Westland Wizard

[mozart]

There are two Wizards featuring in this build; one is the sleek streamlined aeroplane designed and built by the Westland team in the 1920s, and the other is the perhaps not quite so sleek and streamlined but nonetheless incredibly talented Tim Perry aka “wunwinglow” of this forum and creator of Flying Start Models. Tim has researched and designed this kit from scratch, no mean feat because there is precious little information available about the aeroplane. Some background which I’ve cobbled together from the few sources around:

 

Development of the aircraft later known as the Westland Wizard began in 1925 when some of the company's engineers drew up the design for a single seat racing aircraft.   This was a private venture as a spare time activity by a group of enthusiasts in the design office who were working on the Westland Westbury, a twin-engined home defence night fighter called for by Air Ministry Specification 4/24.

 

To reduce costs the construction was wooden but, having seen Sydney Camm's method of metal construction on the Hawker Heron, the front of the fuselage was removed and replaced with a metal-framed structure using a modified version of the Hawker system which became known as the 'Westland system'.

 

It was a parasol monoplane of mixed construction, with a Duralumin and steel-tube forward fuselage covered with metal and fabric skinning, a wood and fabric rear fuselage and a wooden wing. The Westland Widgeon, also a monoplane, had influenced the designers in their choice of wing arrangement.

 

After receiving permission from Westland's management, a prototype was constructed, powered by a surplus 275 hp (205 kW) Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine.

 

Construction was completed in early 1926 with the first flight, appropriately taking place 'out of office hours' on a Sunday, watched by the team who had developed the design.. Later that year, however, it was badly damaged in an emergency landing at Westland's Yeovil factory. It was decided to rebuild the aircraft as a fighter with a new all-metal fuselage.

 

The Falcon engine was replaced by the Rolls-Royce's new F.XI (later known as the Kestrel) engine giving 490 hp (366 kW) in a more streamlined nose, while two Vickers machine guns were mounted semi-externally in the fuselage sides. It retained the wooden parasol wing, which was mounted close to the fuselage on tandem pylons on the fuselage centreline.

 

The thick section wing allowed the aircraft's fuel tanks to be buried in the wing, saving space in the fuselage while keeping wing drag low, also allowing a gravity feed to the engine and reducing fire risks.

 

The cockpit was more or less in line with the trailing edge of the wing. The seat was of such a height that the pilot's eyes were generally level with the wing. This enabled him to look either over or under the wing. The height of the seat was adjustable, and the rudder bar could be set up for two positions.

 

The rebuilt aircraft, now known as the Wizard, flew in November 1927.

 

The Wizard was fast and had an impressive climb performance.  It was tested by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Martlesham Heath from the end of January 1928. While the A&AEEs test pilots praised the Wizard's performance, they criticised the pilot's forward view and considered the aileron control loads too heavy.

 

It made an impressive appearance at the RAF Display at Hendon on 30 June 1928 before King George V and 200,000 spectators. The Wizard attracted a great deal of attention, mainly because of its clean lines and generally attractive appearance as well as its unusual layout. (Parasol monoplane designs had not been in service with the Royal Air Force since the days of the First World War, when a number of Morane-Saulniers were used.)

 

The Air Ministry remained interested in the Wizard and gave Westland a contract for further development. It was fitted with a new, all-metal wing of increased span and reduced chord. In order to improve the view for the pilot, the wing was fitted with a much thinner centre section and was mounted on more conventional cabane strutting. It had new inset ailerons. The engine was also replaced by a supercharged 500 hp (373 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XIS.

 

In this form the fighter was known as the Wizard II, however it had a lower performance than the earlier version and did not impress the Air Ministry sufficiently to override their long standing preference for biplane fighters.

And some pictures:

 

 

The pictures above are all (I think) of the Wizard Mk II with the more conventional cabane struts, the one below is the Mk I with central "pillars" supporting the wing.

 

The kit is all 3D printed to a very high standard, absolutely no trace whatsoever of layer lines.  I'm in the throes of cutting away the supports; the cockpit framing slotted very precisely into the front fuselage section.  

 

 

The parts beforehand:

 

 

I know I'm going to really enjoy this build. 

 

Edited June 9 by mozart

[geedubelyer]

You lucky so and so Max 

 

What a splendid, elegant design. 

 

I am eager to see this take shape in your very capable hands. 

Does this mark the jump off point for a Westland display cabinet? 

[mozart]

Well Westland is very local, so it could be! Whirlwind, Lysander…… ?

[geedubelyer]

Wapiti?

[RCPlym]

8 minutes ago, geedubelyer said:

Wapiti?

 

59 minutes ago, mozart said:

There are two Wizards featuring in this build; one is the sleek streamlined aeroplane designed and built by the Westland team in the 1920s, and the other is the perhaps not quite so sleek and streamlined but nonetheless incredibly talented Tim Perry aka “wunwinglow” of this forum and creator of Flying Start Models. Tim has researched and designed this kit from scratch, no mean feat because there is precious little information available about the aeroplane. Some background which I’ve cobbled together from the few sources around:

 

Development of the aircraft later known as the Westland Wizard began in 1925 when some of the company's engineers drew up the design for a single seat racing aircraft.   This was a private venture as a spare time activity by a group of enthusiasts in the design office who were working on the Westland Westbury, a twin-engined home defence night fighter called for by Air Ministry Specification 4/24.

 

To reduce costs the construction was wooden but, having seen Sydney Camm's method of metal construction on the Hawker Heron, the front of the fuselage was removed and replaced with a metal-framed structure using a modified version of the Hawker system which became known as the 'Westland system'.

 

It was a parasol monoplane of mixed construction, with a Duralumin and steel-tube forward fuselage covered with metal and fabric skinning, a wood and fabric rear fuselage and a wooden wing. The Westland Widgeon, also a monoplane, had influenced the designers in their choice of wing arrangement.

 

After receiving permission from Westland's management, a prototype was constructed, powered by a surplus 275 hp (205 kW) Rolls-Royce Falcon III engine.

 

Construction was completed in early 1926 with the first flight, appropriately taking place 'out of office hours' on a Sunday, watched by the team who had developed the design.. Later that year, however, it was badly damaged in an emergency landing at Westland's Yeovil factory. It was decided to rebuild the aircraft as a fighter with a new all-metal fuselage.

 

The Falcon engine was replaced by the Rolls-Royce's new F.XI (later known as the Kestrel) engine giving 490 hp (366 kW) in a more streamlined nose, while two Vickers machine guns were mounted semi-externally in the fuselage sides. It retained the wooden parasol wing, which was mounted close to the fuselage on tandem pylons on the fuselage centreline.

 

The thick section wing allowed the aircraft's fuel tanks to be buried in the wing, saving space in the fuselage while keeping wing drag low, also allowing a gravity feed to the engine and reducing fire risks.

 

The cockpit was more or less in line with the trailing edge of the wing. The seat was of such a height that the pilot's eyes were generally level with the wing. This enabled him to look either over or under the wing. The height of the seat was adjustable, and the rudder bar could be set up for two positions.

 

The rebuilt aircraft, now known as the Wizard, flew in November 1927.

 

The Wizard was fast and had an impressive climb performance.  It was tested by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) at RAF Martlesham Heath from the end of January 1928. While the A&AEEs test pilots praised the Wizard's performance, they criticised the pilot's forward view and considered the aileron control loads too heavy.

 

It made an impressive appearance at the RAF Display at Hendon on 30 June 1928 before King George V and 200,000 spectators. The Wizard attracted a great deal of attention, mainly because of its clean lines and generally attractive appearance as well as its unusual layout. (Parasol monoplane designs had not been in service with the Royal Air Force since the days of the First World War, when a number of Morane-Saulniers were used.)

 

The Air Ministry remained interested in the Wizard and gave Westland a contract for further development. It was fitted with a new, all-metal wing of increased span and reduced chord. In order to improve the view for the pilot, the wing was fitted with a much thinner centre section and was mounted on more conventional cabane strutting. It had new inset ailerons. The engine was also replaced by a supercharged 500 hp (373 kW) Rolls-Royce F.XIS.

 

In this form the fighter was known as the Wizard II, however it had a lower performance than the earlier version and did not impress the Air Ministry sufficiently to override their long standing preference for biplane fighters.

And some pictures:

 

 

The pictures above are all (I think) of the Wizard Mk II with the more conventional cabane struts, the one below is the Mk I with central "pillars" supporting the wing.

 

The kit is all 3D printed to a very high standard, absolutely no trace whatsoever of layer lines.  I'm in the throes of cutting away the supports; the cockpit framing slotted very precisely into the front fuselage section.  

 

 

The parts beforehand:

 

 

I know I'm going to really enjoy this build. 

 

 

It really is a quite super little kit. 😉 

[geedubelyer]

Wessex? 

 

*Edit Ooh, ooh, ooh.....Wyvern 

Edited June 9 by geedubelyer

[Hubert Boillot]

36 minutes ago, mozart said:

Well Westland is very local, so it could be! Whirlwind, Lysander…… ?

If Tim wants to design a Lysander, I’m a taker !

 

Hubert

[Gazzas]

Interesting.  The interwar certainly produced its share of evolving designs.

[Mal_Belford]

And yes, Mozart, 

 

As your name, im really looking forward to seeing this buil come alive.

[mozart]

4 minutes ago, Mal_Belford said:

And yes, Mozart, 

 

As your name, im really looking forward to seeing this buil come alive.

It’s Max actually Mal! 

[Mal_Belford]

3 minutes ago, mozart said:

It’s Max actually Mal! 

Doesnt matter for me Max as i see it LoL, as i like your sign name Mozart very much, and yes imo cool. if its okay for you.

 

So keep em coming as allready hit the Follow button.

 

 

[Kagemusha]

36 minutes ago, Hubert Boillot said:

If Tim wants to design a Lysander, I’m a taker !

 

Hubert

 

Me too!

[RCPlym]

28 minutes ago, Kagemusha said:

 

Me too!

 

Me three.

[LSP_Kevin]

How cool is that!

 

Kev

[Out2gtcha]

Very cool Max!