Photo: Classic Aircraft Sales Ltd
Unless you're a fan of war gaming or a particularly studious aviation geek, you think of either the Avro Lancaster or the Supermarine Spitfire when WWII British Warbirds come to mind, and not much of anything else. Bonus points if you show love to the Hawker Hurricane, too. But still, three British planes to define an entire war isn't exactly genuine. But there are a handful of airworthy British warbirds that aren't Lancasters or Spitfires. It's the sole surviving airworthy Avro Anson Mk.1, and it's for sale!
First flown in 1935 and designed by Avro's chief engineer Roy Chadwick, the Anson didn't serve nearly as glamorous of a role in the RAF as a Spitty or a Lancaster. It wasn't a bomber nor a fighter, but rather a twin-engine, multi-role aircraft tasked with performing whatever role the RAF needed it to engage in at any given time. More often than not, this meant performing maritime patrol missions along the coasts of Great Britain and the English Channel that larger, more capable British aircraft need not busy themselves with during World War II. A few of them also dropped the occasional bomb on unsuspecting German U-boats.
With two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetax IX air-cooled radial engines to work with, a measly top speed of 188 mph (303 kph) was achievable only in ideal flight conditions. Over 11,000 of these plucky British warbirds left Avro's production facility in Manchester, England, and even more from Victory Aircraft Limited's factory in Malton, Ontario, Canada, near the modern-day sight of the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Of all these Ansons, only a single example remains airworthy today.
Though not exactly in factory-fresh original condition, this particular Avro Anson has been extensively and fully restored to the specifications it would have operated with when it entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1940. As one of only five multi-engine British aircraft from World War II still flying today, this Anson, now native to Blenheim, New Zealand, is a far more historically significant warbird in 2023 than it was as a lowly recon and trainer aircraft back during the war.
Over 50,000 frenzied fans were in attendance when this bird made its first flight since restoration at the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow in New Zealand, wherein the plane received a standing ovation as it lifted tires off the tarmac for the first time. It was also the winner of the "Most Significant Warbird Restoration of the Year" poll for the aviation enthusiast publication FlyPast Magazine. When even the roof-mounted gun turret, complete with a replica .303 Lewis machine gun, looks factory fresh, is it any wonder av-geeks go gaga every time this plane flies overhead? It'll never be a Lancaster, but by god, whoever owns this plane next has a one-of-a-kind experience on their hands.
With two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetax IX air-cooled radial engines to work with, a measly top speed of 188 mph (303 kph) was achievable only in ideal flight conditions. Over 11,000 of these plucky British warbirds left Avro's production facility in Manchester, England, and even more from Victory Aircraft Limited's factory in Malton, Ontario, Canada, near the modern-day sight of the Toronto Pearson International Airport. Of all these Ansons, only a single example remains airworthy today.
Though not exactly in factory-fresh original condition, this particular Avro Anson has been extensively and fully restored to the specifications it would have operated with when it entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1940. As one of only five multi-engine British aircraft from World War II still flying today, this Anson, now native to Blenheim, New Zealand, is a far more historically significant warbird in 2023 than it was as a lowly recon and trainer aircraft back during the war.
Over 50,000 frenzied fans were in attendance when this bird made its first flight since restoration at the Warbirds Over Wanaka International Airshow in New Zealand, wherein the plane received a standing ovation as it lifted tires off the tarmac for the first time. It was also the winner of the "Most Significant Warbird Restoration of the Year" poll for the aviation enthusiast publication FlyPast Magazine. When even the roof-mounted gun turret, complete with a replica .303 Lewis machine gun, looks factory fresh, is it any wonder av-geeks go gaga every time this plane flies overhead? It'll never be a Lancaster, but by god, whoever owns this plane next has a one-of-a-kind experience on their hands.
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