Western Wyvern

[CHUCK79]

I've had this one for a while, but she's always good for a challenging carrier landing 8-)
http://flyingstations.com/wyvern.html

This plane is one of the harder aircraft to land on a carrier in my opinion......

After a long weekend playin' in the sun......it's time to go home


Lining up.......


The landing was semi successful. After 2 go 'rounds I caught the wires, but my speed was too high, so the props hit the deck as I got yanked to a stop

All stowed up and shut down

I know this aircraft shouldn't be landing on this carrier, but I'm in the process of rebuilding my AI Carriers fleet. So
Thanks 4 looking

[andy190]

Great shots Chuck.

[Flying Trucker]

Nice set Chuck...

[Club508]

Nice shots!  I love the first one!  I thought it was edited extremely well until I took a good look, and, low and behold, Earth to Unedited!

So does that thing have contra-rotating props or is that just a bad effect of your propeller hit in that last shot?

[todayshorse]

" Production Wyverns were powered by a turboprop engine driving large and distinctive contra-rotating propellers...."

And alarmingly....

"All Wyverns were withdrawn from service by 1958: while in service and testing there were 68 accidents, 39 were lost and there were 13 fatalities; including two RAF pilots and one USN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"

Looks like they only built about 120 odd..... :-?

[C]

" Production Wyverns were powered by a turboprop engine driving large and distinctive contra-rotating propellers...."

And alarmingly....

"All Wyverns were withdrawn from service by 1958: while in service and testing there were 68 accidents, 39 were lost and there were 13 fatalities; including two RAF pilots and one USN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"

Looks like they only built about 120 odd..... :-?

39/120 isn't a great stat, but isn't the worst either - bearing in mind that figure includes write-offs/reduction to spares as well as those lost in crashes (over a 12 year period from first flight to retirement). The turbo contra prop was pretty special - we loved it so much we did it again with the Gannet, except the Gannet was powered by two engines stuck together.

As for the withdrawal in 1958 - that was about the time that the Fleet Air Arm was beginning to become an (almost) entirely jet front line force (we used to have proper aircraft carriers in those days with cats and traps, before we went all VTOL/STOVL), with the introduction of the Supermarine Scimitar, DH Sea Vixen, and then the Buccaneer in the early 60s. Sadly none of the production models exist, as they were of the age, and not particularly notable, that they ended up on fire dumps in the 60s and 70s and were burned into extinction.

PS - it's Westland not Western (as in Agusta Westland - successful bidders in the US presidential helicopter competition... ...until someone mentioned that it would have parts made by Brits and Italians, and we're obviously all terrorists! They changed their mind after that!)

PPS - love the shot down in the weeds

[CHUCK79]

Thanks guys 8-)

@C....Ha! Good catch on my illiteracy

I've already suffered the embarassment of mis-quoting the proper name to begin with, so I think I'll just let it ride instead of fixing it

[mfaulisi]

Awesome set I love the first one, the colors flow nicely with the aircraft.

[Hagar]

" Production Wyverns were powered by a turboprop engine driving large and distinctive contra-rotating propellers...."

And alarmingly....

"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"

Looks like they only built about 120 odd..... :-?

39/120 isn't a great stat, but isn't the worst either - bearing in mind that figure includes write-offs/reduction to spares as well as those lost in crashes (over a 12 year period from first flight to retirement).

I found an interesting article on the Wyvern here --> http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%200774.html

It could hardly be described as successful & suffered a lot of teething problems which I don't think were ever completely resolved. Some squadrons were based at RNAS Ford near where I live & they were a familiar sight & sound around here at one time. I'm told that the remains of one are still buried where it crashed a few miles from the airfield. The pilot ejected but was sadly killed. http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/WestlandWyvern.htm

[C]

It could hardly be described as successful & suffered a lot of teething problems which I don't think were ever completely resolved.

Three different engines would agree with that. I think the fact that I was an unflown piston engine airframe that survived at Yeovilton sums up the affection with which it was held!

[todayshorse]

Interesting on the 'buried aircraft' slant. Im told by a few round the Lincoln area (all old enough to have known it in operation) that theres one if not several Lancasters buried around what was RAF Skellingthorpe, which is now a housing estate....some bits of the airfield are still there.... :-?

[C]

Interesting on the 'buried aircraft' slant. Im told by a few round the Lincoln area (all old enough to have known it in operation) that theres one if not several Lancasters buried around what was RAF Skellingthorpe, which is now a housing estate....some bits of the airfield are still there.... :-?

Sadly you'd upset the residents if you go looking for those.

There is a tiny bit of taxyway left in what is now a park. It has some markings on it commemorating the previous life of the land.

http://goo.gl/maps/dBfz

and an overlay of the field:

http://www.bcar.org.uk/assetts/images/Airfield%20Maps/RAF%20Skellingthorpe%20map.gif

[todayshorse]

C - Do you live round this way per chance? The area pointed out to me lies across from Skellingthorpe road, essentially the approach to the runway top right in your runway overlay. That is still fields but its probably just a 'local rumour' i suspect.

[RSorochak]

Great screens.


Rich

[C]

C - Do you live round this way per chance? The area pointed out to me lies across from Skellingthorpe road, essentially the approach to the runway top right in your runway overlay. That is still fields but its probably just a 'local rumour' i suspect.

Reasonably locally. Sadly if ever report of buried aircraft was followed up, the country would be bankrupt very quickly!

I suspect the reality is often that remains of aircraft written off were simply bulldozed into big holes. Wartime landfill essentially.