Westland Lysander
| Westland Lysander | |
|---|---|
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| Type: | Liaison aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
June 15, 1936 |
| Number of pieces: |
1593 |
The Westland Lysander was a single-engine liaison aircraft produced by the British manufacturer Westland Aircraft . The high- wing aircraft was used by the Royal Air Force from the end of 1938 .
history
Developed to specification A.39 / 34 (replacement for Hawker Audax ) by WEW Petter , the first flight of the prototype (construction number K6127) took place on June 15, 1936. The first series production order for 144 aircraft followed in September 1936, although there were unsolved trim problems on the tail unit. On December 11, 1936, K6128 also flew, the second prototype, which later survived severe wing damage in dive tests with a safe landing and was used from 1938 for tropical tests in India.
Construction series I ran out after 131 aircraft. It was replaced on the production lines by the series II (433 machines), which used the somewhat more powerful Bristol-Perseus engine XII (905 hp) and was also somewhat heavier. The most popular variant was the III or IIIA series (804 aircraft), which returned to the Bristol-Mercury engine (XX series, 870 hp) and could be equipped for special tasks (III-SD or IIIA-SD). It was the most versatile, but also the heaviest Lysander (IIIA including additional armor), which was noticeable in reduced flight performance, especially in climbing ability and top speed at higher altitudes. A total of 1593 Lysander aircraft were built, including 225 machines built under license in Canada.
An interesting variant was the equipment tested in 1941 with the converted first prototype with a machine gun tail turret and double tail unit. Despite good flight performance, there was no real use for it and the project was not pursued further.
use
In June 1938, No.16 Army Co-operation Sqdn. (16th Army Cooperation Squadron) as the first Royal Air Force unit to move to Lysander. Eighteen aircraft from series I went to Egypt, although the Royal Air Force (beginning with 208 Sqdn. In January 1939) also stationed its own Lysander there. Later construction series were delivered in small numbers to air forces in other countries, such as Finland, Turkey, Ireland and finally Portugal. The Canadian Air Force and the Free French Armed Forces as well as units in exile Poland also used the Lysander.
From 1939 Lysander squadrons were relocated to France. A total of 174 aircraft were deployed there by May 1940, 118 of which were lost. The slow machine was easy prey for modern fighters, although it was quite well armed and in individual cases also won aerial combat victories. Then the "return to France" during the time of the German occupation became known, in which specially retrofitted Lysander III stationed in RAF Tempsford carried out special operations such as flying in agents, supplying the Resistance , flying out important people and similar special tasks in France. The Lysander's ability to land and take off as needed on unprepared slopes such as fields and roads, often at night, was essential. Over 400 of these sorties took place by 1944, with only two aircraft lost. The aircraft, which were mostly painted black, also carried special national emblems that were difficult to recognize (light blue / dark blue instead of blue / white / red).
The last squadron (357th Sqdn.) Flew the type until November 1945, and in January 1946 the use in the Royal Air Force ended. The last ever deployments of the type took place by the twelve Egyptian machines of the 3rd Egyptian Air Force Squadron in 1948 in the first war against Israel. However, some machines remained in civil service or in reserve in Canada until the 1950s. Today there are still a few restored specimens that can occasionally be seen at vintage air shows.
Production numbers
The Lysander was built by Westland in Great Britain and National Steel Car in Canada.
| version | number |
|---|---|
| Mk I, Mk II | 1,032 |
| TTIIIa | 100 |
| Mk III, Mk IIIa | 320 |
| total | 1,452 |
In Canada, 75 Mk I and 150 Mk IIIa, a total of 225 Lysander, were built.
| year | number |
|---|---|
| until 1938 | 84 |
| 1939 | 327 |
| 1940 | 621 |
| 1941 | 420 |
| total | 1,452 |
classification
The Lizzie can be seen as the British counterpart to the Fieseler Storch : both were high-deckers , generously equipped with buoyancy aids , with a rigid landing gear ; both had a very short take-off and landing distance ( STOL properties). In contrast to the Fieseler Storch, whose slats (to accelerate the air flow on the upper side of the wing in slow flight) were firmly attached (leading-edge slots) and caused increased resistance when cruising, the Lysander (like the Messerschmitt Bf 109) via movable slats, which were retracted flush with the wing during cruise with little resistance and which automatically open when the speed falls below a critical level (automatic leading-edge handley page slats). The Lysander was also bigger and stronger, so she could play a number of other roles in addition to liaison duties: target tow plane, sea rescue aircraft, tow plane for gliders and even light bombers. It was best known, however, probably as the aircraft with which the SOE dropped its agents in occupied Europe.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Lysander Mk.I | Lysander Mk.III |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 2 | 2 |
| length | 9.30 m | 9.30 m |
| span | 15.25 m | 15.24 m |
| height | 3.50 m | 4.42 m |
| Empty mass | 1845 kg | 1980 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 2690 kg | 2865 kg |
| Top speed | 366 km / h at an altitude of 3048 m | 340 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 8090 m | 6550 m |
| Range | 800 km | 970 km |
| Engines | a Bristol Mercury III radial engine ; 890 hp (655 kW) | a Bristol Mercury XX radial engine ; 882 hp (649 kW) |
| Armament | four 7.7mm machine guns, up to six small bombs |
four 7.7 mm MG 227 kg bomb load |
See also
literature
- Francis K. Mason: The Westland Lysander. Profile Publications, Leatherhead 1967, no ISBN.
- Michal Ovcacik / Karel Susa: Westland Lysander. 4+ publications, Prague 1999, ISBN 80-902559-1-4 .
- Owen Thedford: Aircraft of the Royal Air Force since 1918. Putnam / Conway, London, 8th edition 1988, pp. 580-582, without ISBN.
- Kenneth Munson: Aircraft of World War II. Ian Allan, London 1962, Shepperton / London 1962, p. 154, without ISBN.
Web links
- For Army Co-Operation. (PDF) In: FLIGHT, June 9, 1938. Flightglobal.com , June 9, 1938, pp. 569-576 , accessed on July 2, 2017 (English, detailed description with technical data, construction details and drawings): “Altogether, it can be said, that the West-land Lysander is a remarkable machine. "
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b National Archives, Kew, stock AVIA 10/311
- ↑ Meekcoms, KJ: The British Air Commission and Lend-Lease, Tunbridge Wells, 2000, p. 52 ff.
- ↑ James Kightly: Westland Lysander: The British Spy Plane of World War II. Mushroom Model Publications, 2003, p. 53.
- ↑ James Kightly: Westland Lysander: The British Spy Plane of World War II. Mushroom Model Publications, 2003, p. 56.
- ^ Riccardo Niccoli: Airplanes: The most important types of aircraft in the world . Kaiser, ISBN 3-7043-2188-5 , p. 212 .