Canadian Warplanes 2: Avro 626 Prefect

Avro 626 Prefect

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 3241746)

Avro 626 Prefect, RCAF (Serial No. 226), ca 1940. Operated by No. 12 (AC) Squadron (No. 112 (AC) Sdn. (Aux.) from 15 November 1937, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 1937 to 1940. Later became Instructional Airframe A 48.

The Avro 626 is a single-engined British biplane trainer aircraft produced by Avro during the (1918-1939) inter-war period. The Model 626 was developed by Avro from the company's Model 621 (Tutor) for export to smaller air forces, the idea being that the 626 would be a single aircraft that could carry out general aircrew training as well as a number of other roles. The types 621 and 626 were both two-seaters, but the latter had an additional cockpit behind the rear seat of the 621 and accessible from it. This additional cockpit was fitted with a Scarff ring for a machine gun and carried equipment for air navigation, wireless and gunnery training. Structurally and aerodynamically, it was almost identical to the Tutor: it had a conventional fabric-covered, metal airframe with single-bay wings. Most of the 626s, like the Tutors had an Armstrong Siddeley Lynx IVC engine of 240 hp (180 kW), but most of those supplied to the Egyptian and Brazilian Air Forces used a 260 hp (190 kW) Cheetah V from the same maker. The usual undercarriage used split, fixed mainwheels and either a tailskid or later a tailwheel, but some 621s appeared on floats and on skis. (Wikipedia)

Avro 626 Prefect (12), (Serial Nos. 225-227, 266-274).

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 33198997)

Avro 626 Prefect, RCAF (Serial No. 225), 2 Jun 1939. Operated by No. 111 (AC) Squadron (Auxiliary), from RCAF Station Sea Island, BC, 1938 to 1940.

(RCAF Photo)

Avro 626 Prefect, RCAF (Serial No. 268). Operated by No. 110 (AC) Squadron (Auxiliary), from De Lesseps Aerodrome, Weston, Ontario, 1939. Later became Instructional Airframe A 38.

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