Did you know the Avro Ten was actually a Fokker?

Short answer

Essentially, yes: the Avro 618 Ten was Avro's licence-built version of the Fokker F.VIIB/3m. The agreement with Fokker, signed in 1928, covered sales across the British Empire except Canada. The name Ten came from its capacity: two crew and eight passengers.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

Did you know the Avro Ten was actually a Fokker?

Fokker F.VII (SA-kuva 78776)

A Dutch licence with a British name

The Avro 618 Ten, also designated X, was a 1930s passenger transport aircraft and a version of the Fokker F.VIIB/3m built under licence by Avro. In 1928, Avro reached an agreement with Fokker to manufacture that successful design under licence and sell it across the British Empire, except Canada. The designation 618 Ten was adopted because the aircraft could carry two crew and eight passengers. Fourteen examples of the Type 618 Ten, a ten-seat civil transport, were built.

Variants and derivatives

The Type 619 Five was a five-seat civil transport, a scaled-down version of the Avro Ten. The Avro 642 Eighteen used the same wing as the Ten, but with a new fuselage for sixteen passengers.

An Australian career

The first five aircraft were sold to the newly formed Australian National Airways. The type entered service on 1 January 1930 on the Brisbane-Sydney route, and later on Melbourne-Sydney. The Southern Moon was rebuilt in 1933 for long-range flights, fitted with 330 hp (250 kW) Wright Whirlwind radial engines, and renamed VH-UXX Faith in Australia. As the last surviving 618 Ten in Australia, that aircraft evacuated many people from New Guinea in 1941.