Avro 621 Tutor
Avro · United Kingdom · first flew 1929 · light aircraft
The Avro Tutor was the standard RAF basic trainer of the early 1930s, a neat single-engine biplane that replaced the Avro 504 in service. It offered docile handling qualities well suited to ab-initio pilot training.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.08 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Tandem open-cockpit biplane trainer
- Equal-span two-bay wings with N-struts
- Armstrong Siddeley Mongoose or Cheetah radial engine
A tidy equal-span two-bay biplane with N-interplane struts, a short rotund fuselage housing tandem open cockpits, and a radial engine in a neat cowling — typical Avro lineage similar to the 504N.
Specifications
- The Avro 621 Tutor has a length of 8.08 m (27 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.36 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 201 km/h (125 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 (tandem).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1929, the Tutor entered RAF service in 1932 and became the principal basic trainer until replaced by the Miles Magister and de Havilland Tiger Moth in the late 1930s. It was exported to several countries including South Africa, Canada, and Greece.
Variants
The main production variant was the Avro 621 Tutor; the Avro 626 Prefect was a related multi-role trainer exported to numerous air forces.
Where you'll see it
The Tutor served widely with the RAF at flying training schools through the mid-1930s; it also equipped South African Air Force and several smaller air arms before the Second World War.
Related aircraft
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