Avro Ashton schemes

[inkworm]

Hi I thought I'd share a couple of alternative schemes for the Avro Ashton which might be of interest to somebody.

 

[hesham]

Very nice Inkworm.

 

[hesham]

From Aeroplane monthly 2013/10.

 

[riggerrob]

Avro Ashton reminds us of the Avro Canada 102 Jetliner.
Why were Avro UK and Avro Canada working on such similar designs in the same time frame?

 

[CNH]

I know the aircraft was what we might call a 'technology demonstrator', but given the date, why wasn't a commercial version built?

 

[nuuumannn]

I know the aircraft was what we might call a 'technology demonstrator', but given the date, why wasn't a commercial version built?

Good question - at the time Avro was suffering the effects of its struggles with the Tudor, of which the second prototype was modified to to be powered by four Nenes. It's possible that performance wise, the Ashton might not have been a very worthy airliner by the time the research programme had been completed and an example was ready for production. Its direct competition would have been the Comet 3 and 4, and eventually the DC-8 and 707.

The Ashton programme was intended solely for research; six examples were built with a different research role for each, including trialling different engines, such as the Avon and Conway. WB491, the sole Ashton Mk.II fuselage survives at the Newark Air Museum.