The Woodpigeon biplane was first conceived as the Westland entry in the Air Ministry’s Light Aeroplane Competition of 1924, but was finally produced with the main object of being tested side-by-side with another Westland competitor, the Widgeon high-wing monoplane, in order to weigh the relative merits of a biplane and a monoplane with almost identical wing areas and power loadings. In the Competition and in later trials at Westland it soon became obvious that the Widgeon monoplane was much superior although, on paper, each machine should have had identical performances. In their endeavour to make a fair assessment the Westland technicians insisted on cutting a runway, with a hand-mower, through the long grass of Yeovil aerodrome, in order to get the Woodpigeon airborne. In fact it was so difficult to keep the little aeroplane in the air that it was decided to decrease the wing loading, so a second Woodpigeon, G-EBJV, was built with a large span, and the wings of the original machine, G-EBIY, were also increased to suit. Further tests in this form, and with the more powerful Anzani engine, were carried out by Major L. P. Openshaw, and in the end the Woodpigeons were flying reasonably enough to attract the interest of two private owners.

original Competition machine
Engine: 1 x 32hp Bristol Cherub
Max take-off weight: 353 kg / 778 lb
Empty weight: 199 kg / 439 lb
Wingspan: 6.93 m / 23 ft 9 in
Length: 5.94 m / 20 ft 6 in
Height: 2.15 m / 7 ft 1 in
Wing area: 14.4 sq.m / 155.00 sq ft
Max. speed: 116 km/h / 72 mph

The years following the conclusion of the First World War were notable for an official lack of attention to the needs of the fighting services. The Westland design staff was asked to produce, in 1920, a carrier-borne fleet reconnaissance biplane for the Royal Navy.
The machine required had to be, basically a D.H.9A, but was to have a 450hp Napier Lion engine in place of the 400hp Liberty motor, and to be equipped with the various items of gear as a naval aircraft.
Westland Aircraft produced thirty-six aircraft of the type demanded. The machine, which was given the name of Walrus, carried a crew of three. The pilot’s cockpit was situated immediately aft of the wing trailing edge, with a Scarff-mounted Lewis gun over the cockpit behind him. The floor of the rear fuselage was fitted with a glazed observation blister, for use in the prone position, while a radio transmitter – operated by the observer – was situated in a third cockpit, aft of the rear gunner’s position.
Features of the machine included rubber flotation bags, which could be inflated from compressed air bottles, a patent jettison valve on the main fuel tank, which allowed the petrol to be discharged in a few seconds and then, if the machine alighted on the sea, would automatically re-seal the tank into an additional flotation chamber. The aircraft had folding wings. Another special feature was the undercarriage, capable of being dropped by the pilot in the event of an emergency and fitted with a set of jaws for gripping the carrier’s deck arresting-wires. These wires ran along the length of the flight-deck and not across the beam of the ship.
The prototype Walrus, and the subsequent production machines, were flight-tested by Captain A. S. Keep, M.C., who reported the aircraft as being somewhat vicious in its behaviour. In Service use the Walrus did not shine and the type was not produced beyond the original contract number – which in those days was regarded as a big order.

Engine: 1 x 450hp Napier Lion
Wingspan: 14.06 m / 46 ft 2 in
Length: 9.14 m / 30 ft 0 in
Height: 3.52 m / 12 ft 7 in
Armament: 1 x Vickers gun, 1 x Lewis gun

To meet the requirements of Specification F.7/30 for a four-gun day and night fighter powered by the Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine using evaporative cooling, Westland schemed a parasol monoplane in continuation of the Wizard concept, but found it impossible to combine the required slow landing speed with the 402km/h maximum. An alternative biplane, the P.4, was successfully tendered, however, one prototype being ordered in 1931. With a 600hp Goshawk VIII buried in the fuselage behind the pilot, driving the propeller via a long extension shaft, this single-bay biplane featured a gulled upper wing with short inboard struts in place of the usual cabane, and a staggered lower wing of slightly shorter span. When first flown on 23 March 1934, the F.7/30 had an open cockpit, but a full canopy was soon added. Armament of four 7.7mm Vickers guns was concentrated in the nose. Construction was of metal throughout, with metal skins for the forward fuselage and engine bay, and fabric elsewhere. Ailerons were fitted to the upper wing only, this also having Handley Page slots.
Although it handled well, the F.7/30 was found deficient in performance when tested at Martlesham Heath, and no further development occurred.

Max take-off weight: 2359 kg / 5201 lb
Empty weight: 1672 kg / 3686 lb
Wingspan: 11.73 m / 39 ft 6 in
Length: 8.99 m / 30 ft 6 in
Height: 3.28 m / 11 ft 9 in
Wing area: 34.37 sq.m / 369.96 sq ft
Max. speed: 298 km/h / 185 mph

In 1931 Air Ministry Specification G.4/31 called for a General Purpose aircraft, capable of level bombing, army co-operation, dive bombing, reconnaissance, casualty evacuation and torpedo bombing. The Vickers Type 253 won against the Fairey G.4/31, Westland PV-7, Handley Page HP.47, Armstrong Whitworth AW.19, Blackburn B-7, Hawker PV-4 and the Parnell G.4/31.

The Westland team produced the two-seat high-wing monoplane design, the P.V.7. This machine was capable of fulfilling all the standard general-purpose requirements and could, alternatively, be used as a torpedo-bomber, carrying an externally slung 450kg torpedo or an equivalent bomb load.

The preliminary test-flights at Yeovil, in the hands of Mr. H. J. Penrose, produced extremely satisfactory results and there were high hopes that the machine would have a long production run. However, while undergoing extended official trials at Martlesham Heath, the P.V.7 was unfortunately wrecked.

Mr. Penrose, who was flying the machine solo at the time, was engaged in making a series of dives under overload conditions and, while travelling at high speed in rough air, the port rear outrigger strut failed under an unexpected down-load. The resulting fracture brought about the collapse of the complete wing structure and, as it broke away from the machine, it severed the empennage. The pilot made what must be one of the first parachute escapes from an enclosed-cockpit military aeroplane, emerging through one of the small side doors of the coupe and eventually landing unhurt some distance from the wreckage.

The inevitable delay caused by the necessary investigation into the cause of the accident rendered the risk of building a further Private Venture too great, and the type, despite its great promise, was dropped.

Engine: 1 x 722hp Bristol Pegasus III M.3 9-cyl air-cooled radial
Max take-off weight: 3395 kg / 7485 lb
Empty weight: 2048 kg / 4515 lb
Wingspan: 18.36 m / 60 ft 3 in
Length: 11.88 m / 39 ft 0 in
Height: 3.65 m / 12 ft 0 in
Wing area: 49.8 sq.m / 536.04 sq ft
Max. speed: 278 km/h / 173 mph
Ceiling: 6900 m / 22650 ft

Westland PV.6 Wallace Article

In the year 1931 a British Empire Exhibition was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at which Westland was represented by a special A.S. Panther-engined Wapiti, G-AAWA, piloted by Mr. H. J. Penrose. This machine embodied the accumulated experience gained with the first 500 Wapitis constructed, and was fitted with a lengthened fuselage and braked undercarriage.
After a successful tour in South America the machine was returned to Yeovil, where further refinements were made, including the fitting of a divided axle chassis, improvements to the fuselage lines, and the installation of a Pegasus engine with Townend ring. By this time both the performance and the appearance of the aircraft differed considerably from that of the standard Wapiti and it was given the designation P.V.6, under which it successfully completed Air Ministry acceptance trials as a general-purpose machine.
With the placing of a production order the type was given the name of Wallace, but the original machine, again returned to Yeovil, underwent yet another change and was converted for service with the Houston-Mount Everest Expedition.
The very successful realisation of the Expedition’s object brought this veteran aircraft once more into Westland hands, this time to be converted back into a standard Wallace and issued to a Squadron.
On the early Wallace machines the cockpits were of the open type, with a Scarff gun-ring over the rear cockpit, but the type is now best remembered by reason of a later development. This was the fitting of a transparent cabin over both cockpits, thus making it the first R.A.F. aeroplane to be so equipped. Apart from the greatly increased comfort, this enabled the Wallace to use its rear gun with increased accuracy when operating at maximum speed.
The Wallace had a long period of service with the Royal Air Force, and with the various Auxiliary Squadrons, and although succeeded by the Lysander and other general-purpose types.

The Wallace was the last of the inter-war general purpose biplanes, but its useful life was extended, with many being converted into target tugs and wireless trainers.

Engine: 1 x 655hp Bristol Pegasus IV 9-cylinder air-cooled radial
Max take-off weight: 2610 kg / 5754 lb
Empty weight: 1670 kg / 3682 lb
Wingspan: 14.1 m / 46 ft 3 in
Length: 10.4 m / 34 ft 1 in
Height: 3.5 m / 12 ft 6 in
Wing area: 45.4 sq.m / 488.68 sq ft
Max. speed: 289 km/h / 180 mph
Ceiling: 9150 m / 30000 ft
Armament: 1 x Vickers gun + 1 Lewis gun

Westland Wallace Mk. II
Length : 34.154 ft / 10.41 m
Height : 11.516 ft / 3.51 m
Wingspan : 46.424 ft / 14.15 m
Wing area : 488.04 sq.ft / 45.34 sq.m
Max take off weight : 5750.6 lb / 2608.0 kg
Weight empty : 3841.1 lb / 1742.0 kg
Max. speed : 137 kts / 254 km/h
Cruising speed : 117 kts / 217 km/h
Service ceiling : 24098 ft / 7345 m
Wing load : 11.89 lb/sq.ft / 58.0 kg/sq.m
Range : 408 nm / 756 km
Engine : Bristol Pegasus IV, 671 hp
Crew : 2
Armament : 2x cal.303 MG (7.7mm)
Bombload : 263kg

In the final phase of the biplane era, marked by the successful Wapiti and Wallace machines, the Westland design team produced, as a Private Venture, an aeroplane capable of combining Army Co-operation and General Purpose duties with Fleet Air Arm requirements and, although the type did not go into production, the only example built had an interesting and exciting career.
Known as the P.V.3, the design was based on that of the previous General Purpose and Army Co-operation biplanes, but was arranged to incorporate a wide-track divided type undercarriage – to facilitate the slinging of a 450kg torpedo -and to have folding wings for shipboard stowage.
First flight-tested by Flt.-Lt. Louis G. Paget, A.F.C., in 1931, the P.V.3 was being used for experimental work at the time machines were being sought for the 1933 Houston-Mount Everest Expedition. Investigation showed that, when lightened and fitted with the fully supercharged Bristol Pegasus S.3 engine, its performance was more suited than any other type for this arduous and exacting adventure.
Modifications to the fuselage, involving the removal of military equipment and the conversion of the rear cockpit to a closed cabin, were made with the co-operation of members of the Expedition, and the final tests, made by Mr. H. J. Penrose, were completely successful. On January 25th, 1933, accompanied by Air Commodore P. F. M. Fellowes, D.S.O., leader of the Expedition, he set out from Westland aerodrome to perform a test climb which would prove that Everest could be cleared by a comfortable margin. They returned after an absence of an hour and forty minutes, having taken the P.V.3 to a height of over 10500m, where the temperature was less than -60°C.

For the Expedition the P.V.3 was renamed the Houston-Westland and, with the converted Wallace, made the first historic flights over Mount Everest. With the successful conclusion of the Expedition’s work the Houston-Westland was returned to Yeovil, and later had a long period of service as a flying test-bed for experimental engines of the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

Westland PV.3 Flight Over Everest Article

Engine: 1 x 575hp Bristol Jupiter XFA 9-cylinder supercharged air-cooled radial
Max take-off weight: 2540 kg / 5600 lb
Empty weight: 1569 kg / 3459 lb
Wingspan: 14.17 m / 47 ft 6 in
Length: 10.41 m / 34 ft 2 in
Height: 3.55 m / 12 ft 8 in
Wing area: 46.4 sq.m / 499.44 sq ft
Max. speed: 262 km/h / 163 mph
Ceiling: 7900 m / 25900 ft
Crew: 2
Armament: 1 x Vickers gun + 1 x Lewis gun, 500kg of bombs

Houston-Westland
Engine: Bristol Pegasus I.S.3