Airspeed Ferry Aircraft

Airspeed Ferry, Copyright John Lashbrook

Production Details

Design Company:

Airspeed Ltd

First Flight:

5 April 1932

AS.4 Ferry:

3 - Airspeed Ltd, York 1 - Airspeed Ltd, Portsmouth

Type Specification

Applies to:

Airspeed AS.4 Ferry

Type:

Multi engined airliner to requirements of Sir Alan Cobham

Wing:

Equal span, three bay, unstaggered, unswept biplane. Wings are of constant chord. Lower wing is cranked to shorten undercarriage leg. Construction of wood with fabric covering. Ailerons on all four wings. Wings braced from engine mount to lower fuselage

Fuselage:

Fuselage under lower wing is box section monocoque of spruce and plywood construction

Tail Unit:

Monoplane braced tailplane mounted at top of fuselage with split unbalanced elevator. Single wept fin with balanced rudder

Landing Gear:

Single mainwheel on each undercarriage leg beneath lower engines. Attached to fuselage by axle and radius rod in aerodynamic fairing. Tailskid

Power Plant:

Two 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy II four cylinder upright engines on lower wing either side of the cabin and one inverted 120 hp de Havilland Gipsy III engine in centre of upper wing

Accommodation:

Pilot in enclosed cockpit in nose with enclosed cabin for 10 passengers behind

Span:

55 ft

Length:

39 ft 8 in

Height:

14 ft 3 in

Wing Area:

641 sq ft

Empty:

3,440 lb

Loaded:

5,600 lb

Max Speed:

108 mph at sea level

Initial Rate of Climb:

520 ft/min

Absolute Ceiling:

13,000 ft

Range:

340 miles

Preserved in British Museums

Web Sites