Somewhere down the track I want to convert one of Peter Rake's sport designs to an Avro Avian 625 monoplane.

I particularly want the Gypsy inline engined version but am finding photos hard to come by. Some reading suggested that G-AAYW was used briefly by the ATC in Britain and as such may have sported military colours. Other than that, I have a photograph of a model showing it painted pale green.

Can anybody throw any light on these colour schemes - a photo would be nice

The attached photos are from the 'net but I do not know the modeller - my thanks if you read this

Cheers
Pat

Note: The Models in the photos are by Barry Clay - thankyou!

I have that plan and will scan you a copy and send it to you, 24" span Aeromodeller Feb 86
There was an article, 3 views and photos in the R/C Scale Quarterly for Autumn 85. I don't have a copy of that though.
cheers
Nev

Kiwi - thanks - I should have asked you first
The plan certainly shows the peculiar bulgy bits around the engine!

Pat

Pat,
Hopefully Nev has already given you the info you need but I'll add my dim memories- a noted UK modeller built a beautiful 1/4 scale Avian monoplane in the late 80s or early 90s. It was featured in the mags at the time & the finish matched your photo of G-AAYW in green. I remember it because it had an outstanding, realistically weathered finish, one of the best I have ever seen. The green model above, BTW, was built by Barry Clay in the UK.

The military scheme I'm not sure about. If it was impressed into the RAF it would have had a military serial & no civil registration.
Cheers
Rich

Thanks Rich, - Barry himself responded to my question on another UK forum, saying that when it was impressed, it was given camoflage with the implication that the rego may have remained.

Anyway I'll probably use the green scheme (pea green he says!)

There is some suggestion that parts of the aluminium cowl may have been plain. Would add interest!

Pat

I did build one of these some time ago and sold it to a clubmate who may still have the photos - I'll ask him.



There was a lot of info on G-AAYV (red with radial) by Phil Kent in the Nov 2005 Flying Scale Models mag.

R101 - Yes, I have the FSM - that gave the inspiration to modify Pete's 'Ryans Daughter' sport design.

many thanks.

Pat

I know this plane well. My father was the fitter who maintained it and modified it and looked after it while it was based at RAF Farnborough. It was the personal mount, at the time of "Batchy" Atcherley. I have photos of the plane and photos of a scale model father made before he died. The model was donated to Newark Air Museum in the UK
John

Thanks for the info John - I've sent you a PM.

Pat Lynch

Pat,

I would love to see you wave your magic wand and model the Avian.

Go for it.

None of this vasillating around now.

John

Thanks for the vote of confidence John - I am seriously thinking of making it my next model I have a Manzano short kit of Peter Rake's 'Ryans Daughter' sport model which, with a few subtle modifications could become an Avian.
Only a couple of maiden flights away.....one Potez and one Albatros. It will be nice to build a no-pressure model - no competition or prototype responsibilities

Pat

My father made the model, non flying, after securing the drawings from British Aerospace (they have all the Avro stuff). It was a very good model and it took quite a time as he was in his late 70's or 80's I seem to remember. The colour was tricky. I have the drawings somewhere I think. No personal messages have arrived as indicated ? John

Avro Avian G-AAYW
I would be pleased to help anyone regarding the above. Contact j.m.shipman"at"ntlworld.com (replace the "at" with @). Thanks - John

When Peter Rake designed the non-scale sport 'Ryan's Daughter', while it was very loosely based on a Ryan PT22 style aircraft, it was obvious that it could be the basis for other scaleish models - Spacewalker, Flybaby, and many others including the 30s Racers - Avro Avian monoplanes.
Many versions of the Avian were built - biplanes, radial engine monoplane and, the one I liked - the inline engined low wing monoplane. The model being contemplated is G-AAYW, for which I've found two sets of model plans (one rubber, one I/C) and a handful of model photos and a picture of the actual aircraft.

With a Manzano short kit being used as the basis, I am keen to use as much of it as possible and so some (many) scale compromises will be made to finish up with an Avian.

The changes in order of complexity are:

Fuselage forward of the wing - rather difficult 'Racer' style construction
Engine mount - thrust line is low in narrow cowl - limits motor diameter
Remainder of fuselage - addition of a fairing down the whole fuselage top deck
Tail - much simpler shape - probably easiest to make from scratch
Wing - only the tips need changing. Ailerons can stay same even if full-length
Undercarriage - legs moved inward and splayed outward. Fairings later - maybe.
Colour - said to be 'Pea Green' although it looks a little 'Pee Green' in some photos.

Well, how to implement this

Pat

Here is a photo of the Manzano kit for Ryans Daughter. After seriously pranging the original RD (as a prototype, scratch build), this kit was received to do another but has sat on the shelf for a year or more (my only kit!).

With enough data to hand, the CAD drawing was modified to see what needed to be changed to build an Avian while keeping the original design concept intact. The primary changes needed to convey the essence of the Avian are really only cosmetic. Shapes of wing tips and tail parts, plus that cowl and the fuselage fairing.

I wont be starting it for a while, but some thinking about details is needed.


Pat