Avro 536
Avro · United Kingdom · first flew 1919 · light aircraft
The Avro 536 was a post-World War I conversion of the Avro 504K trainer adapted for civil joy-riding and pleasure flights, one of the earliest purpose-converted civil light aircraft in Britain. It retained the 504's biplane structure but modified the fuselage to carry passengers alongside or behind the pilot.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.97 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane joy-riding conversion of the wartime Avro 504K trainer
- Open cockpits with side-by-side or tandem seating for pilot and one or two passengers
- Typical Avro 504 silhouette — equal-span biplane with a long-chord lower wing
Virtually identical in outline to the Avro 504 trainer — equal-span biplane, prominent nose engine, and long undercarriage — but with a widened forward fuselage and revised cockpit arrangement to seat a paying passenger.
Specifications
- The Avro 536 has a length of 8.97 m (29 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 11.2 m (37 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 233 km/h (145 mph).
- Typical crew: 1 pilot + up to 2 passengers.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Avro produced the 536 in 1919 to capitalise on the post-war enthusiasm for aviation and the large stock of surplus 504 airframes. Companies such as the Aircraft Transport and Travel Ltd used these for seaside joy-rides and demonstration flights across Britain. The type bridged the gap between wartime training aircraft and the first true civil light planes.
Variants
The 536 was one of several Avro 504 civil variants; the 504L added floats and the 504N became the standard post-war RAF trainer, sharing the same basic airframe.
Where you'll see it
Used commercially in Britain for joy-riding operations in the early 1920s, the Avro 536 helped establish the culture of public air travel that would grow through the interwar years.
Related aircraft
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