero Spares bought 1 aircraft from RNZAF in 1998 and sold it to 748 Air Services.;KEN
*748 Air Services operated 2 aircraft in 1998.;SWZ
*Unknown operator bought one aircraft from Gabon Express.

urvivors

As well as the small numbers of Andovers which are still flying (including three British military examples, the following aircraft are on public display:

;"XS639" Andover E.3A :Former navigation aid calibration Andover is exhibited in the Royal Air Force Museum.;"NZ7621" Andover CC.1 :A former Royal Air Force aircraft "XS600" sold to the Royal New Zealand Air Force is on display at the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum in Christchurch.

pecifications (Andover C1)

aircraft specifications

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

ref=

crew=2-3
capacity=44 troops or 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) of cargo
payload main=
payload alt=

length main= 78 ft
length alt=23.77 m
span main=98 ft 6 in
span alt=30.02 m
height main=30 ft 1 in
height alt=9.15 m
area main= 811 ft²
area alt= 75.4 m²
airfoil=

empty weight main= 25,524 lb
empty weight alt= 11,577 kg
loaded weight main=40,000 lb
loaded weight alt= 18,000 kg
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 51,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 23,100 kg
more general=

engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=Rolls-Royce Dart 12 Mk 201
type of prop= turboprop
number of props= 2
power main= 3,245 shp
power alt=2,420 kW
power original=

max speed main= 320 mph
max speed alt= 512 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 1,624 miles
range alt=2,613 km
ceiling main= 25,000 ft
ceiling alt= 7,600 m
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=
* Hawker Siddeley HS 748
* BAe ATP

similar aircraft=
* Handley Page Herald
* NAMC YS-11

lists=

see also=
* List of civil aircraft

References

3 ^JEFFORD, "RAF Squadrons" 2nd edition, 2001

External links

* [http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/hawker-siddeley-andover-e3a.htm RAF Museum Andover page]
* [http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=Hawker%20Siddeley%20HS-780%20Andover&distinct_entry=true Various RAF Andover photos, including the unique and still-serving Andover C1 (PR)]
* [http://www.airforcemuseum.co.nz/main/HawkorAndover RNZAF Museum Andover page]
* [http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/nz7620.shtml New Zealand Military Aircraft Serial Numbers Hawker Siddeley HS.748MF Andover C.1]