Airspeed Oxford History
Known to hundreds of R.A.F. aircrew as the “Ox-box”, the Oxford first appeared in 1937 as a military development of the 1934 Envoy feeder-liner, and was the first twin-engined monoplane trainer in the Royal Air Force. The first Oxfords joined the Central Flying School in November 1937, and by the time of the outbreak of World War 2 nearly 400 were in service. Production was subsequently stepped up, Airspeed building nearly four and a half thousand Oxfords, and with sub-contracts placed with de Havilland, Percival, and Standard Motors, the total number of Oxfords completed came to 8,751.
Although used most widely in its intended role as an aircrew trainer, the Oxford gave valuable service on communications and anti-aircraft co-operation duties, and was also used in some numbers as an ambulance, particularly in the Middle East. As a trainer, it served in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Southern Rhodesia as well as in the United Kingdom. Outwardly, there was little difference in appearance between the various mark numbers, the principal variations being in powerplant and internal equipment.
The Oxford I was a bombing and gunnery trainer, and featured a dorsal Armstrong-Whitworth turret, the only Oxford to do so. The Mk. II was similarly powered and was equipped as a navigation and radio trainer. This was likewise the function of the Mk. III, powered by two 425 h.p. Cheetah XV, which was also the usual ambulance version. The designation Mk. IV applied to a single Oxford used as a test-bed for de Havilland Gipsy Queen motors, while the Mk. V, a standard trainer model, was powered by 450 h.p. Pratt & Whitney Wasp Juniors and was chiefly used in Rhodesia and Canada. During the war period, a number of Oxfords were also in service with the Fleet Air Arm as naval crew trainers.
Airspeed Oxford Specifications
| Country: |
| Great Britain |
| Manufacturer: |
| Airspeed (1934) Ltd. |
| Aircraft Type: |
| Advanced trainer and ambulance |
| Dimensions: |
| Wingspan: 53 ft. 4 in. |
| Length: 34 ft. 6 in. |
| Height: 11 ft. 1 in. |
| Weights: |
| Empty: 5,380 lb. |
| Gross: 7,600 lb. |
| Power plant: |
| Two 355 h.p. Armstrong-Siddeley Cheetah IX or X radials |
| Performance: |
| Maximum speed: 182 m.p.h. at 8,300 ft. |
| Ceiling: 19,200 ft. |
| Maximum range: 550 miles |
| Operational Use: |
| 1939-1945 |
Airspeed Oxford Technical Drawings, Blueprints & Scale Model Plans
Further Reading
- International Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft, 1914-2000
- Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History
- Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft
- Military Aircraft: Visual Encyclopedia
- Scale Aircraft Drawings: World War I, by Peter M. Bowers
- Scale Aircraft Drawings: World War 2, by Peter M. Bowers
- Scale Airplane Drawings, Vol. 1, by Paul Matt
- Scale Airplane Drawings, Vol. 2, by Paul Matt