Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

Westland Wizard

1927 GOLDEN AGE X-PLANE

The Wizarding Story of Westland

During World War I (1914-1918), Westland began its contribution to aviation by licensing the Short Type 184 seaplane. From there it evolved into producing aircraft of all shapes until the interwar period, when the Westland "Wizard" was its first attempt at a monoplane design. The type was formed from the early private enterprise "Racer" model, which was built for speed and used a parasol-wing (overhead, braced) main aircraft.

The structure uses a hybrid design approach (metal and fabric skins), and power is provided by a single 275-horsepower Rolls-Royce Falcon III inline engine.

The Racer first exploded in November 1926, but a landing accident in 1927 caused serious damage to the frame. Despite the setbacks, the original plan was kept and the proven racer was rebuilt as a Westland Wizard into a front-line fighter design. More metal construction is used for strength, and the fairing is designed to provide a full streamlined nose above the inline engine.

The Rolls-Royce F. XI supercharged 12-cylinder inline with 490 horsepower now replaces the original Falcon III engine - although it still powers the twin-blade propeller unit. A retractable radiator assembly is mounted under the fuselage, just forward of the cockpit floor. The cockpit itself remains single-seater and open. The wheeled landing gear also maintains its fixed configuration.

An important feature of the fighter is its double-supported parasol monoplane structure, mounted in the midship forward and forward and above the cockpit.

To accomplish its intended hunting mission, the Witcher is armed with 2 x 7.7mm Vickers machine guns, mounted on fixed forward-firing mounts, embedded in the side of the hull and synchronised to fire by rotating propeller blades (via a circuit breaker system) . ).

By the end of 1927, the Wizard had been flight tested and the design was generally justified. The rate of climb is excellent, and the handling is thought to be good enough to attract the attention of the British Air Forces.

A review revealed that forward visibility (mainly due to the position of the wings and the long nose of the fuselage) was very poor, forcing Westland engineers to go back to the drawing board.

During this period, a new main-wing aircraft was developed with improved strut work, plan shape and reduced thickness. The F. XI engine was followed by the Rolls-Royce F. XIS ("Kestrel II") engine, now offering 500 horsepower and promising performance upgrades. This turned out not to be the case, however, as "Wizard II" didn't do well with the changes made.

This setback led to less interest in the Air Ministry, which in turn caused Wizards to slip through the pages of British aviation history.

As such, the Air Department continued to support proven biplane forms for the foreseeable future and relied on them until the 1940s - some classic examples even received notable service during WWII (1939-1945) .

Wizard II features include a top speed of 188 mph, a service ceiling of up to 17,500 feet and a rate of climb approaching 1,945 feet per minute. Suggested weapons are 2 x 7.7mm Vickers machine guns (fixed, forward firing) and support 4 x 20 lb conventionally thrown bombs.