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Avro 504K (Windsock Datafile 28) By J. M. Bruce

The first of ail the thousands of Avro 504s that were built in many variants made its public debut at Hendon on September 20 1913. Very modest production for both Wings of the RFC followed in 1914, and three RNAS 504s performed the type's only significant feat of arms by bombing the Zeppelin works at Friedrichshafen on November 21 1914.

Operational use of the early Avro 504s was limited and not conspicuously rewarding, but the type proved to be a useful trainer, and was used in that capacity by both the RFC and RNAS; it was ordered in increasing numbers as the war progressed and more and more pilots were needed. The installation of the 100-hp Gnome Monosoupape engine, still in a fore-and-aft mounting, created the 504J, which was introduced in Autumn 1916 and was highly successful. Nowhere were its excellent flying qualities more highly appreciated, or more inventively exploited, than at the School of Special Flying, which was formed at Gosport under the command and inspired guidance of Major R R Smith-Barry.

The expansion of the RFC that was approved early in 1917 led to increased requirements for pilots. Training Brigade was reorganised, and was substantially expanded as a consequence of the German daylight bombing raids on London and south-eastern England in Summer 1917. At that time there were 5,841 trainee pilots in the RFC, but it was estimated that by the end of March 1918 supply would fall short of requirements by 801.

The formation of additional training squadrons meant increased requirements for training aircraft, which in turn meant correspondingly increased needs for aero­engines. Production of the Avro 504 made heavy demands on the supply of suitable rotary engines, and this was reflected in the aircraft

that were delivered. Virtually all had either the 80-hp Gnome or the 100-hp Monosoupape, depending on engine availability; deliveries from batches were therefore a mixture of 504As and 504Js.

At the end of September 1917 effective production of Avros since August 1914 totalled only 1421. How many — or how few — of them had the 100-hp Monosoupape is not known, but in July 1917 it was decided that no further orders for this engine were to be placed. Inevitably, in the third quarter of 1917 production of Monosoupapes began to decline: statistics of its output for the four quarters of the year were, respectively, 209, 211, 158 and 119. (Yet on September 8 1917, British Requisition No. 180 called for 200 Monosoupape engines with spares; and on October 3 BR No. 209 called for a further 100 Monosoupapes. It is not known whether contracts were issued in response to these Requisitions, but deliveries of Monos did increase again in 1918, and the final total delivered up to the end of that year was 2,188.)

In 1917, with a view to obtaining at least some engines for Avros, a trawl of all available rotary engines then with units in France and Britain produced a miscellany, mostly of 130-hp Clergets 9B and 80-hp and 110-hp Le Rhones; and the 504 airframe had to be modified to accept the more powerful types.

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