Hawker Siddeley HS 780 Andover
Hawker Siddeley · United Kingdom · first flew 1965 · transport aircraft
The Hawker Siddeley Andover was a British military tactical transport derived from the civil Avro 748, modified with a rear loading ramp, kneeling undercarriage, and upswept fuselage for supply dropping and vehicle transport. It served the RAF as a versatile short-field transport.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboprop, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Distinctive upswept rear fuselage with clamshell loading doors |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- British turboprop military transport derived from the Avro 748 airliner
- Kneeling undercarriage lowers the rear ramp for vehicle loading
- Distinctive upswept rear fuselage with clamshell loading doors
High-wing twin-turboprop with an upswept rear fuselage ending in clamshell doors, kneeling main undercarriage legs, and Rolls-Royce Dart engines in large underwing nacelles.
Specifications
- The Hawker Siddeley HS 780 Andover has a length of 23.23 m (76 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 29.87 m (98 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 512 km/h (318 mph).
- Typical crew: 3 + up to 44 troops.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Andover C.1 was developed from the Avro 748 commuter airliner in the early 1960s to meet an RAF requirement for a tactical transport capable of operations from unprepared airstrips. It entered service in 1966. A communication variant, the Andover CC.2 (an unmodified 748), also served with The Queen's Flight. The C.1 served until the mid-1970s before being retired.
Variants
The Andover C.1 was the tactical transport with rear ramp; the Andover E.3/E.3A were navigation and systems calibration aircraft that served much longer, into the 1990s.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the RAF from 1966, primarily in the transport role until the mid-1970s; navigation check variants served into the 1990s. New Zealand also operated the type.
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- Hawker Siddeley Andover C.1
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