1 photo from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Avro Bison in Flight: MoD Photo· Public domain
what is it?
The Avro 555 Bison was a British single-engined fleet spotter/reconnaissance aircraft built by Avro.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · biplane · 14 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 105 years ago, in 1921.
- Wingspan of 14 m: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1921
- introduced
- 1922
- retired
- 1929
- status
- retired
- number built
- 55
- role
- fleet spotter/reconnaissance
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- makers
- Avro
- engines
- 1× Napier Lion II
- crew
- 4
- length
- 11 m
- wingspan
- 14 m
- height
- 4.3 m
- max take-off weight
- 2,781 kg
- top speed
- 174 km/h
- cruise speed
- 145 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 3,658 m
- wings
- biplane
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q452012, Wikipedia: Avro Bison (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.