Westland Wagtail
Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1918 · fighter
The Westland Wagtail was a prototype British fighter of the First World War, a single-engined tractor biplane. It failed because of the unreliability of its engine.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 5.77 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Small single-bay tractor biplane of wood and fabric
- Large cut-out in the upper wing centre section to improve the pilot's view
- Two Vickers machine guns mounted over the nose
Look for a small biplane fighter with an ABC Wasp radial engine and two guns over the nose.
Specifications
- The Westland Wagtail has a length of 5.77 m (19 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.06 m (23 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 201 km/h (125 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Westland designed it in 1917 to Royal Air Force Specification IA for a light fighter with better performance than the Sopwith Camel. The first to fly, C4291, flew in April 1918.
Variants
Five were built from an order for six prototypes placed in February 1918, although the last two were later cancelled. The first airframe was used for structural tests and never flew.
Where you'll see it
The Wasp engine was officially abandoned in October 1918. Handling was good and it proved the best of the three Wasp-engined fighters tested, but it was not adopted. Two more were ordered in 1920 as testbeds for the Armstrong Siddeley Lynx and were used until August 1922.
Related aircraft
- Westland Weasel
- Westland Limousine
- Westland N.1B
- Westland Walrus
- Adamoli-Cattani Fighter
- AEG DJ.I
- AEG J.II
- Albatros C.XIV
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