Avro 548

The Avro 548 was a trainer aircraft built in Britain after World War I.

Its design was based extensively on Avro’s 504 military aircraft, but it had an inline engine and a third seat.

The prototype, designated 545, first flew with a Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine, but this proved impractical for the market on account of the engine’s weight and the complexity of its cooling system.

An air-cooled Renault engine was used instead, and the designation 548 applied to this configuration. 

Variants

545 

The 1st prototype, designated 545, had a Curtiss OX-5 V-8 engine.

548 

The 2^nd prototype was fitted with an air-cooled Renault engine.

548A 

The 3^rd Prototype was 548A resulted when fitted with an ADC Airdisco engine, the Latvian & Portuguese Air Force used the 548A as trainers.

Specifications

Crew

One pilot

Capacity

Two passengers

Length

29 ft 5 in (8.97 m)

Wingspan

36 ft 0 in (10.97 m)

Height

10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)

Wing area

330 sq ft (30.7 m2)

Empty weight

1,338 lb (607 kg)

Gross weight

1,943 lb (881 kg)

Powerplant

1 × Renault 80 hp air-cooled V-8 engine,

80 hp (60 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed

80 mph (129 km/h, 70 kn)

Cruise speed

65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)

Range

175 mi (282 km, 152 nmi)

Rate of climb

350 ft/min (1.8 m/s).