Westland Wizard

Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1927 · fighter

The Westland Wizard was Westland's first attempt at a monoplane fighter, privately funded and designed in the spare time of the company's engineers in 1926.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Thick-section wooden parasol wing mounted close to the fuselage on tandem pylons
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Thick-section wooden parasol wing mounted close to the fuselage on tandem pylons
Rolls-Royce F.XI (Kestrel) engine in a streamlined nose
Two Vickers machine guns mounted semi-externally in the fuselage sides

A high-wing parasol monoplane fighter with a tailwheel undercarriage, fast for its day, with a thick-section wing.

Specifications

The Westland Wizard has a length of 8.18 m (27 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.04 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 303 km/h (188 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It began as the Westland Racer, a parasol monoplane with a Rolls-Royce Falcon engine that flew in spring 1926 and was badly damaged in an emergency landing. It was rebuilt as a fighter with a new all-metal fuselage and a 490 hp Rolls-Royce F.XI, and the Wizard flew in November 1927.

Variants

One was built. It kept the wooden parasol wing of the Racer, and was first seen in its original Falcon-engined form.

Where you'll see it

The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment tested it at Martlesham Heath from January 1928. Its performance and climb were praised, but test pilots criticised the forward view and heavy aileron loads. It was not ordered.

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