The Avro Anson was originally a maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine attack aircraft derived from the 1935 Avro 652 by a team lead by Roy Chadwick, a commercial 6-seat airliner and was named the "Anson" after British Admiral George Anson, the Avro Anson Mk-1 entered RAF Coastal Command service in February 1936. Soon after the beginning of WW2 it became obvious that the Avro Anson was obsolete in it's maritime reconnaissance role, this due to it's vulnerability to enemy fighters and a very limited offensive capability.
Surviving Avro Ansons were transferred to a training role for the crews of RAF Bomber Command's two and four engined aircraft where they made a great contribution to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. After the war the Anson continued to be used by the RAF, the last 'Annie', as the Anson was affectionately known, being retired from RAF service in June 1968. When production of the Avro Anson ceased in 1952 after 17 years of production, a total of 11,020 aircraft had been produced, 2,882 of these were built by Canadian Federal Aircraft Ltd who supplied 50 to the United States Air Force as the AT-20 advanced trainer.
It is of note that Avro produced a transport and communications variant or the Anson for the RAF, the Avro Anson C-19, and later sold the aircraft to commercial customers as the Avro Anson Nineteen.
The silver Avro Anson T21 navigation trainer pictured on this page is part of Air Atlantique's Historic aircraft flight based at Coventry Airport in Coventry, it was photographed at the 2006 Bigin Hill Air-show.
Avro Anson Mk 1 Armament:
One .303 in (7.7 mm) machine gun in front fuselage
One .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine gun in dorsal turret
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Avro Anson Military Trainer Plane Picture and Information
