Airspeed AS.6 Envoy
For a description of the format and data included
in Production Tables, see here .
Produced Variants
AS.6 Envoy
6/8 passenger low wing airliner with retractable undercarriage. Two 200 h.p. Wolseley A.R.9 Mk.II
powerplants. AS.6A Envoy As AS.6, fiited with two 215 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC powerplants.
AS.6D Envoy
As
AS.6, fiited with two 350 h.p. Wright R-760-E2 Whirlwind 7 powerplants. AS.6E Envoy As AS.6, fiited with two 340 h.p. Walter Castor II powerplants.
AS.6G Envoy As AS.6, fiited with two 230 h.p. Wolseley Scorpio I powerplants.
AS.6H Envoy
As
AS.6, fiited with two 225 h.p. Wolseley Aries III powerplants.
AS.6J Envoy As AS.6, fiited with two 310 h.p.
Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX powerplants. AS.6JC Envoy AS.6J optimised as military/civil convertible - civil variant.
AS.6JM Envoy
AS.6J
optimised as military/civil convertible; military variant, fitted with bomb racks, fixed fwd firing gun and a dorsal gun
turret. AS.6K Envoy As
AS.6, fiited with two 230 h.p. Wolseley Scorpio II powerplants.
Note: Most, but not all, Cheetah powered aircraft featured close-cowled powerplants. All others featured
Townend rings. Series
The Envoy was produced under three different Series :
Series I Initial production variant.
Series II Introduced split flaps.
Series III As Series II with fabric
covered wings replaced by plywood stressed skin construction.
Foreign
Produced Variants
Mitsubishi
Production
Hinazuru
Licence built version of the AS.6A Envoy with licence built A.S Lynx IVC or Wolseley Aries III powerplants.
One aircraft (probably J-BAOD) fitted with130 h.p. Gasuden
Jimpu powerplants and landing flaps, but crashed during testing. At least two
aircraft
(J-BOAS 'OX) had modified side windows.
Projected Variants
AS.6B Seaplane variant. AS.6C Seaplane variant. AS.6F Photographic survey variant
(none) General Coastal Reconnaissance
aircraft to Specification 18/35.
AS.6 Envoy (Airspeed
Built) - All Aircraft
C/n
Initial
Registration
Type
Series
Notes
52 aircraft
built by Airspeed Ltd., Portsmouth, between 1934 and 1938.
17 G-ACMT AS.6 I
Converted
to to AS.6G Srs II in 1936. To
Rollason Aircraft Services Ltd, Croydon. Purchased for Spanish Republicans. Fitted
with wings of
G-AEBV at Barcelona, prior to defection to Spanish Nationalists, became 41-1 as General Mola's personal aircraft
28 G-ACVH
AS.6
I
Retained by Airspeed, but reportedly to Wolseley as development
aircraft (but may be confusion with G-ACVI). See note 5
29 G-ACVI AS.6H I
To
William Richard Nuffield (Lord Nuffield), Henley-on-Thames, named "Miss Wolseley"; operated as engine development
aircraft by Wolseley
Motors. To Ansett Airways Pty Ltd, Essendon, Australia as VH-UXM. Re-engined in 1944 with Wright Whirlwinds as AS.6D 30 G-ACVJ
AS.6A
I
To RK Dundas Ltd, Portsmouth and flown to India on demonstration tour. To Spanish Republicans, Aug 1936.
See note 6. 31
G-ACYJ
AS.6J
I
To Charles T.P. Ulm, Australia as VH-UXY,named "Stella Australis". See note 6.
32 G-ADAZ
AS.6A
I
To North Eastern Airways Ltd, Heston; named "Tynedale". Impressed
into RAF service as DG663 under file B.50801/39
33 G-ADBA AS.6J I
To
Cobham Air Routes Ltd, Croydon, but company ceased trading and leased to Olley Air Service Ltd, Croydon. See note 2.
Impressed into
RAF service as P5778 under file B.50801/39 34 G-ADBB AS.6J I
To
North Eastern Airways Ltd, Heston; named "Wharfedale". To Spanish Nationalists, Aug 1936.
35 G-ADBZ
AS.6J
I
To North Eastern Airways Ltd, Heston; named "Swaledale". See note 2.
36 G-ADCA
AS.6A
I
To Portsmouth Southsea & Isle of Wight Aviation Ltd, Portsmouth. To Spanish Republicans, Aug 1936,
but crashed on route. 37
G-ADCB
AS.6
I
To Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku
Yosu KK) as J-BDDO. See note 7. 38
G-ADCC
AS.6
I
To Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku
Yosu KK) as J-BDAO. See notes 6 and 7. 39 ZS-AGA AS.6JC II
See
Note 1. To South African Airways, named "Sir Peregrine Maitland". To
SAAF as 254, Oct 1938 (See Military Table). 40 G-ADCE AS.6A I
To
Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK) as J-BDEO.
41 J-BAOH
AS.6A
I
To Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku
Yosu KK). See notes 6 and 8. 42
J-BDBO
AS.6A
I
To Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku
Yosu KK). See note 9. 43
J-BDCO
AS.6
I
To Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha Ltd. To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku
Yosu KK). See note 7. 44
251
AS.6JM
II
To SAAF (See Military Table). Diverted on arrival and regd ZS-ALD for op by Air Survey
Flight, Zwartkop, Pretoria.To SAAF Dec 1937. 45 ZS-AGD AS.6JC II
See
Note 1. To South African Airways, named "Alexander Biggar". To SAAF as 257, May 1938 (See Military Table).
46 ZS-AGC
AS.6JC
II
See Note 1. To South African Airways. To SAAF as 257, May 1938 (See Military Table).
47 OK-BAL
AS.6E
I
To Ceskoslovenske Statni Aerolinie [CSA], Prague. Seized by Germans Mar 1939. To Luftwaffe as CM+SA.
To Finnish AF as EV-1 Mar 1942. 48
OK-BAM
AS.6E
I
To Ceskoslovenske Statni Aerolinie [CSA], Prague. Seized by Germans Mar 1939. To Luftwaffe as DM+SA.
49 252
AS.6JM
II
To SAAF (See Military Table). Diverted on arrival and regd ZS-ALE for op by Air Survey
Flight, Zwartkop, Pretoria.To SAAF Dec 1937. 50 253 AS.6JM II
To
SAAF (See Military Table). Diverted on arrival and regd ZS-ALF for op by Air Survey Flight, Zwartkop, Pretoria.To SAAF
Dec 1937. 51
ZS-AGB
AS.6JC
II
See Note 1. To South African Airways; named Sir
Hercules Robinson". To SAAF as 255, May 1938 (See Military Table). 52 G-AEBV AS.6J
II
To Brian Allen Aviation Ltd, Croydon. To Spanish Republicans, Aug 1936. Fate unknown
but wings fitted to G-ACMT by Sept 1936 53 OK-BAN AS.6E II
To
Ceskoslovenske Statni Aerolinie [CSA], Prague. 54 OK-BAO AS.6E II
To
Ceskoslovenske Statni Aerolinie [CSA], Prague. 55 G-AEGF AS.6J III
To
British Scandinavian Airways Ltd, Gravesend; not used.
56 G-AEDD AS.6J III
To
British Scandinavian Airways Ltd, Gravesend; not used.
57 VT-AHR AS.6J II
To
Maharajah of Jaipur. 58
OK-VIT
AS.6E
III
To Vitkovicke Horni & Hutni Tezirstvo, (Vitkovice Mine & Steel Co), Prague.
59 VT-AIC
AS.6K
III
To HH The Maharajah Yashwant Rao Holkar, Indore. To R.K. Dundas Ltd, Portsmouth, as G-AFWZ. Impressed into RAF service as X9370.
60 G-AENA
AS.6J
III
To Maxwell Hutcheson Findlay & Kenneth Herbert Fraser Waller, Brooklands; named "Gabrielle".
61 PH-ARK
AS.6J
III
To Eric Hoffman, Vienna, for Spanish Republicans but impounded Antwerp Docks. To D.H.
Reinders, The Hague, Aug 1937, but not used. 62 PH-ARL AS.6J III
To
Eric Hoffman, Vienna, for Spanish Republicans but impounded Antwerp Docks. To D.H. Reinders, The Hague, Aug 1937, but
not used. 66
G-AEXX
AS.6J
III
To Kings Flight (See Military Table). Returned to civil Feb 1946 to Gerald Guy Ward Farquharson,
Datchet, Bucks. To Nils Turing, Visby, as SE-ASN, December 1946. 67 G-AEXE AS.6J III
To
Kwangsi Province, China (for use by Military Governor of Liu Chow); delivered via Hong Kong.
68 G-AERT
AS.6J
III
To Kwangsi Province, China (for use by Military Governor of Liu Chow); delivered via
Hong Kong. 69
F-APPQ
AS.6J
III
To Air Pyrenees.
70 F-AQAA AS.6J III
To
Air Pyrenees. 71
F-AQAB
AS.6J
III
To Air Pyrenees.
72 F-AQCR AS.6J III
To
Air Pyrenees. To Líneas Aéreas Postales Españolas as EC-AGE, July 1938. To Spanish Republican Air Force
as 41-3. 73
F-AQCS
AS.6J
III
To Air Pyrenees.
74 F-AQCT AS.6J III
To
Air Pyrenees. 76
G-AFJD
AS.6J
III
To The High Commissioner for India, civilian registered presumably for ferry purposes
to India. (See Military Table) 77 G-AFJE AS.6J
III
To The High Commissioner for India, civilian registered presumably for ferry purposes
to India. (See Military Table) 78 P5625 AS.6J
III
(See Military Table).
79 P5626 AS.6J III
(See
Military Table). To G-AHAC with the Brevet Flying Club, Jan 1946. 80 P5627 AS.6J
III
(See Military Table).
81 P5628 AS.6J III
(See
Military Table). 82
P5629
AS.6J
III
(See Military Table).
Total Production
(New Built) 52
Total Production (Type
Conversion) (2)
AS.6 Envoy (Mitsubishi Built) - All Aircraft
Page Top
C/n
Initial Registration
Type
Series
Notes
11 aircraft built by
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Nagoya, Japan, between 1936 and 1937. 1 J-BAOD AS.6A I
To Japan
Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 2 J-BAOF
AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 3 J-BAOK AS.6A I
To Japan
Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 4 J-BAOL
AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). To Greater Japan Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) as J-DAOL
for use in Formosa. 5
J-BAOP AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 6 J-BAOQ AS.6A I
To Japan
Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). To Greater Japan Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) as J-DAOQ for use in Formosa.
7 J-BAOR AS.6A I
To
Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 8 J-BAOS
AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). To Greater Japan Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) as J-DAOS
for use in Formosa. 9
J-BAOV AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 10 J-BAOW AS.6A I
To Japan
Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). 11 J-BAOX
AS.6A
I
To Japan Air Transport (Nihon Koku Yosu KK). To Greater Japan Airways (Dai Nippon Koku KK) as J-DAOX
for use in Formosa. Total Production 11
Serial Range
C/n
Type
Batch Qty
Conv.
Canc'd
Notes
7 aircraft ordered from Airspeed. Ltd., Portsmouth, as convertible civil/military
Envoy IIs ordered under Contract 470225/35 to Specification 39/35. 3 delivered to S.A.A.F, in July 1936, remainder to
S.A.A. (see main list).
251 - 253
44,
49, 50 AS.6JM 3
Series II - see Note 1 254 - 257 39,51,46,45
AS.6JC
(4)
Ex
ZS-AGA, ZS-AGB, ZS-AGD and ZS-AGC respectively. 1 aircraft, ex G-AEXX of the Kings Flight, to RAF under Contract 621351/37. Delivered May, 1937.
L7270 66
AS.6J
(1)
2 aircraft ordered from Airspeed. Ltd., Portsmouth,
under Contract 783677/38, for AHQ India Communications Flight, Willingdon. Delivered August 1938.
N9107 - N9108
76,77
AS.6J
(2)
Originally
G-AFJD, 'JE. 5 aircraft
ordered from Airspeed. Ltd., Portsmouth, under Contract 967144/38 to Specification 24/38. Delivered between March and
June 1939. P5625
- P5629 78-82 AS.6J 5
Series
III
Total Production
8
(7)
Type
Airspeed
Mitsubishi
Total Built New
Built New
Conv.
Built New
AS.6
Envoy
5
5
AS.6A
Envoy
6
11
17
AS.6D
Envoy
(1)
AS.6E
Envoy
5
5
AS.6G Envoy
(1)
AS.6H
Envoy
1
1
AS.6J
Envoy
27
27
AS.6JC
Envoy
4
4
AS.6JM
Envoy
3
3
AS.6K Envoy
1
1
52
(2)
11
63
All Aircraft By Series
Type
Airspeed
Mitsubishi
Total Built New
Built New
Conv.
Built New
Envoy Series I
18
11
29
Envoy Series II
11
(1)
11
Envoy Series III
23
23
52
(1)
11
63
Notes Seven convertible civil/military
Envoy IIs ordered under Contract No.470225/35 to Specification 39/35. Hamlin [2] indicates c/n's 45 and 46 as AS.6D and and
AB-IX [4] indicates c/n's 45/46/49/50/51 the same. To this author, it seems unlikely that the order against this contract
would mix engine types. Various attempts were made to supply the indicated aircraft to the Spanish Republican
forces before the next indicated ownwership, but were blocked. [2],[4]. It is possible that c/n 63/64/65
were also Envoys allocated to Eric Hoffman (see c/n's 61/62) but not delivered [4]. Mitsubishi serial
listing per Air Britain [4] [5] and Taylor [1], though Taylor omits J-BAOX. Hamlin [2] differs in that he has J-BACO rather
than J-BAOD (possibly confused with J-BDCO, c/n 43?). Air Britain Archive [5] gives J-BACO as Salmson 2A2/Kawasaki or later
Gasuden KR-2. C/n's are unconfirmed. Taylor [1] and Middleton [7] indicate this as an AS.6, but Hamlin
[2] and Air Britain [4] give it as an AS.6A. Photgraphic evidence would appear to give it as the former.
Aerodynamic problems with the short engine nacelles of the first Envoys led Airspeed to develop a longer nacelle which
extended just beyond the wing trailing edge. The first aircraft so fitted appears to be c/n 30, possibly some time after first
flight, as c/n 31 still retained the shorter nacelles. All following could be expected to feature the long nacelles. However,
photographic evidence shows c/n's 38 and 41 also with short nacelles. Taylor [1] and Air Britain Archive
[6] and indicate J-BDAO, 'CO and 'DO as being an AS.6, with J-BDBO and 'EO as AS.6A, some of which appears to be born out
by supporting photographs. Hamlin [2] gives only J-BDDO as an AS.6. J-BEYG, an unidentified Envoy of
Japanese Air Transport Co, is also reportedly c/n 41, delivered new to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries October 1935; operated
by Imperial Japanese Navy June 1936, prior to transfer as J-BAOH September 1936 [4]. Taylor [1] and Air
Britain Archive [5] indicate this as possibly J-BAOI. Two Envoys were operated by the Croatian Air Force
as 2001 & 2002, delivered via Germany in 1943. Probably ex Czech. [4]
Production References Airspeed Aircraft
Since 1931 , H.A. Taylor (Putnam, 1970) Oxford, Consul and Envoy File , John F. Hamlin (Air-Britain
Publications, 2001) Impressments Logs , Peter W. Moss (Air Britain Publications, 1962-66) http://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/airspeed_prewar.pdf Air Britain Archive 1/1997 (Air Britain Publications) Air Britain Archive 3/1998 (Air
Britain Publications) Aeroplane Monthly, Sep 1978
Page
Revision History Page Top Revised at Version 1.4.4 C/n 34: corrected to 'To Spanish Nationalists'.
Revised at Version 1.4.0 Page completely rewritten.