The World's Earliest Remaining Commercial Aircraft
1920 AVRO 504 L

• A three-seat Avro 504 L, built in March 1920 as a commercial aircraft
• Flew continuously as such until 1927 using wheels, snow skis or water floats
• Known operational history
• Offered with extensive and impeccable provenance

Basic Avro 504 history
The original designs for the type were made in 1912 (nine years after the Wright Brothers' first flight). The fuselage was drawn by A V Roe & Company's Roy Chadwick, later its Chief Designer, who would go on to design the Lancaster. The first flights, in 1913, were a great success. Orders were received from both the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS), ensuring the future of the Avro company. When design started in 1912 it was ahead of its time. The 504's tractor layout with staggered bi-plane wings, full 3 axis control utilising control column and rudder bar plus main wheel with tail-skid undercarriage was soon adopted by most aircraft designers as the best. Furthermore, interchangeable components and standard parts were used throughout, making the 504 cheaper to make.

The Avro 504 was among the first British aircraft to arrive in France at outbreak of WW1 in 1914. In November 1914 the RNAS flew three aircraft to the Zeppelin factory at Friedrichshafen, making the first ariel bombing raid in history. In 1916, the 504 was selected as the first standard military training aircraft in the world, serving at the RFC Gosport School of Flying. Its status grew with time becoming the first 'standard trainer' in the world. In 1917, Avro upgraded the 504 to K model specification with more powerful rotary engines: Le Rhône 110, Clerget 130 or Bentley BR1. This required a minimal amount of fuselage strengthening, otherwise the airframe remained as per the design of 1912. In April 1918 the Royal Air Force was created.

Following the war's end in November 1918, Avro modified the military K model to become the civil L model, with three seats and a choice of undercarriage (which could be changed in less than one hour). In July 1919, an agreement in Paris allowed International Commercial Aviation to commence. Two fundamental rules were built into the agreement: private aircraft would require only a Certificate of Registration with the registration letters applied to the airframe, while commercial aircraft would require a Certificate of Registration, with letters applied to the airframe, and a Certificate of Airworthiness. G-EASD was issued a C of A in 1920.

In March 1920, Avro 504 L, G-EASD is constructed and begins commercial flying. It would go on to be one of the creators and sustainers of the nascent airline industry. It was a robust simple aircraft that carried over 1 million passengers plus freight and mail during 20 years of civilian service. From 1913 until the late 1930s some 10,500 Avro 504s of various marks were constructed both in the UK and overseas. Today only around 10 genuine examples remain, the majority in major aircraft museums. Avro 504 L, G-EASD is the only three-seater left.

Current Inventory
Complete airframe restored to flying condition using wheels or snow skis, without fabric covering

1 1917 Le Rhône 110 rotary engine, restored to display condition by Rolls-Royce
2 A collection of original parts from G-EASD not suitable for flight.
3 Complete set of original aircraft instruments circa 1918 (airspeed indicator, height gauge, compass, engine RPM, Le Rhone air pressure gauge with release valve, air pressure pump, watch, Tampier control, Avro map case
4 1917 pilot's leather flying helmet (found under the cockpit seat)
5 Original engine logbook 1920 to 1927
6 Original engine logbook 1920 to 1929
7 Original UU Certificate of Registration 1920
8 Original UK Certificate of Airworthiness 1920
9 Original Swedish registration documents 1921 to 1928
10 25 original black & white photographs of the aircraft 1920 to 1927, including the crash landing (see below)
11 Several letters and documents regarding obtaining spares during 1920s
12 Original 1918 Avro rigging book
13 Original Royal Flying Corps technical notes 1916
14 Original 1918 factory Le Rhone 110 engine maintenance manual
15 Original 1918 Clerget 130 factory engine manual
16 Over 400 copies of Avro 504 factory drawings, some signed off by Chadwick
17 An Ex-Rolls-Royce oak planchets for the drawings
18 Several books on the history of the Avro 504
19 Two books on the history of 'The Eastbourne Aviation Company'
20 A large oil-on-canvas portrait of G-EASD as S-AAP flying in Sweden in 1922

History of Avro 504 L G-EASD
In March 1920 this aircraft was built under licence by Eastbourne Aviation Company and registered on 26th of that month as G-EASD. The EAC had been started as an aircraft constructor by Major Fowler in December 1911 building Bleriot aircraft at Eastbourne under licence. During WW1 they built a large number of various military machines, the majority for the RNAS, of which 200 were Avro 504s. Post-war the company built six of the new commercial variant, the three-seat Avro 504 L for their 'airline' - Eastbourne Aviation Services. By coincidence it becomes the first personalised registration, EASD = Eastbourne Aviation Seaplane Division.

The Avro was issued with its UK Certificate of Registration on 26th March 1920 and its Certificate of Airworthiness on 1st June 1920. It is believed that the aircraft flew on a regular basis between March and June 1920 prior to the formal issuance of the C of A. G-EASD carried out a test flight on 16th June1920 followed by three flights carrying five passengers, all before lunch, starting its official commercial career.

When A V Roe modified the two-seat military K model into the three-seat commercial L type they equipped it with an undercarriage capable of accepting wheels, snow skis or water floats, making it internationally versatile and commercially viable. G-EASD was built as such, operated by Eastbourne Aviation Services exclusively on water floats utilising the English Channel as its airfield, flying to the beaches of Eastbourne, Hove, Brighton, Shoreham and others. Between June and September 1920, 329 passengers were carried (fewer than a Boeing 747 load) and one photographic charter was accomplished. From these modest roots the international airline industry began.

In late September 1920, G-EASD was laid up for the winter. George Spaak, a Swedish engineer, had timber interests in the Stockholm hinterland and had created an embryonic Air Transport Company. In 1921, he sent one of his pilots, Jimmy Youell (ex RFC) to Eastbourne to evaluate the Avro. G-EASD was test flown on 21st July 1921, purchased, crated and shipped to Stockholm. On 26th August 1921 it was erected and test flown. Two days later the aircraft carried seven passengers between Stockholm and Goshaga. It was initially registered as S-AAP with the Swedish authorities, the UK Air Ministry noting the aircraft exported and sold to Sweden.

The Swedish authorities changed their registration system three times in 10 years. S-AAP was officially re-registered S-AHAA on the 13th March 1923 and subsequently as SE-HAA on 1st April 1929, still in the ownership of George Spaak. On 13th December 1927, the Avro made its last commercial flight, landing heavily on a frozen lake and incurring much damage. Nevertheless, George Spaak had enjoyed a good financial return from the aircraft, and it remained stored in a boat shed and eventually was sold on.

During its commercial career in Sweden from 1921 to 1927, the aircraft carried 147 passengers and a large but unknown amount of freight and mail. By the late 1920s the industry was producing better and more suitable commercial aeroplanes. The 504 was becoming redundant and reaching the end of its commercial life. Still registered SE-HAA, the Avro passed into private ownership in the 1930s.
G-EASD, was left in storage in Sweden for many many years, soaked in castor oil which preserved the airframe and engine. The aircraft came to light around 30 years ago and was brought to the UK. Subsequently our vendor obtained it together with all the original documents and spares. During research, G-EASD's history and its airline significance became apparent as the world's earliest surviving commercial aircraft. All other commercial types that pre-dated G-EASD had crashed, burnt or in other ways been destroyed.

Structure
The Avro 504 is a single-engined tractor bi-plane. The 30' fuselage is built around four longerons forming a square box in cross section that tapers from behind the rear cockpit to the tail.
The engine is mounted at the front on steel bearers; directly behind are oil and petrol tanks followed by the three tandem cockpits. The undercarriage with long skid is attached directly beneath the front fuselage section. The cabane centre section surrounds the front cockpit. These four wire-braced vertical wood struts hold the top wing centre section, which in turn is the attachment structure for the top wings.

The four wings have a 2' stagger and two degrees of dihedral, and are each 16' 6" long. Total wing span is 36' (includes the fuselage width). The wings are separated by eight inter-plane struts. There are four ailerons, one per wing. The wings on each side are identical and interchangeable. Each wing is constructed around a front spar and trailing spar. The latter outboard section supports the ailerons. The two spars are separated by a set of five compression ribs and 15 form ribs, all of identical section. The whole unit is internally diagonally wire-braced with turnbuckles.
The tail assembly comprises a single balanced rudder and two identical horizontal stabilisers with two identical elevators, again interchangeable. The horizontal stabs are supported at the fuselage by four steel struts. All the control surfaces are connected to the control column or rudder bar by steel cables. There are no trimming surfaces.

The airframe is wood, the joints being held together by steel brackets and sockets bolted through and all tensioned by the use of turn-buckled wire cross-bracing. Very little glue is used. The main undercarriage consists of a transverse axle that can support either wheels or snow skis and is joined to the fuselage by a vertical bungee sprung tube arrangement. The fore-and-aft skid running under the axle is attached to the fuselage by a pair of V struts. This is to protect the propeller and engine in case of 'nose over'. The whole is stressed using cables with turnbuckles joining each to each. The tail skid is a wooden piece with a steel shoe attached. A vertical steel tube connects it to the fuselage with additional support of four short steel struts.

Cockpits
The instruments and controls are only located in the front cockpit and consist of:
Control column with blip (ignition cut-off) switch
Rudder bar with cast aluminium "Avro" footpads
Engine fuel and air control levers in a quadrant
Magneto switch
Engine RPM gauge
Airspeed indicator in MPH
Height gauge in feet
Cross balance tube
Compass
Watch
Fuel tank air pressure gauge with relief valve
Fuel on/off selector
Fuel tank air pump
Oil pulsator
Avro map case
Seat belts
Avro windscreen

Restoration
The vendor purchased the virtually complete aircraft together with spares and the Le Rhône 110 engine, all in a very sad state. With it came extensive documentary provenance. Our vendor's first task was to research the history of the aircraft and more generally the Avro 504's development.
Avro Heritage at Woodford, the site of the Avro aircraft factory, proved very helpful. Over the course of two years a full picture of the international relevance of this aeroplane became apparent.
With this in mind a decision was made to restore the aircraft to flying condition. A proposal was put forward to both the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the Light Aircraft Association (LAA), who issue 'Permits to Fly'. The restoration agenda was fully accepted and work started.

Avro Heritage had a team of mainly retired company employees who concentrated on restoration and build work. They took the wing ribs, carefully disassembled them, and cleaned up all the timber, removing encrusted castor oil, old glue and general dirt, and then rebuilt them.

The 1917 Le Rhône 110 engine went to Rolls-Royce in Derby, where the team of excellent restorers partially stripped the engine and returned it to static show condition on a display stand.
Examination at Derby revealed that the Le Rhône motor was built under licence in Paris by The Darracq Motor Co. It is engine number '100922' and fitted with the machine gun interrupter gear modification. The engine had clearly been used operationally. G-EASD was initially fitted with a Clerget 130. Engines were changed on a regular basis. It is to be noted that most of the 504s sent to Sweden were fitted with the Le Rhône Furthermore, the Swedish engineering firm, Thulin, built a large number of Le Rhônes under licence, so spares were available.

Restoration of the airframe continued, although at a slow pace as the vendor was still working.
The tailplane was taken to pieces, cleaned up and the rebuild accomplished. The fuselage, although 25' long, is relatively small in cross section and a straightforward affair. All the horizontal and vertical struts cleaned up well. The metal sockets and brackets required bead blasting, as did all metal components. Not only did they clean up beautifully, but the various part numbers and Air Inspectors Department (AID) stamps were revealed. All metalwork was suitably etch-primed and black painted.

After cleaning, all woodwork was treated with the Scandinavian product 'Deks Oja' oil, which is absorbed by the wood giving it enhanced life and protection against various types of rot. The final coat producing a varnish quality finish. The LAA approved the process.

Any metalwork needing to be replaced for airworthiness reasons was done using original Avro plans and manufactured using 4130 steel. The original components are carefully stored. All work has been signed off by a well respected LAA inspector. Specialist work has been sub-contracted to various very competent people, all of whom delivered exceptional results. A comprehensive written and photographic record has been kept.

G-EASD is being finished in skeletal condition, ready for covering. As it stands it looks like a work of art. Full inspection is therefore straightforward. The original colour was 'Post Office Red', as confirmed by much original red paint on various parts of the structure, and the linen fabric removed during restoration. (The book on the history of 'The Eastbourne Aviation Company' specifically states that G-EASD was painted Post Office red with black on the metal components.) This was a deliberate policy. All aircraft since 1915 had been finished in drab military colours. The new civil aviation companies wanted colourful eye-catching paint schemes to attract the public's attention.
All non-airworthy parts and some remaining fabric have been kept as part of the aircraft's historic heritage (the original aircraft has remained virtually complete).

'The Worlds Earliest Remaining Commercial Aircraft', G-EASD represents the beginning of the international airline industry. Now over 100 years old, it is presently nearing completion to potentially flying condition. The airframe has already been restored to flying condition and is sold with the engine and inventory as listed above. The airframe will not be covered, but remain in skeletal condition to enable prospective purchasers to conduct an in-depth survey of the restoration. This is a unique opportunity to purchase a piece of international aviation history. The vendor's excellent, copiously illustrated book recounting the full story of G-EASD is included in the sale.

Purple Paddle Lot: Please note there is restricted bidding on this lot which requires enhanced bid verification checks. Please contact us at [email protected] or call +44 20 7447 7447 as soon as possible if you are planning to bid on this lot to prevent any last-minute delays.