186:. The observation aircraft had a crew of three: pilot, observer and radio operator. The AS.39 had a unique crew configuration with the observer accommodated in the nose with clear-vision windows on three sides and the pilot's compartment raised to allow passage to the radio operator's compartment. Four small 130 hp (97 kW)
28:
211:
radial engines and add rear-facing machine guns. Only a preliminary proposal had been made and the second aircraft was not complete when on 17 February 1941 the Navy cancelled the fleet shadower program along with the AS.39, the company was requested to scrap both aircraft. The competing G.A.L.38
202:
Of two prototypes started, only one was completed, flying on 17 October 1940, the first flight was delayed due to problems with the
Niagara V engines which had a vibration problem. The prototype had stability problems and poor
102:, was also built to the extent of prototypes. While the concept of a fleet shadower had some promise, the resulting designs were soon overtaken by wartime developments in airborne radar.
1076:
160:, of very similar general design to the AS.39. General Aircraft and Airspeed were selected to build two prototypes each and Airspeed received a contract on 10 August 1938.
194:
were mounted on the wings. This maximized propwash over the wing giving extra lift at low speed. The wings could be folded for storage when used on an aircraft carrier.
212:
flew for a few months before it was cancelled and scrapped in March 1942. The requirement for such aircraft had been made obsolete due to the introduction of
561:
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handling not helped by the under-powered engines. Airspeed were asked to respond to a proposal to re-engine the aircraft with two
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envisaged a need (Operational
Requirement OR.52) for an aircraft that could shadow enemy fleets at night and the resulting
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called for a slow-flying low-noise aircraft with a long range, capable of operating from an
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The World's Worst
Aircraft: From Pioneering Failures to Multimillion Dollar Disasters
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Jarrett, Phil. "Nothing ventured... General
Aircraft GAL 38 Night Shadower".
191:
150:
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7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 140 hp (100 kW) each
94:
was a
British long-range patrol aircraft design that did not go beyond the
53:
130:(70 km/h) at 1,500 ft (460 m) for not less than six hours.
27:
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126 mph (203 km/h, 109 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
217:
127:
123:
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113 mph (182 km/h, 98 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
522:, April 1992, Vol 20 No 4. London: IPC. ISSN 0143-7240. pp. 16–19.
164:
111:
536:, June 1992, Vol 20 No 6. London: IPC. ISSN 0143-7240. pp. 52–57.
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529:, May 1992, Vol 20 No 5. London: IPC. ISSN 0143-7240. pp. 18–23.
176:
172:
168:
95:
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532:
Jarrett, Phil. "Nothing ventured... Airspeed AS.39 Night
Shadower".
179:
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Vol. 32, Issue 125, Spring 2006, pp. 19–22. ISSB 0262-8791.
539:
Winchester, Jim, ed. "General
Aircraft Fleet Shadower (1940)".
213:
1077:
Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United
Kingdom
437:. 3 April 2000. Archived from the original on 3 April 2007
1000:
499:. London: Samson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd, 1946.
126:. The specified performance was to be a speed of 38
361:
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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389:
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232:Nothing ventured...Airspeed AS.39 Night Shadower
518:Jarrett, Phil. "Nothing ventured...", Part 24.
386:
562:Profile – Flying Slow – Fleet Shadower concept
463:
43:carrier-based maritime reconnaissance aircraft
582:
351:10,000 ft (3,000 m) in 18 minutes
589:
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216:on long-range patrol aircraft such as the
497:Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft 1945–1946
223:
105:
410:Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II
1059:
320:33 mph (53 km/h, 29 kn)
197:
596:
570:
502:Butler, Phil. "The Night Shadowers."
167:, strut-braced (on the outer panels)
402:
253:39 ft 10 in (12.14 m)
259:55 ft 4 in (16.87 m)
247:3 (Pilot, observer, radio operator)
13:
543:. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2005.
412:. New York: Crescent Books, 1988.
265:10 ft 5 in (3.18 m)
14:
1113:
555:
271:469 sq ft (43.6 m)
182:. It had a fixed, divided type
163:The AS.39 was a high-wing, semi-
133:Five companies showed interest:
26:
367:General Aircraft Fleet Shadower
156:General Aircraft submitted the
100:General Aircraft Fleet Shadower
98:stage. A similar aircraft, the
431:"General Aircraft Ltd GAL. 38"
423:
345:865 ft/min (4.4 m/s)
332:14,700 ft (4,500 m)
209:Armstrong Whitworth Cheetah XI
1:
1087:Four-engined tractor aircraft
1072:1940s British patrol aircraft
515:. Retrieved: 2 February 2007.
374:
339:16,700 ft (5,100 m)
283:6,935 lb (3,146 kg)
277:4,592 lb (2,083 kg)
92:Airspeed AS.39 Fleet Shadower
1102:Four-engined piston aircraft
1097:Aircraft first flown in 1940
7:
355:
10:
1118:
905:AS.66, AS.67, AS.68, AS.69
800:AS.40, AS.41, AS.42, AS.43
184:landing gear and tailwheel
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504:Air-Britain Aeromilitaria
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192:air-cooled radial engines
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495:Bridgman, Leonard, ed.
238:General characteristics
1082:Carrier-based aircraft
399:April 1992, pp. 16–19.
224:Specifications (AS.39)
171:with wooden wings and
106:Design and development
513:Fleet Air Arm archive
435:Fleet Air Arm Archive
116:Specification S.23/37
147:General Aircraft Ltd
21:AS.39 Fleet Shadower
840:AS.51, AS.52, AS.53
408:Bridgman, Leonard.
198:Operational history
35:General information
1092:High-wing aircraft
1067:Airspeed aircraft
1054:
1053:
1039:Transport gliders
534:Aeroplane Monthly
527:Aeroplane Monthly
520:Aeroplane Monthly
510:"Fleet Shadower."
487:"Airspeed Types."
473:June 1992, p. 53.
471:Aeroplane Monthly
397:Aeroplane Monthly
349:Time to altitude:
337:Absolute ceiling:
175:and an all-metal
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188:Pobjoy Niagara V
120:aircraft carrier
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481:Bibliography
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439:. Retrieved
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318:Stall speed:
317:
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109:
91:
89:
73:First flight
60:Number built
54:Airspeed Ltd
49:Manufacturer
15:
299:Performance
287:Powerplant:
218:Liberator I
124:flight deck
1061:Categories
1009:Queen Wasp
983:Sailplanes
921:Ambassador
441:2 February
375:References
324:Endurance:
269:Wing area:
165:cantilever
112:Royal Navy
1025:Cambridge
914:Airliners
257:Wingspan:
229:Data from
177:monocoque
173:tail unit
169:monoplane
96:prototype
1018:Trainers
600:aircraft
598:Airspeed
469:Jarrett
451:cite web
395:Jarrett
356:See also
180:fuselage
158:G.A.L.38
151:Airspeed
135:Percival
973:Viceroy
931:Courier
490:Flight,
326:6 hours
263:Height:
251:Length:
81:Retired
68:History
1030:Oxford
966:Racers
926:Consul
547:
416:
1046:Horsa
941:Ferry
936:Envoy
900:AS.65
895:AS.64
890:AS.63
885:AS.62
880:AS.61
875:AS.60
870:AS.59
865:AS.58
860:AS.57
855:AS.56
850:AS.55
845:AS.54
835:AS.50
830:AS.49
825:AS.48
820:AS.47
815:AS.46
810:AS.45
805:AS.44
795:AS.39
790:AS.38
785:AS.37
780:AS.36
775:AS.35
770:AS.34
765:AS.33
760:AS.32
755:AS.31
750:AS.30
745:AS.29
740:AS.28
735:AS.27
730:AS.26
725:AS.24
720:AS.23
715:AS.22
710:AS.21
705:AS.20
700:AS.19
695:AS.18
690:AS.17
685:AS.16
680:AS.15
675:AS.14
670:AS.12
665:AS.11
660:AS.10
380:Notes
245:Crew:
214:radar
205:stall
128:knots
991:Tern
655:AS.9
650:AS.8
645:AS.7
640:AS.6
635:AS.5
630:AS.4
625:AS.3
620:AS.2
615:AS.1
545:ISBN
492:1951
457:link
443:2007
414:ISBN
289:4 ×
149:and
110:The
90:The
84:1941
40:Type
122:'s
1063::
453:}}
449:{{
433:.
388:^
220:.
153:.
145:,
141:,
137:,
590:e
583:t
576:v
551:.
459:)
445:.
420:.
63:1
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