AZ Model 7385 Airspeed Oxford T.1 "Navy" British Twin-Engine Aircraft

Note: Rare, out-of-production kit. Heavily reworked from the original Pavla tooling, this edition features enhanced detailing, an injection-molded canopy, and refined resin parts.

Airspeed Oxford T.1 "Navy" British Twin-Engine Aircraft

The Airspeed Oxford, affectionately known among aircrews as the 'Ox-box', served as a foundational training aircraft for RAF Bomber Command. Its versatile design allowed for the simultaneous instruction of pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, gunners, and radio operators during a single flight. Beyond its primary educational role, the Oxford was also deployed for communication tasks, anti-submarine patrols, and as an aerial ambulance in the Middle East.

It became the trainer of choice for both the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), initiatives that relocated thousands of prospective aircrew to Canada for instruction. In early 1941, twenty-seven Oxfords were stationed with No. 4 Flying Training School at RAF Habbaniya, Iraq. During the local hostilities, several of these airframes were field-modified into light bombers, playing a crucial role in defending the installation against attacking Iraqi forces.

Tragically, in 1941, the pioneering aviator Amy Johnson disappeared while piloting an Oxford, with her aircraft presumed lost in the Thames Estuary.

Following the war, 152 surplus Oxfords underwent conversion into the AS.65 Consul, a compact six-seat commercial airliner. Additionally, the Hellenic Air Force acquired several examples, which saw active service with No. 355 Squadron RHAF during the Greek Civil War.

From a technical standpoint, a notable quirk of the Oxford involved its propeller pitch management. Despite being fitted with fixed-pitch wooden or Fairey-Reed metal propellers, the cockpit was equipped with a functional pitch control lever. Instructors required trainees to shift this lever from "Coarse" to "Fine" upon landing, serving as a vital procedural memory aid for future transitions to advanced operational aircraft.

The Oxford remained in active service with the Royal Air Force, functioning as a trainer and light transport, until its final retirement in 1956. Numerous airframes also found secondary careers with foreign military operators, including the Royal Belgian Air Force.