The Westland Lysander NUMBER 159 RETAIL PRICE UNITED KINGDOM TWO SHILLINGS UNITED STATES & CANADA 50 CENTSAircraft with stub wings removed. Aircraft in low speed flying attitude. T WESTLAND LYSANDER II, L4767, of No. 13 (Army Co: operation) Squadron, Mons- en-Chausée, France, 1939. @©sames courone The obliteration of the aircrafts serial number wos carried out in red primer in accordance with Ale Staff Instructions during ache 1959. not! er eccationally stated, on the negative of contemporary photographs.Lysander Mk. I of Free French Air Force: “1 support aircraft with Gen. Leclerc’s = Free French Saharan forces, 1941-12, we Cross of Lorraine Free Fen ar. four wing positions. of C.0., ‘C’ Flight (Special), No. 357 (SD) Sqdn., attached to 14th Army, South Wing detail East Asia Command, starboard, = SP) Personal ‘spider insignia on SEA roundel «> Lysander TT. ML, Royal Canadian Air Force. Campaign insignia (Burma) Lysander Mic I of Tlelv. 16, Finnish Air — Force. Vea > Continuation War _ aa | \ markings. ™ | | Yeas seen y Tie Corps. "A and "8" eeernials Lysander Mi. Il of Turkish ‘ir Force, Eire: four wing ¢ positions. wings Lysander Mk. 1 of Egyptian Air Force. Egypt. ww eonIn 1941 a notice hung in a Royal Observer Corps training centre at Oxford: “There is a difference between a barrage balloon, an aeroplane and a Lysander; the aeroplane can't stand still in the air—which makes it difficult to identify”. This ably summed up the Lysander, its remarkable low speed capabilities and its singular appearance. by Franci s KD ” Lee ma fatheaes A No, 208 (AC) Squadron Lysander I on a message pick-up training fight near Ismailia, Egypt, shortly before the outbreak of World War ii (Photo: via Westland Aireratt Lid) The Westland Lysander ‘The Westland Lysander was a classic aeroplane—of that there can be no doubt. Yet its story, its contri- bution to close support tactics and its design signi- ficance has never been fully extolled, nor has the fact that its very performance philosophy presaged the widespread “STOL” capabilities (in the modern idiom) been recognised. Like other British aireraft of the pre-War R.AF. expansion period, the Lysander was coincidentally developed on much the same lines of thought as German aircraft, in this instance the Henschel Hs 126. Like the Henschel, however, the Lysander’s ground ‘was cut from under it by the radical change of tactics in the area of army co-operation soon after Dunkirk, and its days as a combat aireraft in Northern Europe were numbered. As will be told anon there was a The Author wishes to acknowledge the considerable assistance kindly given by Mr. Harald J. Penrose, O.B.E., F.R.Ae.S.. previously Chief Test Pilot, Group Sales Manager and Director, Westland Aircraft Ltd., tn ike preparation of this ProfileThe first Lysander prototype, K6127 in first flight configuration ‘before final opine. subtle difference between a com- bat aircraft in the accepted sense and a stealthy intruder invading the suspicious darkness of Occu- pied Europe. Certainly the Lysander came closer to. the German Army of Occupation than many of the famous fighting aireraft whose names are syn- onymous with the air war over Europe. ‘The Lysander was only the second design essay of the brill ant W.E. W. (Teddy) Petter, 8... who had been technical assistant to Westland’s Managing Director, R. A. Bruce, M.A., and became Technical Director when the latter retired. Petier’s previous design was a low-wing fighter with radial engine, but this progressed no further than mock-up and tender as the Air Ministry was apprehensive of his ability, despite his technical backing b f Designer Arthur Davenport and Chief Technician F. J. Wingfield Digby. Determined that no such prejudice should jeopar- dise his next design, Petter and his staff spent many a day with the Audax army co-operation squadrons of the R.A.F. during early 1935 studying operational problems in order to formulate an answer to satisfy the requirements. ‘There was no unanimity, but it ‘was suggested that the pilot should have unobstructed forward view and the aircraft must have easy handling characteristics, good low speed control and be able to operate from a small space. That the Audax did not possess these special qualities was the outcome of the Hawker Hart standardisation policies of the early ‘thirties; the Audax, as standard army co- operation equipment between 1932 and 1938, pro- vided the experience and spotlighted the necessary development. Fundamental decision taken early in the designers’ deliberations was to adopt high monoplane wing layout, and consideration of wing loading and specified performance (set out in Air Ministry Speci- fication A.39/34 for an Audax Replacement) led to a fully slotted and flapped wing. ‘The structure may have been influenced to some extent by a home-built. monospar, strut-braced sailplane with torsion nose which was being con- structed by Harald Penrose, but the concept of the metal Lysander revealed notable features which showed Petter in no way bound by convention in his challenging design. The duralumin monospar with metal torsion box leading edge supplemented a triangulation ot square-section tubular members abaft the spar, and torsion was relieved by V lift struts attached to the robust root end of the rec- tangular section, extruded hairpin cantilever under- carriage. Critics regarded it as a daring innovation, but the only failure on test (at the weak point) occurred when a Continental test pilot, misled by the steep slope on the north side of Yeovil airfield, stalled heavily on one leg—which snapped. The aircraft did not crash but made another circuit for a single wheel landing without great damage. Perhaps it was sheer politeness that prompted the French to order one Lysander. To ensure sale stall behaviour, albeit with high rate of descent, it was necessary to adjust outboard and inboard leading edge slats (precisely so that the outer opened first. ‘This was achieved by varying the “venting” where the slat trailing edge rested on the wing leading edge, but even then they opened with a slight jerk, and a quick change of longitudinal trim followed because the inner slats were interconnected with the flaps and drew them down. As the nose dropped, the slats closed and another change of trim followed, Pilots sometimes found this difficult as, they tended to glide at the speed at which the slats Kept opening and shutting—with resulting undulating approach. It was better to trust the fully open slots, sliding on the slow side, and rumble in, ‘A favourite trick to demonstrate the Lysander's quick take-off and steep climb out was to place it little more than a football pitch length in front of, but slightly to. one side of a derelict cottage on Yeovil field. ‘The aeroplane was lightly loaded, and the pilot no more than 10 stone. Came the day when a very large Turkish test pilot saw this and, in high good humour, decided to sample the trick’ himself. ‘To the horror of the onlookers the huge pilot boldly taxied to a spot the same distance from the cottage Left: K6127 asdisplayed at Hendon with Experimental Park: No.6 on fuselage. Right: K6127 with variable incidence tailplane fitted.as he had witnessed—but facing straight at it! Before anyone could stop him, he opened up the engine and charged. He just cleared the cottage with inches to spare EARLY DEVELOPMENTS Design and construction of the first A.39/34 P.8 prototype, K6/27, was completed at Yeovil inside ‘one year of receipt of the contract. First taxiing trials were undertaken at the Company airfield on 10th June 1936 and during the next five days the aircraft was moved to the R.A.F. airfield at Boscombe Down for its first flight on 15th June, during which it returned to Yeovil. In its initial flight configuration the aircraft was fitted with a fixed-pitch wooden two-blade propeller and was without cowling gills; nor was the undercarriage fully faired, nor armament fitted. On 29th June, after minor modifications to servos and mass balance and completion of the undercarriage fairing, K6127 was flown to Hatfield for the S.B.A.C. Display, and on 24th July went to the A. & AEE at Martlesham Heath for a week’s preliminary handling evaluation before returning to Yeovil. Early flying was with fixed tailplane, despite a nose-down trim change with slots open and flaps down which was greater than tunnel tests had indicated. At maximum level speed the machine was longi- tudinally unstable. Increased tailplane area we necessary but this aggravated trim problems on the glide and landing. The tailplane was then made trimmable to a large negative angle but this intro- duced a new problem during overshoot for as the engine was opened up the aircraft nosed up before sufficient negative tail incidence could be wound off by hand. It was not considered expedient to spend further time correcting this condition owing to the K6127 with stub wings fitted and pilot's siep moved aft of mainvheel urgency of production—which had already: started—and the A. & A.EE. concurred that an adequate remedy would be to instruct pilots to use only partial power ina baulked landing until the tail had been re-trimmed. Further modifications conti ued on K6/27, perhaps least noticeable of which was the con- stant re-location of the pilot’s steps on the port wheel spat. Much later this prototype was brought up to full production standard with the addition of wheelspat-mounted guns, gun- sight and rear cockpit Lewis gun. ‘On 11th December 1936 the second Lysander prototype, K6128, was flown, but as the majority of mandatory manufacturers’ trials had been completed on K6127, this aircraft spent much of its time at Martlesham and was in 1938 shipped out to India where it underwent tropical and field trials with No. 5 Squadron at Miramshah, later returning through the Middle East. It was during diving trials at Martlesham that the lightweight wing fabric started to tear away and, with almost all the top surface missing and much of the lower, the pilot managed to retain control and make a successful though fast landing—to merit a well-earned Air Force Cross. INTO SERVICE AND INTO ACTION Just two years after the prototype’s first flight the Lysander was ready for service. In June 1938 No. 16 (Army Co-operation) Squadron received its first new aircraft; commanded by Sadn. Ldr. T. Humble, this, Squadron was chosen principally because, based at Old Sarum, the School of Army Co-operation could draw upon the Squadron pilots to provide instruction (on the new aircraft. By the time of Munich No. 16 had become fully operational and command passed to Sqdn. Ldr. G. P. Charles, and with unconscious irony an Air Staff instruction warned the Squadron to regard itself as’a fighter squadron! However perhaps an immediate realisation of the Lysander’s shortcomings in this rle prompted the Squadron's omission from the strength of Fighter ‘Command, and during 1939 exercises with the army ‘on Salisbury Plain continued to occupy No. 16 Squadron's efforts. Production of Mark I Lysanders continued into 1939 and amounted to 66 aircraft for the R.A.F, fourteen of these had been issued to No. 16, followed Left: K6127 in production form with rear gun armament and service radio fitted. Right: Full production standard prototype K6128: note differences in rear cockpit hood. (All photos by courtesy of Westland Aireraft Ltd., Neg. Nos. 5165, 5177, 217, $223, 5272 and 5579)First production Lysander 1, 18673. (Photo: Westland Aireraft Ltd. ‘Neg. No. 5670) by nine to the School of Army Co-operation. No. 13 (AC) Squadron started to dispose of is Hawker Hectors in January and on 23rd of the month the first Lysanders arrived at Odiham? working up continued under the leadership of Sqdn, Lar. S.C. H. Gray, and in April the Squadron ‘moved to Duxford—with it a young pilot, Fg. Off. R. C. Porteous, twenty years later to fly army Auster A.O.P. light aircraft as a Chief Test Pilot. ‘The remaining Lysander Is were issued to No. 26 Squadron at Catterick (this unit winning the Sassoon Air Photographic Competition within three months of receiving its first Lysanders) replacing Hectors, to No. 4 Squadron (commanded by Sqdn. Lar. G. P. Charles who moved from No. 16 in August 1939) at Wimbourne, and No. 2 (AC) Squadron at Hawkinge. The latter Squadron was commanded by Sadn. Lar. A. J. W. Geddes who, like most of the Army Co- operation squadron commanders of the day, had been seconded to the Royal Air Force from the Royal Artillery By the time war broke out, there were seven Lysander squadrons—Nos. 2, 4,13, 16, 26, 613 and 614, the last two of the Auxiliary Air Force. Most of the Lysander Is had been replaced in first line strength at home, their place being taken by Bristol Perseus Xll-powered Mark Ils. Many of the older aircraft had been shipped out to the Middle Fast where they finished up with No. 208 (AC) Squadron in Egypt—but of that, more later. Those first few quiet months on the Western Front found all but one of the Lysander squadrons in France, only No. 16 remaining at Old Sarum. Nos. 2 and 26 moved to Le Plessiel in October, Nos. 4 and 13 to Mons-en-Chaussée. The first winter of the War was a time of some hardship for the army co-operation units for the heavy rains prevented much fiying, and what little there was to relieve the tedium was confined to aerial photography of the British lines, an occasional surreptitious squint into Belgium, and” affiliation exercises with Gladiator fighters. With the coming of the heavy snow it was decided to disperse No. 2 Squadron to Drucat and No. 4 to Monchy Lagache: meanwhile No. 16 was moved from Old Sarum closer to France in February 1940, taking up field support duties at Lympne—a move whose wisdom was to become evident three months later. Line-up of early Lysander Is at Yeovil. Both “A” ‘The blitzkrieg fell upon the West on 10th May and upon armies only superficially trained to withstand assault from the air. True “army co-operation” air force units existed, but the Lysander squadrons were scarcely a factor’ to match the highly integrated German invasion forces. In contrast with the closely co-ordinated enemy air and armoured thrusts, aiming to turn the left flank of the Maginot Line, only hurried and ill-rehearsed actions by Blenheims and Battles were ordered as attempts to case the pressure upon the British and French armies, The attack upon Belgium had been foreseen and, according to plan, Nos. 2 and 4 Squadrons moved forward to Lille-Ronchin, leaving the other Lysanders to carry out reconnaissance and gun spotting for the B.E.F. Having regard for the large numbers of enemy fighters operating close up to the battle lines, the Lysander crews flew in constant danger and it was hardly surprising that casualties mounted quickly. ‘As No. 4 Squadron Lysanders flew into Belgium, one of them, flown by Plt, Off. Langley, was attacked by six Bf 110s and in the running fight the gunner, L.A.C. Gillham, shot down one of the powerful adversaries before escaping at very low level. But the Squadron was decimated, losing nine crews and eleven aircraft in 106 sorties over the battle line between 10th and 23rd May. Some of the Lysanders were destroyed on the ground in a raid on Clairmarais, and only five crews and aircraft returned to Ringway on the 25th, ‘No. 2 Squadron went forward into Belgium with seventeen Lysanders and, so as to provide the widest cover for the B.E.F., dispersed about three aircraft to each of the airfields at Abbeville, Bethune, Roncq, Lille and Brussels. Plt, Off. C. H. Dearden, in Lysander KO-N was attacked by nine Bf 109Es over Cambrai and survived a twenty-minute running battle all the way back to Douai where 32 holes were counted in his fuel tank! However his gunner, ‘A.C. Patterson, had to set fire to the aireraft to prevent it from falling imo enemy hands. Over Merville and “B” camouflage schemes are visible, (Photo: Westland Aircraft Ltd., Neg. No. 5864)Fe, Off. Doidge in KO-U shot down a Henschel Hs 126 with his front guns while his gunner put paid to a Ju 87 with the rear gun at 1700 hrs. on 22nd May. No. 2 Squadron withdrew from the mainland to Bekesbourne in Kent with twelve aircraft but con- tinued to lend support to the heavily pressed British and French armies falling back on the sea. At 6 p. on 25th May Plt. Off. Scotter and L.A.C. Evans in KO-X were set on by fifteen Bf 109Es near Boulogne but managed to escape and land at Hawkinge with considerable cannon fire damage to the cockpit, undercarriage, fuel tank and port wing. Two days later, in answer to urgent calls for help, eight Lysanders took’ off to drop supplies to the defenders of Calais, and fifteen containers of small arms and anti-tank ammunition were successfully dropped on the Citadel garrison in the face of tremendous machine gun fire from the German forces. By the time of the Dunkirk evacuation the Squadron had scarcely a serviceable Lysander left. (On another occasion a composite supply sortie carried out by sixteen Lysanders and Hectors over Calais resulted in the loss of fourteen aircraft and crews.) OF the other Lysander squadrons, No. 16 was perhaps as much in the battle as No. 2.’ It isnot quite clear from existing records just when No. 16 went to France after it had moved to Lympne, ‘but shortly after the German attack on 10th May, it was heavily committed on close reconnaissance over the B.E.F. in the area of St. Quentin. Several Lysanders were destroyed on the ground while refuelling, and 14796 ‘was missing from a recce sortie on 17th May; two days later a flight of five Lysanders was caught at medium altitude by cnemy fighters and lost two of its number. Owing to the heavy casualties suffered by other squadrons, it was decided to withdraw No. 16 to Lympne while it was still intact, and, with No. 2 Squadron, flew to Calais to drop supplies on the beleaguered garrison. (On the way home one Lysander, P1720, was attacked by Spitfires; although the gunner was killed, the pilot managed to bring his aircraft home.) ‘The sixteen surviving Lysanders carried out countless bombing sorties; one memorable raid caught a large enemy motor convoy near Cambra the 40 Ib. G.P. bombs probably proving entirely adequate against the soft-skinned vehicles. No. 16 had its share of victories; Fe. Off. Weston Burt vith Cpl. Barlow in £4806 shot down an Hs 126 over St. Quentin on 18th May, and Plt, Of, Dexter and A.C. Webb, in L4793, cach claimed Bf 109Es in a 35 minute fight over Arras on 2ist May. ‘THE COST OF FRANCE, AND AFTER From an examination of surviving records it seems that a total of 174 Lysanders went to France between September 1939 and May 1940. Of these eighty-eight are known to have been lost in air combat, almost all ‘of them during the Battle of France. "A further thirty were destroyed on the ground either by the enemy or because of insufficient fuel to fly them home. Between them the seven squadrons lost about 120 ‘crew members and brought back about fifty aircraft. The price of “army co-operation” had been high indeed. As Britain’s army dispersed throughout the United Kingdom to lick its wounds after Dunkirk, most of the Lysander squadrons were withdrawn to the north and west while the General and Air Staffs indulged in some fundamental re-thinking Despite the limited use by the Germans of the Some invimate Lysander deiails. Top: The primary fuselage Siructure (Westland Neg. No. 5660); Second photo: The linclothed, second prototype (Ministry of Defence Neg. No. RODSE): Third phota: Close-up of rear cockpit. and. singhe Lewis gun, mounting (Ministry of Defence Neg. No, 89041); Bottom: Cockpit layout; notice on extreme left states: Warning Bombs on rear carrter: switches Nos. 11, 12, 13, 14 must not be released with message hook down On the extreme right can Ihe seen the Morse hey and a push bution marked “Gunner's Attention” (Ministry of Derence Neg. No. 8866))Tropical trials were carried out with the second prototype K6128, seen here with Wapitis of No. 5 Squadron, Miramshah in Northern similarly-conceived Henschel Hs 126, the real lesson in army co-operation lay in the tactical use of sup- porting fighters and light bombers. Certainly in the face of enemy fighters the Lysander was something of a sitting duck unless heavily escorted, despite the occasional victories claimed by its crews. However the change in the Lysander’s réle was probably prompted and spurred on by the opening of the Battleof Britain. No.26 Squadron was, however, lef_at West Malling, kept busy throughout that eventful Summer surveying possible enemy landing grounds ‘in the expected invasion, until on 18th August three Lysanders were destroyed in a bombing raid on the airfield. Shortly afterwards the Squadron moved to Gatwick to perform the lowly tasks of ack-ack calibration and balloon spotting until, early in. 1941, American Tomahawks started to replace the Lysander Ils. ‘Nos. 13 and 16 Squadrons, withdrawn to Hooton Park and Western Zoyland respectively after Dunkirk, sent detachments to coastal airfields during the Battle and commenced air-sea rescue duties, searching for and dropping dinghies to ditched pilots. A dozen other Lysander squadrons and flights were formed in 1940 and 1941 to carry out this monotonous but vital task; countless Allied aircrew members owe their lives to the appearance of that singular, friendly~ looking Lysander with dinghy and supplies suspended from the stub wings. ‘Only No. 4 Squadron can be said to have actively continued in the traditional rdle of army co-opera ion. Moved to Linton-on-Ouse on 10th June 1940, the Squadron was called on to provide ground forces on training manoeuvres with tactical reconnaissance and light bombing support. By the end of the year No. 4 had moved to Clifton, and thereafter for nearly eighteen months worked in conjunction with the Ilth Armoured Division; not until June 1942 did the old Lysanders give place to Tomahawks. De eet th Kay caferd ei eaen loes ihre pressure in French winter surroundings of 1939-40) can be lonified as LAT67, seen here at Monseen-Chaussee (Photo: ‘War Muscum, Neg. No. C519) (Photo: via Harald Penrose) BACK TO FRANCE WITH STEALTH If anything could be more dramatic than the sight of Westland Lysanders and Hawker Hector biplanes, dropping supplies on the Calais Citadel in May 1940, it was the way in which the Lysander crept back to France eighteen months later. Shortly after the fall of France a secret organisation, the Special Operations Executive, was set up in England to maintain contact with and encourage loyal patriots in enemy-occupied Europe. A year Jater, in August 1941 a new Squadron, No. 138 (Special Duties), was formed at Newmarket—itself an enigmatic “airfield” from which prototype Meteor jet fighters performed some of their early test flights. Even. twenty-five years later very little has been released for publishing about the clandestine aetivities ‘of No, 138 and its later partner, No. 161 (SD) Squadron. No. 138 Squadron was initially equipped with Hudsons, Whitleys and Lysander Ills, these being joined soon after by Halifaxes. The Squadrons’ duty was to maintain contact with partisan forces in France, dropping supplies of ammunition and explosives by night and occasionally delivering saboteurs to France under the very noses of the jermans, Sometimes it was necessary to rescue a wanted” man, or to bring a Resistance leader back to London for briefing. On other occasions, shot-down Allied airmen who had been sheltered from the enemy by the French would return in_Lysanders that had delivered other passengers to France. ‘Always it was the Lysanders that performed the actual landings by night for the tractable, slow flying and short landing performance was in a. class of its, own, The Hudsons, Whitleys and Halifaxes were used to drop supplies and the occasional agent by parachute. Flying from Newmarket—and later from that most secret of all airfields, Tempsford—the Lysanders staged at Tangmere, Lympne or Hawkinge to refuel, and then set off soon after dusk to a doubt- ful rendezvous in France, the landing ground often Lysanders of No. 208 (AC) Squadron wearing exercise markings Tite in 1939. (Photo: via G. J. Goulding)Six Lysanders were shipped out to Karachi late in 1944 where tics ere aeed a he Ho ease ard on Miner Tes mere ued Yor een dropping operations with tee SVE Anny and carried a spider motif in the centre of the fuselage rountel. “The C0. Sqdn. Ldr- Turner (ex-S.0-E. pilot) flew the’ aircraft “C%, V9389, shown here, and carried a X1Vth ‘army insignia on, a scarlet rectangle’ immediately below the iwindvoreen. By the end of the war one af these Lysander Ii (S'D)s had been fost, one was flown back 10 India by the C. and the remainder were simply taxied tno the swamps, identified by three small torches held by Resistance fighters. As the winter of 1941-42 passed, it was clear that if Lysanders were to penetrate further into France they must be provided with longer range. The Lysander IIIA (normally armed with twin rear guns) was developed to cater for the requirements of the two S.D. squadrons, and a large fuel tank was added under the fuselage. A ladder was attached to the port side of the rear cockpit to enable the occupant to enter or leave without delays, and for night visibility the rungs were picked out in fluorescent paint; otherwise the “Joe-carrying” Lizzies usually went about their nefarious labours in a coat of matt black. Several of the members of these Squadrons have been named, but few of the passengers’ names will ever be published. Wing Commander Fielden (later Air Vice-Marshal Sir Edward Fielden, x.c.v.0., C.8. D.F.C., A.F.C.) commanded No. 161 and later R.A. Tempsiord, and Sqdn. Ldr. F. E. Ryn D.rM. was a C.O. of No. 138 Squadron. Between August 1941 and the end of 1944, some- thing like four hundred sorties were carried out by the two squadrons based at Tempsford, No. 161 per- forming one hundred and eleven successful trips out of 157. 293 agents and other “passengers” were delivered into France,and more than 500 brought back. Every sortie carried out was fraught with extra ordinary danger, for there was no kuowing who would be holding those three vital torches, and the Lysander presented an easy target once it came to rest ‘on unfriendly territory. On at least one occasion the Germans were waiting: as the aircraft came to a standstill a searchlight snapped on and machine guns opened fire. The pilot, Sqdn. Ldr. Conroy, rammed open the throttle and struggled to take off—stemming the flow of blood from a neck wound with one hand. Brushing through the trees at the edge of the field, Conroy brought his bullet-riddled aircraft all the way home to Tempsford—an astonishing feat of. single- handed flying, not to mention the night navigation, The operations were unsung dramas, but at least fone passenger's name has since attained fame—for M. Vincent Auriol was later to become President of the French Republic. And after the War, to com- memorate those clandestine, heroic activities, a single rather shabby black Lysander IITA, 9614, was presented by Britain for display in the Free French Memorial. A Lysander 1M of No. 2 (AC) Squadron, 7 Jor and engaged tn army co-operation dies ‘aircraft was later converted for farget towing. (Photo! Imperial War Museum, Neg. No. CH2639) 32, still equipped 194i. This Among the air-sea rescue squadrons equipped with Lysanders was Now 277: aircraft BA+E, VST, Ts seen here with dinghy con tainerson Stud wings and smoke floais on the rear fuselage racks (Photo! Imperial War Museum, Neg. No, CH7S71) Lysander IAs flying over Madagascar: it is believed that these Belonged to a Free French Air Foree Squadron. (Photo: Imperial War Museum, Neg. No. MAD286) Close-up of the tein Browning gum installation in the Lysander TL; ammunition belt boxes replace the F7-round drums. sed ‘on the Lewis guns. (Photo: via G. J. Goulding)Prototype Lysander 1 (Long Range), T1771 une 1941 at the A. & AEE, Boscombe ‘A photo taken in Down. These trials ‘were the first manifestation of the demand for greater range in the Lysanders to be nsed by the Special Duties squadrons (Photo: Imperial War Museum, Neg. No. MH3531) i ‘The penultimate production Lysander T-TAHA, 9S. (Photo! Imperial War Muscum, Neg. No. MHSS28) LYSANDERS IN THE EAST ‘The results of the second prototype Lysander’s trials in India and the Middle East were that very carly production Mark Is were earmarked for overseas, shipment from the outset of production. The result was that all the early aircraft arrived in Egypt without, carburettor filters so that no sooner than the second, shipment had arrived that they had to be used as replacements for the first! First to receive the Lysander in the Middle East was No. 208 (AC) Squadron in mid-1939 based at Qasaba. By the outbreak of war with Italy on 10th/ Tith June 1940, 208 Squadron (commanded by Sadn. Ldr. R. Sprague) had thirteen Mark Is and took ‘up its position at Sidi Barrani on the com- mencement of hostilities. The yery first operational sortie of the theatre was a frontier ‘recce near Sollum for the 7th Armoured Division by Plt. Off. Hardiman in £4677 on 11th June, but the pilot had to force land in the desert owing to shortage of fuel! Throughout the remainder of 1940 No. 208 was fully occupied in artillery spotting sorties and was constantly committed over and around Bardia towards the end of the year. With the threat to Greece, 208 moved three Hur- ricanes and nine Lysanders across the sea via Crete and by 15th April 1941 was at Phasala. Already, however, the Lufrwaffe was in control of the air situation and enforced moves were the order of the day to escape destruction on the ground and to provide the widest reconnaissance for the rapidly withdrawing land forces. For instance during a move to Kazaklar on the 16th, BF 109s shot down two Lysanders—although both crews escaped. On the 20th the Squadron withdrew to Argos, and in retiring, to Crete on the 22nd another Lysander fell to the guns of a Bf 109. (The German radio announced 10 after the fall of Greece that “No. 208 Squadron, that invaluable link between the Army and Air Fore Greece, had been destroyed and all personnel either killed, ‘seriously wounded or captured.” In fact, there were no casualties on the Squadron at all, but the three Hurricanesand three Lysandershad been iost).. By June 1941 No. 208 Squadron was established with two Hurricane Flights and one of Lysanders, but thereafter gave up the latter. No. 6 (AC) Squadron was the other front line unit to receive Lysanders early in the War. In September 1939 it had been flying an assortment of Gauntlets and Hardys on operations in Palestine. On 14th February 1940 the first two Lysanders, L683 and L6884, arrived at Ramleh, and these were followed by eleven more Guring the next month. Operations in Palestine con- tinued throughout 1940 and included blackout inspec- tion, coastal watch for illegal immigrants and general co-operation with the Palestine Police. On moving into the Western Desert when Italy entered the War, No. 6 advanced into Cyrenaica, but during the subsequent retreat was ordered to, remain at Tobruk where it continued to provide air close support over the besieged garrison. On 9th April 1941 Fg. Off. J. E. McFall, p.r.c. and Cpl. Copley destroyed Ju 2 in the air over Mechi An amusing incident occurred on 15th May 1941 when a lone Lysander pilot on patrol over the desert was swiftly passed by nine BE 109s escorting a Hen- schel Hs 126. The escort pilots failed to notice the Lysander, whose pilot promptly turned on the Henschel—which turned tail and fled! By the beginning of 1942 the Lysanders were being withdrawn from No. 6 as the Squadron's establishment was changed to Hurricane Ils. The Lysander did not reach India for squadron service until late in 1941.* In September they arrived 271 Tras been stared elsewhere that Lysanders served on No. $ ‘Squadron before this, but no record can be found to substantiate ils. What is now known is that this Squadron was based at ‘Rsalpur in February TST with Hawker Audaxes, and that these Audaxes were converted 10. single-seat fighters. when Japan emered the War.” They ‘were subsequently handed. over (as Fighters) to No. 146 Squadron at Dinjin in February 1942. A late conversion of Lysander IIA, N9738, for Special Duties. (Photos: Westland Aireratt Ltd., Neg Nos, 6928 & 6929)Four views of the tandem wine Lysander KS127 taken in July 1941; (Photos: Westland Aircraft Ltd., Neg. Nos. 1002, H1937 and 6835, and Ministry of Defence Neg. No. 10S63F (close-up picture) ‘at Kohat for No, 28 (AC) Squadron, commanded by Sqdn. Lar. P. N. Jennings. These Lysanders partici- pated throughout the retreat in Burma, two aircraft (with home-made extra fuel tanks) operating from the Andaman Islands, despite attention by Japanese bombers. More damage however was caused to the Lysanders by their own bombs as several aircraft, operating from rough jungle patches, lost their bombs during take-off and were blown up. No. 20 (AC) Squadron, also at Kohat, received fifteen Lysanders of various vintages on 31st December 1941 and immediately moved to Secunderabad, thence to Jamshedpur and Tezpur in Assam as the Burmese situation worsened (one Lysander, P/734, was destroyed by_a direct hit by a Japanese bomb at Dinjin on 25th October 1942), No. 20's Lysanders remained in front line service and combat longer than those of any other Squadron, for they were not replaced by Hurricane IIDs until late summer of 1943, They took an active part in the relief of Imphal, ng 40-pound G.P. bombs to stampede elephants being used by the enemy for freight haulage, and providing constant dusk spotting of Japanese’ river craft and light vehicles NEVER A DULL MOMENT It is perhaps scarcely surprising that an aireraft of such singular appearance and remarkable performance as that of the Lysander should come in for more than, its share of experimentation. The following sum- marises the more interesting trials and. tribulations suffered by the desigr ‘The Tandem Wing Lysander As one of a number of anti-invasion experiments to provide a beach-strafing aireralt, the first prototype Lysander, K6/27, was provided with an entirely new rear fuselage, shortened to terminate in a power- operated four-gun Boulton-Paul turret (only a mock- up was ever carried), and supporting a wide-span tandem wing with large twin fins and rudders. Project design was undertaken at Yeovil ear! but detail work and construction was transi Harringtons, a coach-builder at Hove. Initial flying was carried out by Harald Penrose who reported that despite considerable aft movement of the c.g. the aircraft handled extremely well. ‘The Pregnant Perch Another anti-invasion experiment was the modification of 4673 to include a ventral gun position (also for beach-strafing). As suggested by its soubriquet, the resulting appearance was grotesque, but the experiment was in fact terminated when £4673’ suffered an engine failure, the pilot, George Snarey, escaping unhurt after a difficult uphill crash landing under high tension wires. Midships Gun Turret Yet another attempt to provide extra firepower was a mock-up installation of a four-gun power-operated turret immediately aft of the wing. As it was con- sidered that the wing so restricted the field of fire, _An unarmed, tropicatised Lysander 1, P9191, at Kabrit, Eeypty in 1942. (Photo: via R. C. B. Ashworth) this installation is believed not to have flown befor Blackburn-Steiger High Lift Wing For applied research purposes only, P9105 was fitted with a parallel-chord, reduced-span wing by Blackburns. Full- span flapsand slats were fitted and iateral control was achieved using wing-tip spoilers, Designed about a single main spar, the wing was swept forward 9 degrees and spanned only 38 feet. Undercarriage Experiments One Lysander was set aside for tests covering opera- tion from difficult landing strips. In one series of trials Dowty fitted castoring mainwheels which enabled the Lysander to complete a landing, facing into wind on an out-of-wind strip! Another installa- tion was the fitting of a caterpillar track landing gear for use on rough strips. Cannon-armed Lysander Very early in the War, the Lysander prototype, K6127, was armed with two Oerlikon 20-mm. guns fitted above the wheel fairings to fire just clear of the airscrew arc. This was officially sponsored for use against invasion barges, but was not proceeded with after mid-1940. Brakes ‘One Lysander was equipped with mounted bench-type airbrakes; it seems likely that these were fitted more as an aerodynamic experiment than with any particular operational benefit in mind. LYSANDERS WITH OTHER AIR FORCES Apart from the single French Lysander already mentioned, thirty-six Mark Is were supplied to the Turkish Air Force in 1939, and six to the Irish Air Corps the same year. Egypt received a total of twenty Lysanders, of which eighteen (500-317) were newly-built Mark Is, an ex-Air Ministry Mark I (R2650, which became ¥518) and a Mark III (R9000 whose subsequent identity is unknown). ‘These aircraft served with No. | (Army Co-operation) Squadron, R.E.A.F. based at Almaza between 1940 and 1943, thereafter being relegated to target-towing duties with the same unit. The Lysanders (believed to number nine in all LYH4-LY122), ordered by Finland present some- thing of an enigma. ‘These Mark I aircraft were The end of the Pregnant Perch, LA673 Hhoto: via Hi ald Penrose) ferried from Yeovil by R.A.F. pilots during the summer of 1939, but as far as can be discovered never featured in the active strength returns of the Imavoimat. The aircraft were scheduled to replace Fokker C.Vs of Leniorykmeniti_1, but there are sug- gestions that seven aircraft suffered forced landings during delivery and that only two aircraft had reached land when Russia attacked on 30th November The sole French Lysander at Yeovil. (Photo: via Harald Penrose) A Turkish Lysander. (Photo: Westland Aircraft Ltd., Neg. No. 1031) The cannonsarmed Lysander prototype, K6127. ‘Photo: Harald Penrose) a ¥Although apparently. not featured on the combat strength, this Finnish’ Lysander L1G in Continuation. War. colour scheme, served on Tielv.16. (Photo: courtesy of Christopher Shores) Undoubtedly the Royal Canadian Air Force flew more Lysanders than any other Air Force overseas, and following the delivery of a pattern Mark II, R2047, in January 1940, seventy-five Mark IIs and 150 Mark IIIs were built under licence by the National Steel Car Corporation Ltd., of Hamilton, Ontario. Apart from a very small number shipped to Britain in 1940 for service with R.C.A.F. squadrons, the great majority of Canadian Lysanders were retained in Canada for target-towing and communications duties. Apart from large numbers of R.A.F. Lysanders shipped out to No. 2 S.F.T'S. at Pretoria and others to the S.A.A.F., and Free French Air Forces, Portugal was the only other nation to purchase these aircraft for active service, and eight were shipped to Lisbon aboard ss. Cumberland in September 1943. There Lysander IITAs, ¥9506, V9583 and V9741, were allocated to the US. ‘Army Air Force, it is believed for evaluation purposes By the end of the War the Lysander was a rarity— except in Canada where relatively large numbers persisted until the carly ‘fifties, and even in the ixties several are known to exist, though probably these are not airworthy. Truly it could be said that the Lysander had been a maid of all works—and a master of many! The Lysander fitted with bench-type airbrakes. (Photo: via Harald Penrose) The Blackburn-Steiger wing on ‘Lysander P9105, (Photo: Imperial War Museum, ‘Neg. No. MH3536), PRODUCTION SUMMARY WessandP.Bysanderprototypes Specification AiS9/34. Two prototypes, Kota? Gat flown 436/30) and R128 (arse flown 11/1236). Kraze 2teor boing broughe peo production Etandard, wae experimentally feed with wo. On Ocriton guna.on the underearage Jn 340, and later moaned wich ei (Sammy) turret and de Lanne eander wing, KOI to Middle Ease and India for’ Sropia! trials, 1936-39, Westland tyzande | (Specineation A363). 465 nireraté‘with 390 hp, Bristol Tiereury Kil “engines” 4673-1478," Pioosb 1899, esr STS nal, mah, R650 8 Royal Eqyptian Air Force. Converted to) ‘True: RIS72, R2S7S, A2578, R2SBI, HESar, ROSER, R258, RaSPT, 2509, Aase4, R2597; A296, R262, R269. Converted to TT ls: Place, P1668, Piao, Pasar, pisos, R2ast, Rzas2 ‘Westford ysomder Il, 442 aicrae with 905 hp. Gristol Perseus XI engines Lapp Laer, Lebay-tcaba,j200-N1227" Rivo-N10¥6, Ni2B9°NI390, PIpst-o1748. Pe0si-P9080, psoRs-Pv140, 9176-919, ‘RI9E7-R200 AL02S-RIOEP: also S101-3196 of the, Turkish Air Force, Gf-s0 of the [ah Ale Corsa,'and “Of of PArmée de Air. 4798, Lagi, M1208, NitvS, Miso, Pir 12, M1735. P1736, 91798, P9089, P9OTR, P9102, Pv103 Poison, bree, 036, H2077, RiD%0, Ross, AzD4S, RZOAe transferred fo the Free French Forces’ PO108 feted with Slackourn-Selgee hight Sings Modified to Fils: (ater, Ni2a9. M1920, 9099, RII. “Con: Verded to Ttils: Niz0m, Nisa0, P1718: PoT09. PATIO. PettT. PTT BSG his atin Po 1g, ae, Pr, P9190, F147 Westland tysander 17 (canada licence-bllt), 75 alcrafe wish 905 hp Bristol Perteus ll engines. 416-990 (438-440 beeame DGHS-DGH), Westford tysander i 108 sirerate with $70 hp. Bristal Mercury XX nines, RSPETCRG030, RGOSSAAVO7S, ROTOD-ROTIS. ROPPI-ABDIO co Finland 9000 vo Exype, Westend Upeander M250 siverafe wih 870 tp. Beistol Mercury XX Snaines T{423-11470, Tis0}-1 1835, 11548-11390, Theto-Ttass, Tia7o= Tihow Tsras-ti77%. Converted to Toles T1448, 11439, T1483, T1436, TH458, Trae, T4533, T1594, T1511, T1583, Teta, THeas, Theze, Tass Tada, He7e-Ti079, 11688" 1692, T1699. Ta74e: T1750, T1732, T1783 To Admitaly charge” T1570 a» TTI; T1739 used for BOAG. crew Watdlond brsander If, 17 alrerae buile by Westland (Doncaster) Led Wabas"ivehts, Werss_Weta0. A further 489 aireate between W675 and WE9%8, and between W761 and WI241 ware cancelled Wesland tyonder il (Canadien icence-buile) 150 airerafe with 870 hp. Brisol Mercury 30 enginen” 2305-2454 Wetdland lysonder IA Sa? airerafe with 87D bp. Bristol Mercury 30 einen, Y9480-19329. V9347=VOIa6, VO401 AV 9450) V9472, 9028, RPO29, 8907S, ROOTS, F100, RPV18; Clifton, 84 Vo426, VO(Z7, V9438. 79440, 19449, VO558, W506, V9676; tse Lysincers on serngeh, 6/42" T1809, 9485, VOSE7. Na. (AC) Sade. artic, Palestine, 1940: Ls874-16676, 8877 (chee sown yA cs Maddalena 1419/40) La87e Lege, Cone (cashes 11/440), das, Lseés, Leas, Léaas (ersheg, 3/6/40) coastal reece 14/40: L4725 armoured) wacchon liegslimm grants (2/40; P9789 10ng ange tanka): seize of Tobrule 1941" 14739, MISO? P1670, P1749, Nos"13 (AC) Sean, Odiham and” Mons-en-Chausase. Prnce, 1939: Ta758-l4760, C476i-14e8, L47H, LAT72, List2, NIZIS, NiZZ0. NIZ23, 1260; Warmovll aires rexcuey 940. 73433, T1836 T9620, 11021 No. 16 (AC) Sad. Old Sarum anid Lympne, 193840: 14703 (P'O Dexter Gnd AC. Webb destroyed two Bf 109Es, Arras 21/5/40) L#794, 1795, Thige Goissing in Se,"Quentin ren, 17/540), 14798, Leeor 4808, [4806 (FIG Weston-Bure and” Cpl Barlow destroyed Hs 126, Se ‘Guencin, 15/40) L4a13. rises, Préss, P1720 (atacked by Spities, 218/40" gunner ited but aiveraierecurhed home): Western Zoylind igen rescue, 10/40: P9110, AGO! SOTO, ABOVE, ROOTS, ROOSD, TOT, TSsH T1585, T1705, 8/411 'V9296 (euccesful rescue of S-man WWhiICy Grew, Roborsugh, 30/4/41), 17356. 19581 Ng, 20'(AG} Sedn.” Secunderabad, Jamshedpur and Tezpur, India, 1/2: are, Lt5, Cede. NT217 terashed. 27/442). N1270, NisT2, NIST, ‘906, 69076, P9107, R99 (crsahed, 19/9/42), Ra026; Ding, 10/4 Pi734 (destroyed by Japanese bombers, 25 10,2). Na, 26 (AC) Sarin. Cattorick. Yorke. and La Plestie, France, 9.10/39 Larro,Lar7, LA773-La778, La7ez, Loess, M1202, i203, NI2TS, NI290: eturned from Dieppe to. Lympne, 440: Laat (missing. 1/6/40). Cara taras, Nia75. Riztt (missing, 46/40), 1253 missing 1/6/40), 191074 West Falling, 9 40: 4770 LaF 14700. i714, P9087, PUIOH P9132, R202, R200, RAGSP: Mi267 Crashed 2718 40);" Gaewick, 9/40-2/44 ‘9060, Rvids, id8, 71429 (earner tus). 71490, Thar, Trea No 116 (Calibration) Sadn., Hatfield and Hendon, Toutes: La77e (194 leaped by No. 268 Sean.) POI 11528 (hom Nov 2 Sada), 13463. T1S85. read, T1451, Tesn. T9672, PovecTia79, T1701 1104-11706: No. 268 (AC) San. Qasabs. Egy 6/40: L4477 (fs: squadron sortie of war flows by F/O Hardiman). Laas, Lead, L468. L1GhO, ChprteLartay tart? 4719, 14724, (9726, LADS, L473H: Sl Barron 61 P9124,AIL six Irish Air Corps Lysanders lined up at Yeovil. ‘Other RAF, Squadrons: No. 89 Sadn., 10/41: ¥9349: No, 161 (Special ‘Duties SadnTangmere and Tempeiord: RO106 (12/42), v9353 (7/2) W375 (Bi, V9408 mining 33/ $4) No 228 Sadn 9/40: FOOTE, No.2 Sedn-\sP16?3 (@)40). T1543 (12/43): No. 241 Sqdn A202 (3/40), Tis (12/40); No. 368 Sgan.s N1319: No, 276 Sagn: ¥9010 (12/41 No, 279 Sqdn': P1884 (4/42); No. 287 Sadn.1 P7606 (12 41)2 No. 289 Sen P9089 (iat at see 1443), P9HD4. No. 296 San, V93F6 (Giant No. 309 Polish) Sdn: Ti559 1/41), 9205 (5/42); No. 40Sadn., W232 (Photo: Westland Aircraft Ltd., Neg. No. $987) Lysander sold to Porcuga, 9/43, shipped in 2. Fore Cumberland: 9309, Wi2i, Vaan, Vo%s9, V9555, VOs74. 9708, W972 ther reat: N12T0, NIGTI NII. NI31? (School of Army Co-opars Mon): Betts (becuine RICA. 47” No. 112'Sadn, RCA. 1/30) N30 (No. 6 AACCU. 14a); N1z{0 Rio, 1499 Fle 2 No. 1630 Fic, 91431 No. $96 Sadn., 12/43): Pv07s, Pyis, Poist, P9ica, R203% {Usinslerred to Free fretch Air Force, 1/42); Voat4 (presened to free Franch Memoral, 1948); £4732 (oT Ml ioszatsealm ss Kole, fxsGilasgow, 36) 90): ¥9514, VO6I7 (bath lose st sea Ih sa Melisirk (o)at): No $98 Sadn,, NI2I0 (12/43): No. 613 Sqdn, AA, 440 Ui752; No. 614 Sdn 3/40: LBs a in rout for Madagatear excLiverpool, 24/11/42), Lysandets transerred' to the Fst Aie Arm on Admiralty Charge, 1942: pi v9360, V2, V9st0, VISTA. © Francis K. Mason, 1967 SPECIFICATION Lysander | Lysander tt Lysander Tee 2 igh-wing strutibraced monoplane with fixed underearrage Powerplant ‘Qe, 850 hp. Bristol Mercury | One 905 hyp. Bristol Perseus [ One 670 hip. Bristol Mercury Xi'vsoinder sirccooted radial | il -cylinder aircooled radi | XX or 30 Sylinder air-cooled Aipercharged” ngive’ deiving | tupercRarged, slecvacrsive ene | radial supercharged engine dre Hedin Tpicch Dm, Solace | gine driving 14 fein pitch | ving Tt te dia" DM. Sbhde propeller BiK. Sbiade propelier, propeller. “armament z “Two fixed Browning 0.303-inch machine, guns mounied in wheal spats above the main wheels, cach with Mima tion supply S300 rounde, One fae Lewis Mics ar Mic HIE O-20S-inch machine gun on Fairey ‘mounting in rear Cockpie with eghe 97-round drome and Mi! reflector sight (Mic Il sierale had two BeQwning guns on rear mouncings Mk, MSO) and IMA(SD) had gune removed). Wich decachable scab vine bomb carrors Acces, and ering the rear fuslage racks, stxwean 201s. ME Mk. | bombs, Mic I Practice tmoke bombs or hc srerafe reconneisance fsres ould be carried. Alcermacval four ML. FITS TD bor 120m. GP. bombs, ar two 280-6. bombs, or two smoke generator canisters Supply Sroppers (Me, VB) or Dini incendiary bomb eansters Diversions i rr $0.0. 50. 010. 50.0. length So fe gin SO tc in 20fc gin, Habe Aa te in 13 te 6 in iefe ein, Wing area 200 9. 260.0 29 26009. Tlipfne span Wee Bin 1k bin ‘De cin, Win dinedrs) deacons Paegrees Tacgrees Wheel ersel 34cm 34cm 31am Capacities a 95 tm. el 95 Imp. ea 95 im. ea Gi eeu) 9 mp Simp ts ‘mp: eae Walshe Empoy 4.065 pounds 4260 pounds 4.365 pounds Condes 5390 bounds 815 pounds 63318 pounds Pecfermanee ize Spoeds— Sea tevel i meb 206 mp. 209 mph, 006 You Reman Biman, Tamph 19,000 feet e Remon, Bompm 2 mph. 45,000 fest Haman Damen 19m tpi sped aA Ui Sama soma Sema 34 minutes 3:3 minuces 44 minutes i 63 minutes 29 minucer 3.0 minutes 119 minuces As'minuces $39 'minuces : 205 minucer 197 minucer 3B miner service Coling "6,000 fer 136,000 eee 71,500 Toot ‘Tekeof run 0 SO feet 780 yates, DiS yards 368 yards nding un from 50 feet Boyar 350 fara fo yards ‘izcllneous Equipment Roux clecric warter. Selfacling fuel tank between cockpits, Dowty inernaliyaprung wheels with Dunlop pneumatic brakes, Dunlap feta talwhecl Two 780:\tr@ oxygen bottles Tor crew members ‘Tarnot eine hod eleetriealy-driven eripe-drum winch mounted above fel nk PRINTED IN ENGLAND © Profile Publications Ltd., P.O. Box 26, 1a North Street, Leatherhead, Surrey, England by George Falkner & Sons Ltd, for MeCorquodale City Printing Division, London. | U.S. 2nd Class Malling Rates applied for. Profile Publications Ltd, ig a member of the Norprint Division of the Norcros Group with world distribution network, retaining all rights in all languages. North American Import Agency rights delegated to VJ.W.C. Aeronautica, 7300 Clybourn Avenu Sun Valley, California 91952; North American Distributive Agency rights vested in the National Aerospace Education Counc! 616 Shoreham Building, 806 1Sth Street N.W., Washington D.C. 20005. 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