Atlas

The Armstrong Whitworth Atlas was a British single‑engine, two‑seat army cooperation aircraft that first flew in 1925 and entered service with the Royal Air Force in 1926. Designed to replace the older R.E.8, the Atlas combined a sturdy wooden and metal airframe with a high‑wing configuration that gave excellent visibility for observation and artillery‑spotting missions. Powered by a 420 hp (313 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar radial engine, the aircraft could reach 130 mph (210 km/h) and had a service ceiling of 15,000 ft. Its undercarriage was fixed but robust, allowing operations from unprepared forward fields. A standout feature was the interchangeable wing panels that facilitated rapid conversion between reconnaissance, light bombing, and army‑cooperation roles, making the Atlas a flexible platform for the interwar British Army. Although only 149 were built, the type proved valuable during the early years of the RAF’s doctrinal development, influencing later specialist aircraft such as the Hawker Hart and the Westland Lysander. The Atlas marked Armstrong Whitworth’s transition from bomber design to versatile support aircraft, underscoring the company's contribution to the evolution of tactical aerial observation in the 1920s. Its distinctive gull‑wing shape also gave it a recognizable silhouette.

Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft

Classification

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Design & Classification