Airspeed AS-10 Oxford Mk.II

History

The Airspeed A.S.10 Oxford was a three seat airplane, with two engines.
It was used as advanced (twin-engined) trainer for at the RAF by the end of the thirties (of the twentieth century). It was the military version of the Airspeed Envoy, first flown in 1937.
The Oxford was equipped with two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engines of 375 hp each. The first Oxfords entered RAF service in 1938 and the type remained in service until 1946.
The Mk.I was equipped with an Armstrong Whitworth dorsal turret; with the release of the Mk II this turret was omitted.
The Oxford was used for training of pilots and navigational training.

In the end 8751 Oxfords were built in several versions.

Versions

In service with RAF, RNlAF and RNlNAS.

In service with Dutch Communications Flight RAF and 320 squadron RAF.

The Oxford was used by the RAF as crew trainer for navigation and bomber crews.
Later several were used for light transport- and communication services. No. 1316 (Dutch) Communications Flight used several Oxfords during the last year of the Second World War .

Also about three Oxfords were in use with no. 320 Dutch squadron, mainly for training and liaison purposes.

Airspeed Oxford of Royal Netherlands Naval Air Communications Flight.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

In service with RNlAF.

The Oxfords were assigned to the AVOT, the additional twin-engine pilot training at Twenthe. They were also used for the training of pilots of the Gloster Meteor. In 1950 they were succeeded by the Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator.

According to J.M. van Hest, in an article in Hobby Bulletin of May 1971, were he states the C-1 through C-14 were of type Oxford Mk. II and C-15 through C-28 of type Mk. V.
C. van den Heuvel, who has researched and written an book about aircraft in use by the post-war Royal Netherlands Air Force, states that all Oxfords were of the Mk. I version. Personally I subscribe this point of view.

In flight photo of Airspeed AS-10 Oxford, C-5.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

An Airspeed AS-10 Oxford at Valkenburg.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Two officers in front of an Airspeed AS-10 Oxford.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

An Airspeed AS-10 Oxford in a hangar.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed AS-10 Oxford, overall yellow paint scheme in front of hangar 3.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Line-up of Airspeed AS-10 Oxfords, possibly shortly after delivery, regarding the names on the nose and the (barely visible) RAF fin flash on the tail of the second Oxford.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed AS-10 Oxford.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed AS-10 Oxford, C-11.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

In service with RNlNAS.

In September 1945 the minister of Naval Affairs discussed the acquisition of three aircraft (including equipment and spare parts) for performing communication flights.
Early 1946, three aircraft were received on loan. These were brought in the so-called detachment aircraft carriers, VKS. This detachment was based on airbase Heston, Middlesex, as section squadron no 701. There were regularly conducted flights to Valkenburg, Eindhoven and Schiphol.

From July 1946 it is stated that three Oxford would have been purchased by the RNlAS. These aircraft originated from the Admiralty Communications Flight, Royal Navy.

These aircraft were stationed on airbase Valkenburg in May 1947 and were used as liaison aircraft and also for photo flights.

Soon they were transferred to 320 Squadron for "general purpose" and got the new serials A-1 to A-3. When this happened is not known. With the commissioning of the squadron 5, early 1951 the Oxford were housed there. Also was their registration changed in R.1 through R3 and during the course of 1951 the R-4 and R-5 (received from the LSK) were added to the strength. These last two Oxfords were written off in 1952, due to poor condition.

In 1953, the remaining aircraft were replaced by the Beechcraft SNB-5/TC-45J Navigator.

Airspeed AS-10 Oxford of RNlNAS.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed Oxford Mk.I trainer, A-1 (1947-1952) with the entire crew
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Emergency landing of Oxford, 18-2 near Wassenaar in 1951.
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed Trainer of the RNlNAS (1947-1953).
[Enclosed photo from BeeldBank NIMH. Click on photo for ordering information]

Airspeed AS-10 Oxford Mk.II

Serial overview of RAF, RNlAF and RNlNAS.

Airspeed Oxford I, RAF

Airspeed Oxford I, RNlAF

Airspeed Oxford I, RNlAS

1/72nd Scale

Kits

• AZ Models
  • Kit 7362: Model of an Oxford Mk. I, released midst 2013.
  • Kit 7363: Model of an Oxford Mk. II, released midst 2013.
  • Kit 7385: Airspeed Oxford T1 with decals for Royal Navy and RNlNAS.
• Frog/Novo
  • Kit F336: An old kit, very rare nowadays.
• Tasman/Upgrade
  • Kit 0106 / 0112: Released several years ago two kits of Oxford Mk.I, Mk.II  and Mk.V (Short run plastic & white metal kit)
• Pavla
  • Kit 7241: Oxford Mk. I/ Mk. II

A model of an Airspeed Oxford, built by Adri Kleijn.

A model of an Airspeed Oxford of the Dutch Navy, built by Adri Kleijn. The kit used is the 1.72nd scale AZ Models kit.

Modelling add-on

• --
  • Set --: --

Decals

• Dutch Decal
  • Set 72026: A decal set, released years ago, with options for a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina IVA P-206 (post-war); PBY-5 Y-45 with flags; PBY-5 Catalina Y-69 black cat with flags; Dornier Wal F D-41; Airspeed Oxford C-14, HN182 overall yellow; Avro Anson D-23, HS188 overall yellow and Spitfire FR.Mk XIV XC MT853 of the Technical school LSK.
  • Set 72064: Decalset for Firefly F.Mk.I 16-6; Fierfly FR.VI 11-45; Airspeed Oxford 18-2; Sikorski S-51 8-1 Blauw; Bücker Bu-131 BJ-002; North American B-25: M434 (witte registraties); Northrop NF-5 K3062 "Redskins" and Douglas DB8A-3N.
• FlevoDecal
  • Set FD72-013: Royal Netherlands Navy Pt. II: Grumman TBM-3E Avenger, Harvard, Catalina, Oxford, Beech TC-45J, Fokker S-11.

1/48th Scale

Kits

• Sanger
  • Kit 4840: a vacu formed model.
• Special Hobby
  • Kit 48104: A (short run) injection moulded kit.
  • Kit 48122: A (short run) injection moulded kit of a Mk. II .
  • Kit 48159: Mk. I/II met decals voor USAAF; Czech AF; Belgian AF en MLD

Modelling add-on

• Vector Resin
  • Set 48-026: one resin Pratt and Whitney R985 engine

Decals

• --
  • Set --: --

Top

Both the Oxfords of the RNlAF as of the RNlNAS were delivered in standard RAF camouflage scheme.
The Oxfords of the Air Force had the RAF serials on the fuselage with a code on the tail. Later these Oxfords received a new Dutch serial, applied in white, starting with C an later also received an overall trainer yellow paint scheme with the serial in black.

The aircraft of the Dutch navy were later camouflaged overall grey with white serials.

Check www.paint4models.com for an extensive conversion table with lots of colour and paint systems.

Several colour schemes applied on the Dutch Airspeed Oxford.

These scheme's are meant for illustration purposes only. The size and type of used fonts of the serials, the size of the roundels etcetera are not always correct, but are as good as possible a simulation of the original.

Standard RAF scheme Airspeed Oxford.
Shown is an example of an aircraft used by the no 1316 Dutch Communications Flight.
Probably orange triangles were applied just at the cockpit area, these are shown somewhat faded on the drawing.

See the photo shown at the beginning of this article.

Delivery scheme Airspeed Oxford.
This scheme is the same for the aircraft of both LSK and MLD and is equal to the standard wartime RAF scheme.

Scheme 2 Airspeed Oxford.
Shown is the second scheme added to the Oxford of the LSK.

Third scheme Airspeed Oxford LSK.

Second scheme Airspeed Oxford RNlNAS.

Third scheme Airspeed Oxford RNlNAS.

Literature.

Websites.

• Fleet Air Arm Archive
• Warbirds
• British Aircraft Directory
• Wikipedia UK: Airspeed Oxford
• Lacaster museum: Airspeed Oxford
• Jaap Teeuwen: Airspeed Oxford
• Fleet Air Archive: Airspeed Oxford