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Airspeed AS.5 Courier

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

Produced Variants

AS.5 Courier Prototype six-seat low wing airliner with retractable undercarriage. One 215 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC powerplant.
AS.5A Courier Main production version. As A.S.5 but fitted with one 215 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC powerplant.
AS.5B Courier As AS.5 but fitted with one 270 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah V powerplant.
AS.5C Courier As AS.5 but fitted with one 340 h.p. Napier Rapier IV powerplant. Engine trials aircraft only.
AS.5J Courier As AS.5 but fitted with one 310 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX powerplant.


Production List Page Top
AS.5 Courier - All Aircraft
C/n
Initial Registration
Original Build
Notes
 16 aircraft built by Airspeed Ltd., Portsmouth, between 1933 and 1935.
 7  G-ABXN  AS.5  To Sir Alan Cobham and used for flight refuelling experiments. Impressed - see note 1.
 10  G-ACJL  AS.5A  To Bouts Airlines (Bouts-Tillotson Transport Ltd) via Aircraft Exchange & Mart Ltd, Hanworth. Later VH-UUF to Aircraft Exchange & Mart Ltd,
        Mascot. Reported as shipped back to UK. 
 11  G-ACLR  AS.5A  See note 2. To Portsmouth, Southsea & IoW Aviation Ltd, Aug 1936. Converted to fixed u/c. Impressed into RAF service as X9344.
 12  G-ACLF  AS.5B  See note 2. To North Eastern Airways Ltd, Croydon/Doncaster. Converted to AS.5A with fixed u/c. Impressed into RAF service as X9342.
 13  K4047  AS.5A  To RAE Farnborough  (See Military Table).
 14  G-ACLT  AS.5A  To Portsmouth Southsea & IoW Aviation Ltd. See note 2. Impressed into RAF service as X9394.
 15  G-ACLS  AS.5A  To Southern & Central Air Lines Ltd, Southampton; named "City of Southampton".
 16  G-ACSY  AS.5A  To London Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd, Croydon, via Aircraft Exchange & Mart Ltd, Hanworth.
 19  G-ACSZ  AS.5A  To London Scottish & Provincial Airways Ltd, Croydon/Tollerton. See note 2; to North Eastern Airways Ltd, Croydon.
 20  G-ACNZ  AS.5C  To D Napier & Son Ltd for engine trials. Converted to AS.5A with fixed u/c. Impressed into RAF service as X9346.
 22  G-ACVE  AS.5A  See Note 2, but crashed on take-off Portsmouth 20.8.36, after being stolen by two Airspeed employees.
 23  G-ACVF  AS.5B  See note 2. To Portsmouth Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth, June 1939. Impressed into RAF service as X9437.
 24  G-ACVG  AS.5J  To H.H. The Maharajah of Jaipur, Jaipur, India as VT-AFY, via R.K. Dundas Ltd.
 25  G-ACZL  AS.5A  To Portsmouth Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd. Impressed into RAF service as X9345.
 26  G-ADAX  AS.5A  To Portsmouth Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd. Impressed into RAF service as X9347.
 27  G-ADAY  AS.5A  To Portsmouth Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd. Impressed into RAF service as X9343.
Total Production   16

Aircraft In Military Service

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Serial Range
C/n
Type
Batch Qty
Conv.
Canc'd
Notes
 1 aircraft ordered from Airspeed. Ltd., Portsmouth, to contract 276131/33, delivered March, 1934.
 K4047 13  AS.5A  1      Various trials with RAE and AAEE. Later fitted with A.S. Cheetah IX
 
Total Production
 1
 
 
 




Production Summary

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All Aircraft By Type
Type Delivered New Conv. Canc'd Total
 AS.5 Courier 1     1
 AS.5A Courier 11 (3)   11
 AS.5B Courier 2     2
 AS.5C Courier 1     1
 AS.5J Courier 1     1
  16 (3) 0 16


Notes
  1. Serial X9427 is quoted for this machine, but this number was not officially allocated to an aircraft.
     
  2. Various attempts were made to supply the indicated aircraft to the Spanish Republican forces before the next indicated ownwership, but were blocked.

Production References
  1. Airspeed Aircraft Since 1931, H.A. Taylor (Putnam, 1970)
  2. Impressments Logs, Peter W. Moss (Air Britain Publications, 1962-66)
  3. http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/airspeed_prewar.pdf

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Page Revision History Page Top

Revised at Version 1.4.0
  • Tables reorganised
  • Added user details.

V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020