Airspeed A.S.10 Oxford I

Aircrew strength in the I.A.F. included navigators and observers to man the two-seat Wapiti, Audax, Hart and Lysander aircraft in the young services’ first ten years of existance. With the rapid build up of Allied air forces in the Subcontinent in the 1942-43 period, India Command directed that the I.A.F. would concentrate on single-engine single-seat tactical aircraft, the responsibility for bomber, transport and maritime tasks being assigned to the R.A.F. or U.S.A.A.F. Accordingly the navigators were stood down, a few converted to pilots or were sent abroad to serve with the RAF. At the end of the war, with the Indian Air Force gaining 22 D.F.Cs and of a host of awards and bestowed the prefix “Royal” in recognition of its services and competence, efforts were made to equip it with twin engine light bombers and transports. No. 12 Squadron, raised with the Spitfire at Kohat in December 1945, was earmarked for conversion to either the Mosquito or Hornet fighter-bomber but technical considerations dictated against this move as these aircraft were suspected to suffer from “tropical droop” and, instead, No. 12 was to become a transport unit with C-47s.

The R.I.A.F. assembled pilots and navigators at Risalpur to take over the new aircraft but all first ten C-47s alloted were unfortunately destroyed in a tropical cyclone late in 1946 and as an interim measure, it was directed that air and ground crew gain operational flying time and experience with twin-engine aircraft on the Oxford. Accordingly, in January 1947, the personnel proceeded to Bairagarh, Bhopal where No. 12 Squadron was given 4-5 Oxfords as its initial flying equipment. Training on the “Ox-Box” continued for a few months following which the personnel proceded to Chaklala to operate the Dakota.

The Oxfords were later passed on to the S.F.T.S. at Ambala for navigational training purposes while a couple of aircraft also operated with the Communications Flight.

Notes :

The Oxford was a standard wartime twin-engine trainer in service with the R.A.F. and had first appeared in 1937. A total of 8751 Oxfords were built and hundreds of these were retained in service with several air arms after the war, serving in communications and training tasks. Powered by two 375 h.p. Cheetah X radials, the Oxford never progressed, in substantial numbers, beyond the Mk. II stage. When flown accurately, it was docile yet could spring surprises on careless pilots. The A.S. 65 Consul was a light transport derived from, but externally similar to, the Oxford trainer.

(Image is from internet: Royal Air Force Airspeed AS.10 Oxford II)