72034 ENGLISH ELECTRIC M.3 AYR

The English Electric M.3 Ayr was a British prototype biplane boat from the interwar period. The prototype's flight took place in 1924, but the machine did not enter serial production. The plane was 12.4 meters long with a wingspan of 14.02 meters. The drive was provided by a single 450 HP Napier Lion IIB engine. The maximum speed of the aircraft reached 204 km / h. The deck armament consisted of two 7.7 mm Lewis machine guns. The machine was created as a result of the grassroots initiative of the English Electric factories, which sought to expand their offer. The chief designer of the aircraft was William Manning, and the fuselage was designed by Linton Hope. It was planned to create a small flying patrol boat capable of carrying a bomb load. The design of the aircraft was generally quite conservative, with the exception of the very low lower wing that was supposed to be under water when the machine was stationary, which was quite unusual. Finally, in the course of trials, the machine turned out to be very difficult to pilot, with a tendency to tilt, and it did not enter production. Only two English Electric M.3 Ayr aircraft were built.