Armstrong Whitworth Scimitar

The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar

Origins and Design

The Scimitar was a refinement of the earlier Armstrong Whitworth A.W.16, itself a conventional single-seat biplane fighter of the early 1930s.

Purpose

Intended as an export fighter, especially for smaller European air forces.

Key Features

Lowered nose profile for improved visibility.

Enlarged tail surfaces for better control.

Powered by a 735 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIIa radial engine.

Fixed undercarriage and mixed metal/fabric construction.

Prototypes

G-ACCD — First Prototype

Originally built as an A.W.16, converted to Scimitar configuration.

First flight

29 April 1935.

Used for demonstration and evaluation, including trials for Norway.

Retained by Armstrong Whitworth until 1958, then scrapped.

G-ADBL — Second Prototype

Purpose-built Scimitar for export trials.

Sent to Norway for cold-weather and ski compatibility testing.

Found unsuitable for ski operations; returned to the UK and later scrapped.

Norwegian Production Aircraft

Four Production Scimitars

Ordered by the Norwegian Army Air Service in 1936.

Built by Armstrong Whitworth and delivered to Kjeller Airfield.

Intended for frontline use and local licence production (later cancelled).

Issues

Poor performance in snow.

Incompatibility with ski gear.

Rapid obsolescence due to emerging monoplane fighters.

World War II Status

During the German invasion of Norway (April 1940), all four Scimitars were undergoing maintenance and were not operational.

No combat use recorded.

Likely destroyed or captured during the invasion.

Strategic Context and Legacy

The Scimitar was one of the last British biplane fighters designed before the monoplane revolution.

It never saw combat and was quickly eclipsed by aircraft like the Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane, and Supermarine Spitfire.

Its brief service in Norway and long retention of the prototype reflect its limited but historically interesting role in interwar aviation.