Westland Wyvern

infobox Aircraft
name = Wyvern
type = Carrier-based strike aircraft
manufacturer = Westland Aircraft

---

caption = Wyvern S Mk.4
designer = Teddy Petter
first flight = 12 December 1946
introduced = 1953
retired = 1958
status =
primary user = Fleet Air Arm
more users =
produced = 1946-1956
number built = 127
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based multi-role strike aircraft built by Westland Aircraft and that served in the 1950s, seeing active service in the 1956 Suez Crisis. Production Wyverns were powered by a turboprop engine driving large and distinctive contra-rotating propellers and were able to carry aerial torpedos.

Design and development

The Wyvern began as a Westland project for a naval strike fighter, with the engine located behind the pilot and driving a propeller in the nose via a long shaft that passed under the cockpit floorWilliams, Chapter 21] . This enabled the pilot to be located in a position that conferred the best possible visibility over the nose for carrier operations. Official interest resulted in Air Ministry Specification N.11/44, for a long range naval fighter using the Rolls-Royce Eagle 24-cylinder H-block piston engine [Unrelated to the First World War-era engine of the same name.] , being issued to cover Westland's design. The specification also called for an airframe design that would be able to take a turboprop engine as and when a suitable unit was available. There was a parallel specification for the Royal Air Force, F.13/44, for which Hawker submitted the competing P.1027; a development of the Tempest. The RAF variant was cancelled when in 1945 it was decided that all future fighter aircraft would be jet powered.

The original design soon matured into the more conventional Westland W.34, with the 3,500 hp (2,610 kW) Eagle engine in the nose driving large contra-rotating propellers and the pilot sitting high in a humped fuselage to improve visibility. The design was otherwise orthodox, with a low wing, tail-wheel undercarriage and double-folding wings witted with both Youngman flaps on the inner wing section and conventional flaps on the outer section. The W.34 was to be armed with four Hispano 20 mm cannon in the wings and have the ability to carry a torpedo under the fuselage or a selection of bombs and rockets under the wings.

The prototype W.34; the Wyvern TF Mk.1, first flew on December 12 1946 with Westland's test pilot Harald Penrose at the controls. This aircraft was lost on October 15 1947 when the propeller bearings failed in flight, Westland's assistant test pilot Sqn. Ldr. Peter Garner being killed attempting to make an emergency landing. From prototype number 3 onwards, the aircraft were navalised and carried their intended armament.

At around this time, the Eagle engine was cancelled and it was found that there were insufficient pre-production engines available to complete all the prototype and pre-production aircraft. Specification N.12/45 was therefore issued for the Wyvern TF Mk.2, to be powered by a turboprop engine; either the Rolls-Royce Clyde or the Armstrong Siddeley Python. A single Clyde-powered prototype was ordered along with two with Pythons. A Clyde-powered TF.2 first flew on January 18 1949; a flight cut short to only 3 minutes, the cockpit filling with smoke from a fuel leak onto the exhaust ducting shortly after take off. The Clyde was cancelled after only 50 hours of flight time for the TF.2, and the aircraft was delivered to Napier & Son to be fitted with the Nomad turbo-compound engine. However, the latter never became reality, and this aircraft was used for crash barrier trials.

The first Python-powered TF.2 flew on March 22 1949 and this aircraft introduced the ejection seat to the Wyvern. Twenty TF.2s were completed to the Python design, and 3 years of testing what was then a revolutionary aircraft design resulted in a myriad of detailed aerodynamic changes. The Python engine responded poorly to minor throttle adjustments, so control was exercised by running the engine at a constant speed and varying the pitch of the propellers. The aircraft was declared ready for service in 1952 but never reached an operational squadron.

The definitive Wyvern mark was the TF Mk.4, later S Mk.4. Initially, 50 Mark 4s were ordered and were joined by the last seven TF.2s, which were altered while still under construction. Mk.4s reached limited shore-based front line service in May 1953 with 813 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Ford, replacing the somewhat similar (and equally troubled) Blackburn Firebrand. Several second line squadrons also received Wyverns around this time.

Total production was 127 aircraft with 124 airframes completed. [Ovčáčík 2003, p. 3.]

Operational history

Carrier trials began on 21 June 1950 with the type entering service in May 1953. The Wyvern was in service with the Fleet Air Arm from 1954 to 1958. Wyverns equipped 813 Naval Air Squadron, 827 Sqn., 830 Sqn., and 831 Sqn. of the Fleet Air Arm.

In September 1954, 813 embarked with their Wyverns on HMS "Albion" for carrier-based service in the Mediterranean. The Wyvern soon showed a worrying habit for flameout on catapult launch; the high G forces resulting in fuel starvation. A number of aircraft were lost off "Albion"s bows and Lt. B. D. Macfarlane made history when he successfully ejected from under water after his aircraft had ditched on launch and been cut in two by the carrier. 813 did not return to "Albion" until the problems had been resolved; in March 1955. 830 Sqn. took the Wyvern into combat from HMS "Eagle" during Operation Musketeer; the armed response to the Suez Crisis. Two Wyverns were lost from the 82 sorties flown. Both pilots of the downed aircraft were picked up by "Eagle"'s search and rescue helicopter. The squadron returned to the UK on "Eagle" after this conflict and disbanded in January 1957. 813 was the last Wyvern squadron, disbanding on April 22 1958. All Wyverns were withdrawn from service by 1958: while in service and testing there were 68 accidents, 39 were lost and there were 13 fatalities; including two RAF pilots and one USN pilot.

Variants

* W.34 Wyvern TF Mk.1 - Prototypes, six built and pre-production aircraft, seven built of ten contracted.
* W.35 Wyvern TF Mk.2 - The original production version, three prototypes and nine production aircraft built, further eleven were completed as S4s.
* W.38 Wyvern T Mk.3 - Two-seat conversion trainer. One prototype only. VZ739
* W.35 Wyvern TF Mk.4 - The definitive version, 98 built (including eleven started as TF.2s). Re-designated S Mk.4

urvivors

An unflown pre-production aircraft, fitted with the original Eagle piston engine, (serial number "VR137") is on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, England.

Operators

:UK
* Fleet Air Arm
** 700 Naval Air Squadron
** 703 Naval Air Squadron
** 764 naval Air Squadron
** 787 Naval Air Squadron
** 813 Naval Air Squadron
** 827 Naval Air Squadron
** 830 Naval Air Squadron
** 831 Naval Air Squadron

pecifications (Wyvern S.Mk 4)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=One
length main=42 ft 3 in
length alt=12.88 m
span main=44 ft 0 in
span alt=13.42 m
height main=15 ft 0 in
height alt=4.57 m
area main=355 ft²
area alt=33 m²
empty weight main=15,608 lb
empty weight alt=7,095 kg
loaded weight main=21,200 lb
loaded weight alt=9,636 kg
max takeoff weight main=24,450 lb
max takeoff weight alt=11,113 kg
engine (prop)=Armstrong Siddeley Python 3
type of prop=turboprop
number of props=1
power main=3,667 hp
power alt=2,736 kW
propeller or rotor?=propeller
propellers=Two four-bladed contra-rotating
propeller diameter main=
propeller diameter alt=
max speed main=383 mph
max speed alt=613 km/h
range main=904 miles
range alt=1,446 km
ceiling main=28,000 ft
ceiling alt=8,537 m
climb rate main=2,350 ft/min
climb rate alt=11.9 m/s
loading main=60 lb/ft²
loading alt=292 kg/m²
power/mass main=0.17 hp/lb
power/mass alt=0.28 kW/kg
armament=
*4x 20 mm Hispano Mk. V cannons in the wings
*1× 1,850 lb (840 kg) torpedo (designed for)
*16x underwing rockets "or"
*Up to 3,000 lb (1,364 kg) of bombs "or"
*1x Mk-15/17 torpedo or sea mine

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
* Blackburn Firebrand
* A2D Skyshark
* Tupolev Tu-91

References

Notes

Bibliography

* James, Derek N. "Westland: A History". Gloucestershire, UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd, 2002. ISBN 0-7524-2772-5.
* Mondey, David." Westland (Planemakers 2)". London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0134-4.
* Ovčáčík, Michal and Karel Susa. "Westland Wyvern TF Mks.1,2, T Mk.3, S Mk.4" (in English). Prague, Czechia: Mark 1 Ltd., 2003. ISBN 80-902559-9-X.
* Sturivant, Ray, Mick Burrow and Lee Howard. "Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft Since 1946". Tonbridge, Kent: UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd., 2004. ISBN 0-85130-283-1.
* Williams, Ray. "Fly Navy: Aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm since 1945". London: Airlife Publishing, 1989, ISBN 1-85310-057-9.

External links