The 'Oxbox'; Unassuming Greatness.
One of the great aircraft of World War Two, the Airspeed Oxford was a widely utilised air crew trainer, which undertook its duties without fuss or fanfare, and because of the vital role such a machine had within the structure of a wartime industry, the little wooden 'Oxbox' as it was nicknamed, is truly one of the Greats. In operation from the UK to the far flung reaches of the remnants of the British Empire and many other places in between, the Oxford also saw use as a post-war civilian transport as the AS.65 Consul, into which many ex-military Oxfords were converted. Designed by Alfred Hessel Tiltman, the little machine has a conventional beauty to it, despite its warpaint. My principal Oxford walkaround is of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand's superb restoration of Consul G-AIKR to its wartime military configuration as Oxford I PK286. The standard of finish is exemplary and is a testimony to the hard work the restoration team has put into the aircraft over the years. A small walkaround of the RAF Museum's Oxford I MP425 is included. Click on the image below to go to the Airspeed Oxford pages.
