AVRO 701 Athena

(Monochrome Photograph showing - An Athena Mk.1 (foreground) and Mk.2 on Woodford Ramp with the Clubhouse in the background.)

At the close of the War the RAF was still using the North American Harvard as standard Advanced Trainer. As this was a pre-war design, the Air Ministry issued a specification for a modern replacement to be powered by the latest turboprop engine. This was later superseded by a new specification using a Rolls-Royce Merlin piston engine, as a large stock of these was held in store the RAF.

Avro had already been given a contract to build 3 of the prop-jet version and the first one powered by an Armstrong-Siddeley Mamba motor flew on June 12th.1948 in the hands of 'Jimmy' Orrell. The second machine was powered by a Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop, and the third with a Mamba. The change of specification resulted in the first Merlin powered Athena, designated Mk.2, making its first flight (also by Jimmy Orrell) at Woodford on August 8th. 1948.

The 3 turbo-prop aircraft were used for research, and the Mk.2 lost the RAF contract to the Boulton Paul Balliol.

However a small order for 15 Athena Mk.2s was received, in addition to the 4 Mk.2 prototypes. These were used by the RAF Fling College, Manby as armament trainers between1950 and 1955 before being scrapped.