UNIQUE AIRCRAFT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 14

UNIQUE AIRCRAFT

"WESTLAND LYSANDER" INSPECTION BY THE KING ARMY CO-OPERATION WORK [FROM OUR own correspondent]] LONDON, March 8 During their tour of west country defence establishments, the King and Queen visited the home of n unique British military aircraft —the Westland Lvsander.

The Lvsander is the first aircraft to have been designed from tI)G whools up. purely for army co-operation duties. It is unlike any other aircraft in the Royal Air Force to-day—both in appearance and in its characteristic performance. Not fast as modern aircraft go—its normal top speed is only just over 220 m.p.h.—it has, nevertheless, remarkable climbing and handling qualities. From a short run it can shoot up from the ground like a rocket,; and it ran he landed on the proverbial "pocket handkerchief." These are valuable qualities in an aircraft which may ha\c to operate from small or temporal \ aerodromes, or land and take-off in tho open country in the firing zone. "Ceiling" of Five Miles

The features of the Lysander's construction are a high "parasol" wing (a monoplane which lias a high wing aho\e the fuselage is described as a "parasol" tvpe of aircraft"), and tho use of automatically controlled Handley-Page flaps and siots. These assist both in achieving a rapid take-off, and in the control of the aircraft at slow speeds. It can remain under full flying control at only 55 m.p.h.—useful for observation purposes —and then dart off like a dragon-fly at its maximum speed. The take-oif is further assisted by a controllable pitch airscrew, the blades of which exert full pressure on tho air at a very early stage. The latest version of the Lvsander, the -Mark It., is fitted with a Bristol Perseus XII. engine of 905 li.p. This gives it a maximum speed of 2:50 m.p.h. at 15.000 feet, and a ceiling of 26,000 feet (above live miles). It can climb to 5000 feet in just over three minutes.

Armament consists of three guns. Two of these are fixed and fire forward and can he used for operating against enemy ground forces. One, which - is movable, is housed behind the pilot and is operated bv the observer. It is main I v for the defence of the crew from hostile aircraft. Good Field of Vision

Both the pilot and observer have a remarkably good field of vision, owing to the position of the cabin and the depth of the transparent sides. There is complete dual control both for flying and bomb operation. Provision is made for the carriage of the smaller types of bombs on special racks fitted to the undercarriage legs and beneath the fuselage. Alternatively special canisters can be carried for dropping supplies and foodstuffs to troops in difficult positions. , , So successful has the T/vsnncler proved for its special work of close cooperation with the Army that numbers have been supplied to Allied and friendly Governments. The choice of the name Lysander is singularly apt for this soldiers aircraft. Large numbers of Lysanders are now being produced at Homo for the Army, Co-operation Squadrons with the British Air Forces in France and the type is also being constructed in Canada.