Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
Encyclopedia
The Armstrong Whitworth Siskin was a British
biplane
single-seat fighter aircraft
of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF
fighters to enter service after the First World War
; it was noted for its aerobatic
qualities.
Motor Car Company, to meet the requirements of RAF Specification Type 1 for a single-seat fighter powered by the promising ABC Dragonfly
radial engine
. The Siskin first flew in May 1919, powered by a Dragonfly engine delivering 270 hp (200 kW), rather than the promised 320 hp (240 kW). Unfortunately, despite the expectations piled on it, the Dragonfly proved to be a disaster, far less powerful than expected and very unreliable, being prone to overheating and vibration. Despite the engine problems, the Siskin displayed good performance and handling, and it was decided to fit an alternative engine, the Siddeley Jaguar, the Jaguar-powered Siskin first flying on 20 March 1921.
In 1920, Siddeley-Deasy merged with Armstrong Whitworth
, with the aviation interests combined as Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
.
In 1922 Air Ministry Specification 14/22 was issued for an all-metal single-seat high performance landplane and one Jaguar-powered prototype was ordered from Armstrong Whitworth. As well as re-engining with the Jaguar, Major Green redesigned the Siskin with an all-steel structure, as the Siskin III. A contract for three production aircraft was placed on 13 October 1922 with a further six ordered on 26 January 1923 including one as a prototype of a two-seat variant. The Siskin III first flew on 7 May 1923, with first deliveries to the RAF (six for evaluation) taking place in January 1924. The fighter was the first all-metal fighter in the British
Royal Air Force
.
Following the order from the RAF, Romania
ordered 65 aircraft but they were cancelled following a crash on takeoff at Whitley Abbey, Coventry
, on 18 February 1925 during acceptance tests; the Romanian pilot being killed.
The main production version was the Siskin IIIA ordered in 1926, which originally was powered with a Jaguar IV engine, but was later re-engined with the supercharged Jaguar IVA engine. The supercharger, a novel idea at the time, had little effect on performance below 10,000 ft (3,050 m), but it greatly improved speed and climb above that height. Following an evaluation of two Siskin IIIs the Royal Canadian Air Force
ordered 12 IIIAs which were delivered between 1926 and 1931.
With Armstrong-Whitworth busy building the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas some of the later Siskin IIIA production was sub-contracted out to Blackburn, Bristol, Gloster and Vickers.
The first Siskin IIIs were delivered to No. 41 Squadron RAF
at RAF Northolt
in May 1924, quickly followed by No. 111 Squadron RAF
. The Siskin III was popular in service, being an excellent aerobatic platform, although slightly underpowered. The improved Siskin IIIA was first delivered to No. 111 Squadron in September 1926. The Siskin was used by 11 RAF squadrons. The last operational RAF Siskins were replaced in October 1932 by Bristol Bulldog
s.
The Siskin presented thrilling exhibitions of flying at every RAF display from 1925 to 1931.
used the aircraft from 1926 until 1939. In 1926, the British Air Ministry sent two Siskin IIIs to Canada for testing by the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) under winter flying conditions. The test pilot was Clennell H. Dickins
. The Siskin was considered a modern type when it was introduced into RCAF service, which eventually purchased the Mark IIIA, used to equip the Fighter Flight at Camp Borden and Trenton
. In 1937, the Flight became No. I (Fighter) Squadron and was transferred from Trenton to Calgary
in August 1938.
Siskin aircraft remained with this unit until the outbreak of the Second World War
, eventually to be replaced by Hawker Hurricane
s in 1939. The airframes were then turned over to various technical establishments for use as instructional airframes.
Like its RAF counterparts, in 1929, a three-plane Siskin air demonstration team
was formed at Camp Borden, Ontario - the RCAF's first official flight demonstration team. The aerobatic team put on popular solo and formation displays from coast to coast.
Barnard winning the 1925 Kings Cup Race at a speed of more than 151 mph (243 km/h).
Canada
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
single-seat fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
of the 1920s produced by Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British aircraft manufacturer.-History:Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Sir W. G Armstrong Whitworth & Company engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and...
. The Siskin was one of the first new RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
fighters to enter service after the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
; it was noted for its aerobatic
Aerobatics
Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in normal flight. Aerobatics are performed in airplanes and gliders for training, recreation, entertainment and sport...
qualities.
Design and development
The design was a development of the Siddeley-Deasy S.R.2 Siskin, which was designed by Major F.M. Green (formerly chief engineer of the Royal Aircraft Factory) of the Siddeley-DeasySiddeley-Deasy
Siddeley-Deasy was a British automobile, engine and aircraft company based in Coventry in the early 20th century. It was central to the formation, by merger and buy-out, of the later Armstrong Sideleley Motor and Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft companies....
Motor Car Company, to meet the requirements of RAF Specification Type 1 for a single-seat fighter powered by the promising ABC Dragonfly
ABC Dragonfly
-Bibliography:* Bruce, J.M. "Sopwith Snipe...:...the RAF's First Fighter. . " Air Enthusiast International Volume 6 Number 6, June 1974. Bromley, UK: Fine Scroll....
radial engine
Radial engine
The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel...
. The Siskin first flew in May 1919, powered by a Dragonfly engine delivering 270 hp (200 kW), rather than the promised 320 hp (240 kW). Unfortunately, despite the expectations piled on it, the Dragonfly proved to be a disaster, far less powerful than expected and very unreliable, being prone to overheating and vibration. Despite the engine problems, the Siskin displayed good performance and handling, and it was decided to fit an alternative engine, the Siddeley Jaguar, the Jaguar-powered Siskin first flying on 20 March 1921.
In 1920, Siddeley-Deasy merged with Armstrong Whitworth
Armstrong Whitworth
Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd was a major British manufacturing company of the early years of the 20th century. Headquartered in Elswick, Newcastle upon Tyne, Armstrong Whitworth engaged in the construction of armaments, ships, locomotives, automobiles, and aircraft.-History:In 1847,...
, with the aviation interests combined as Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company, or Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft, was a British aircraft manufacturer.-History:Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft was established as the Aerial Department of the Sir W. G Armstrong Whitworth & Company engineering group in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1912, and...
.
In 1922 Air Ministry Specification 14/22 was issued for an all-metal single-seat high performance landplane and one Jaguar-powered prototype was ordered from Armstrong Whitworth. As well as re-engining with the Jaguar, Major Green redesigned the Siskin with an all-steel structure, as the Siskin III. A contract for three production aircraft was placed on 13 October 1922 with a further six ordered on 26 January 1923 including one as a prototype of a two-seat variant. The Siskin III first flew on 7 May 1923, with first deliveries to the RAF (six for evaluation) taking place in January 1924. The fighter was the first all-metal fighter in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.
Following the order from the RAF, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
ordered 65 aircraft but they were cancelled following a crash on takeoff at Whitley Abbey, Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, on 18 February 1925 during acceptance tests; the Romanian pilot being killed.
The main production version was the Siskin IIIA ordered in 1926, which originally was powered with a Jaguar IV engine, but was later re-engined with the supercharged Jaguar IVA engine. The supercharger, a novel idea at the time, had little effect on performance below 10,000 ft (3,050 m), but it greatly improved speed and climb above that height. Following an evaluation of two Siskin IIIs the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
ordered 12 IIIAs which were delivered between 1926 and 1931.
With Armstrong-Whitworth busy building the Armstrong Whitworth Atlas some of the later Siskin IIIA production was sub-contracted out to Blackburn, Bristol, Gloster and Vickers.
RAF Service
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
at RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt
RAF Northolt is a Royal Air Force station situated in South Ruislip, east by northeast of Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. Approximately north of London Heathrow Airport, the station also handles a large number of private civil flights...
in May 1924, quickly followed by No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
. The Siskin III was popular in service, being an excellent aerobatic platform, although slightly underpowered. The improved Siskin IIIA was first delivered to No. 111 Squadron in September 1926. The Siskin was used by 11 RAF squadrons. The last operational RAF Siskins were replaced in October 1932 by Bristol Bulldog
Bristol Bulldog
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Andrews, C.F. The Bristol Bulldog . Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Profile Publications Ltd., 1965.* Barnes, C.H. Bristol Aircraft Since 1910. London: Putnam, 1964....
s.
The Siskin presented thrilling exhibitions of flying at every RAF display from 1925 to 1931.
Sweden
The ski-equipped second Siskin II aircraft was sold to the Royal Swedish Air Force in 1925.Canada
CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
used the aircraft from 1926 until 1939. In 1926, the British Air Ministry sent two Siskin IIIs to Canada for testing by the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) under winter flying conditions. The test pilot was Clennell H. Dickins
Punch Dickins
Clennell Haggerston "Punch" Dickins OC, OBE, DFC was a pioneering Canadian aviator and bush pilot. Northern Indians called him "Snow Eagle;" northern whites called him "White Eagle;" while the press dubbed him the "Flying Knight of the Northland."-Early years:Clennell Haggerston Dickins was born...
. The Siskin was considered a modern type when it was introduced into RCAF service, which eventually purchased the Mark IIIA, used to equip the Fighter Flight at Camp Borden and Trenton
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
. In 1937, the Flight became No. I (Fighter) Squadron and was transferred from Trenton to Calgary
RCAF Station Calgary
What is referred to here as RCAF Station Calgary was actually a collection of Royal Canadian Air Force training establishments and other facilities that operated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
in August 1938.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, eventually to be replaced by Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s in 1939. The airframes were then turned over to various technical establishments for use as instructional airframes.
Like its RAF counterparts, in 1929, a three-plane Siskin air demonstration team
Siskins
The Siskins were a Royal Canadian Air Force aerobatic flying team that was established in 1929 at Camp Borden, Ontario. It was the air force's first formal aerobatic team. Flying three Armstrong Whitworth Siskin biplanes, the Siskins quickly built a reputation for performing dangerous stunts...
was formed at Camp Borden, Ontario - the RCAF's first official flight demonstration team. The aerobatic team put on popular solo and formation displays from coast to coast.
Air racing
The Siskin was used as a successful racing aircraft, a Siskin V flown by Flight LieutenantFlight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Barnard winning the 1925 Kings Cup Race at a speed of more than 151 mph (243 km/h).
Variants
- Siddeley Deasy S.R.2 Siskin - Prototype fighter aircraft built by Siddeley Deasy and powered by Dragonfly engine. Three built.
- Siskin II - fabric covered steel-tube fuselage and wooden wings. Two built, one two seater and one single seater.
- Siskin III - all-metal production version (64 built for RAF)
- Siskin IIIA - main production variant ordered in 1926 (Total 348 built, 340 for RAF, eight for RCAF)
- Siskin IIIB - prototype with improved engine. Single example converted from Siskin IIIA.
- Siskin IIIDC - two-seat dual control version (Total 53 built, 47 for RAF, two for RCAF, two for AST, two for Estonia) a further 32 were converted from Siskin IIIs.
- Siskin IV - civil racing version (one built)
- Siskin V - single seat fighter for Romania. 65 ordered and at least 10 completed before order cancelled. Two used for racing.
Military operators
Canada
- Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
- Fighter Flight
- No. 1 Squadron RCAFNo. 1 Squadron RCAFNo. 1 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force was formed as a fighter unit at Trenton, Ontario on 21 September 1937 with Siskin aircraft. The squadron was formed from the Fighter Flight of No. 3 Squadron. In August 1938, the squadron moved to Calgary, Alberta and was re-equipped with Hawker Hurricane...
- Estonian Air ForceEstonian Air ForceThe Estonian Air Force is the name of the unified aviation forces of Estonia.The Õhuvägi is the main arm of the Estonian aviation forces. The average size of the military formation in peacetime is about 210 men. The Estonian Air Force is tasked with dealing with political, military, economical,...
- Royal Swedish Air Force
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- No. 1 Squadron RAFNo. 1 Squadron RAFNo. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
- No. 17 Squadron RAF
- No. 19 Squadron RAF
- No. 25 Squadron RAF
- No. 29 Squadron RAFNo. 29 Squadron RAFNo. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
- No. 32 Squadron RAF
- No. 41 Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
- No. 43 Squadron RAFNo. 43 Squadron RAFNo. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
- No. 54 Squadron RAF
- No. 56 Squadron RAFNo. 56 Squadron RAFNumber 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
- No. 111 Squadron RAFNo. 111 Squadron RAFNo. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
- No. 1 Squadron RAF