In Australian Service – Ambassador

Airspeed were given an order for two prototypes by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in September 1945. The power plant was changed to the Bristol Centaurus 130. The maiden flight of the first prototype G-AGUA was made on July 10, 1947, and the second prototype G-AKRD flew just over a year later on August 26, 1948. It differed from the first prototype by being fitted with the more powerful Centaurus 630 engine developing 2,800hp. Another major improvement was the introduction of pressurisation.

The big boost to the Ambassador project occurred on September 22, 1948, when BEA signed a contract to purchase 20 aircraft. BEA had been actively investigating the Viscount but was advised by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in December 1947 that there were doubts about the economics of gas turbine engines. So BEA opted for a fleet of piston engine-powered Ambassadors.

Developmental flying of the Ambassador continued at full pace as BEA had requested deliveries to enable them to put them into service in 1951. However many problems were encountered which made this schedule impossible to achieve. G-AKRD was damaged in a take-off accident at Hurn in March 1950 but was repaired. The first production prototype G-ALFR first flew in May 1950. Two months later it was damaged when the starboard undercarriage leg collapsed. It was repaired but met with another mishap in November when it made a heavy landing at Christchurch.

These and numerous other incidents delayed the introduction of the Ambassador into BEA service until September 1951. BEA renamed the Ambassador the Elizabethan in their service after their flagship G-ALZN “Elizabethan”. It was used on an irregular basis and eventually flew on a regular scheduled basis from March 1952. Although the Elizabethan was popular with passengers it did encounter problems and in 1957 BEA planned their withdrawal from service. The last BEA scheduled flight was made in July 1958.

The Ambassador had been in consideration for purchase by Australian National Airways in 1951. When however Airspeed announced the cessation of production after completion of the BEA order no such purchase was possible. The next connection with Australian interest in the Ambassador now shifts to 1957.

Butler Air Transport was flying their extensive intrastate network in New South Wales with a fleet headed by their two Vickers V. 7 4 7 Viscounts VH-BAT and VH-BUT. However, problems were created on February 13, 1957, when the Department of Civil Aviation announced that cracks were developing in the sealed surfaces at Coffs Harbour Airport and that the airport could not be used for further Viscount operations.

The DCA said they were also concerned at the damage caused by Viscount traffic to runways at Bourke, Broken Hill, Dubbo and Parkes. As most of the NSW airports were built during the Second World War they were not designed to cope with an aircraft with the weight of a Viscount. The Viscount had a wheel loading of 21,000lb compared with 12,000 for a DC-3. The DCA said that if an aircraft such as a Fokker Friendship or Handley Page Herald were to operate at these airports no extensive reconstruction would be necessary.

Mr C. A. Butler, Butler’s managing director, said he was concerned at the condition of country aerodromes in NSW. He said that Coffs Harbour traffic was too large to be handled by DC-3s. Butlers would find it difficult to economically utilise their Viscounts if they were unable to fly to the locations named by the DCA.

As a means of giving their fleet greater flexibility, Butler decided to order three of the ex-BEA Elizabethans. These aircraft were flown to Australia by BEA crews and arrived in Sydney on June 18, 1957. The BEA pilots remained in Australia for several weeks to supervise the training of Butler crews who were obtaining their Ambassador conversions. It was hoped to operate the Ambassadors on all Butler routes being operated by DC-3s. In addition, it was planned to fly them to country airports with unsealed runways where the Viscounts were unable to operate.

The Ambassadors were purchased by Butlers for approximately £200,000 each. This was partially offset by the sale of three of their DC-3s at a price of about £55,000 each. The Ambassadors delivered to Butler were G-ALZX “Sir John Norris” which became VH-BUI, G-AMAE “Earl of Essex” to VH-BUK and G-AMAH “Sir Christopher Hatton” which was re-registered VH-BUJ. Butler’s first flight carrying passengers took place on August 5, 1957. However their introduction into service took place at a time which was particularly turbulent in Australian civil aviation history.

Ansett had just taken over control of Australian National Airways to form Ansett-ANA. A concerted move was now underway to take over Butler, an action which was being strenuously resisted by Butler. The battle for control which began in July 1957 ended in February 1958 when Ansett Transport Industries gained control of Butler Air Transport. From that point on the future of the Ambassador was in doubt as Ansett Transport Industries were keen to rationalise their fleet of aircraft.

In June 1958, Mr R. M. Ansett said he believed the Convair 340 and 440 aircraft would be a more suitable aircraft for the routes being presently served by the Ambassadors. Mr Ansett subsequently announced he had entered into an arrangement with BEA whereby they had agreed to take back the Ambassadors and sell them on his behalf. The Butler Ambassadors were withdrawn from service in August 1958 and were flown back to England. So ended the very short career of the Airspeed Ambassador in Australian airline service.

After their departure from Australia the ex-Butler Ambassadors entered service with Dan Air in 1959. G-ALZX was damaged in an accident in April 1966 and was not repaired. G-AMAE and G-AMAH were withdrawn from service during 1971.

Some of the Ambassadors details are Engine: Bristol Centaurus 661 1 8 cylinders two-row radial engine with sleeve valves developing 2,700hp. Span: 115 feet, length: 81 feet, height: 18 feet 4 inches, wing area: 1,200 square feet, gross weight: 52,000lb, maximum speed: 312mph, cruising speed: 260mph. Total production was 32 aircraft comprising two AS 5 7 Ambassadors 1 aircraft which were the first and second prototype and 21 AS 5 7 Ambassador 2 aircraft.