Armstrong Whitworth Apollo
Armstrong Whitworth · United Kingdom · first flew 1949 · airliner
The Armstrong Whitworth AW.55 Apollo was a 1940s British four-engined turboprop airliner built at Baginton. It competed with the Vickers Viscount but suffered engine problems, and only two were built.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 21.79 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Low-wing cantilever monoplane with four turboprop engines in narrow nacelles
- Retractable tricycle undercarriage with the main wheels folding into the wings rather than the nacelles
- Conventional tail unit with a mid-placed tailplane, later fitted with a dorsal fin
It had a pressurised fuselage seating 26 to 31 passengers. The tail unit was changed with a dorsal fin and increased fin area to improve the flying qualities.
Specifications
- The Armstrong Whitworth Apollo has a length of 21.79 m (71 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 28.04 m (92 ft).
- Typical crew: 3.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was designed to the Brabazon Committee's Type II requirement for a small, medium-range pressurised airliner, Air Ministry Specification C.16/46. The prototype VX220 first flew from Baginton on 10 April 1949, and it was unstable and underpowered.
Variants
The design used the Armstrong Siddeley Mamba ASM.2, which could produce only 800 shp when the prototype was ready. The second prototype was expected to use the Mamba 3.
Where you'll see it
Development was abandoned in June 1952, and the two prototypes went to the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down. The second aircraft, VX224, was later used by the Empire Test Pilots' School for multi-engine pilot training in 1954.
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