Armstrong Whitworth AW.23

Designed as a bomber/transport aircraft to specification C.26/31 for the British Air Ministry, the Armstrong Whitworth AW.23 competed against the Handley Page H.P.51 and the Bristol Bombay. The Armstrong Siddeley Tiger VI 14-cylinder radial engines proved unreliable and the Bombay was declared the winner (the HP.51 also received a production order as the HP.53 Harrow).

The prototype was given the civil registration G-AFRX in May 1939 being used for inflight refuelling development by Flight Refuelling Ltd who used it with the Short Empire flying boat. It was destroyed in a German bombing raid on Ford airfield in June 1940.

Although not ordered into production, the AW.23 formed the basis for the Whitley bomber of which 1,814 were produced.