¹⁄1

Avro Anson Walkaround

history

The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Canadian Air Force and numerous other air forces before, during, and after the Second World War. Named after British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed as an airliner as the Avro 652 before being redeveloped for maritime reconnaissance, but was soon rendered obsolete in both roles. However, it was rescued from obscurity by its suitability as a multi-engine air crew trainer, becoming the mainstay of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. By the end of production in 1952, the Anson spanned nine variants; a total of 8,138 were built in Britain by Avro. From 1941, a further 2,882 were built by Federal Aircraft Ltd. in Canada.

History adapted from Wikipedia.

Anson MH120

Anson MH120 is the last airworthy Anson I in the world. It served with the RAAF and was sold to civilian operators on 1953. It had a long career in charter airline and air freight service before being refitted with metal wings from an Anson XIX in 1962. It was finally retired from freight service in the mid 1970s and spent some time in Wangaratta Air World museum until being sold to Bill and Robyn Reid in 2002. A more thorough history of this aircraft is available at the Ed Coates Collection website.

Flying again in 2012, the aircraft is marked as K6183 of RAF No. 206 Maritime Patrol Squadron in tribute to the original K6183 which was one of the first RAF losses of the Second World War. The restoration was extremely painstaking, and is complete down to the 1940s era pencils on the Navigator's table. MH120 flies at air shows and air displays in New Zealand, keeping history alive.