Avro 504B

The Avro 504B was a British two‑seat biplane built by the Avro company during the First World War and the years that followed. First flown in 1913 as a development of the original Avro 504, the B variant entered production in 1915 and became the most widely manufactured version of the type, with more than 5,000 airframes completed. Powered mainly by an 80 hp (60 kW) Gnome rotary engine, the 504B featured a fabric‑covered wooden wing structure, a welded steel tube fuselage and a simple open cockpit that allowed an instructor and a student to sit side by side. Its gentle handling, low landing speed and robust construction made it ideal for elementary flight training, reconnaissance, and light bombing duties. The aircraft served with the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force, and it was exported to dozens of allied nations. After the war the 504B continued in civilian roles, becoming a popular barn‑storming and mail‑carrying aircraft. Its longevity and the sheer number produced cemented the Avro 504 series as a cornerstone of early military aviation and a key stepping‑stone in the development of pilot training worldwide.