The Austin Kestrel was a British two-seat biplane designed and built by the Austin Motor Company. Only one aircraft was built.

Design and development

Designed to enter a 1920 Air Ministry competition the Kestrel was a conventional biplane with an open cockpit with side-by-side seats for two.^[1] Registered G-EATR the Kestrel came third in the small aeroplane class.^[1] The company decided to concentrate on motor car production and the aircraft was sold in 1924 but not flown again.^[1]

Specifications

Data from ^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
• Wingspan: 38 ft 6 in (11.74 m)
• Wing area: 417 sq ft (38.8 m²) ^[2]
• Empty weight: 1,966 lb (892 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,740 lb (1,243 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Beardmore 160 hp , 160 hp (119 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 110 mph (176 km/h, 96 kn)
• Cruise speed: 83 mph (133 km/h, 72 kn)
• Endurance: 4.5 hours^[3]