The Armstrong Whitworth A.W.XVI (or A.W.16) was a British single-engine biplane fighter developed for operation from the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers. It first flew in 1930, but only 18 were built, including two prototypes.
Designed to meet Specification F9/26, the A.W.16 had unequal-span wings supported by N-type interplane struts and a fixed, spatted undercarriage. Its power came from an Armstrong Siddeley Panther radial engine, cowled in a Townend ring. Engine problems during development delayed its evaluation, and the Hawker Nimrod was selected instead for the Royal Navy.
Armstrong Whitworth nonetheless sought export sales, and the type found a buyer in China. Sixteen aircraft were ordered by the Guangxi (Kwangsi) Air Force and delivered in 1931 via Hong Kong. Initially these served with regional warlord forces, but by 1937 they had become part of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force.
One prototype was later modified to test the experimental 15-cylinder, three-row Armstrong Siddeley Hyena engine, but cooling issues led to its abandonment. The second prototype was rebuilt into the more advanced Armstrong Whitworth A.W.35 Scimitar.
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