Westland Lysander | The British 'Spy Taxi' Aircraft Of WWII

Perhaps the best-known role for the Westland Lysander during the Second World War was its use as a “spy taxi”, an aircraft capable of flying low under the radar and delivering secret agents, weapons, and radio equipment to resistance fighters in France and Belgium. "Flying a Lysander is truly a remarkable experience. One gets the feeling that with 20 hours or so in the airplane, you could do amazing things with it. Too bad they were never put on floats! Bush-flying with a Lysander would be eye-opening!"

The Westland Lysander is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland Aircraft that was used immediately before and during the Second World War.

After becoming obsolete in the army co-operation role, the aircraft's short-field performance enabled clandestine missions using small, improvised airstrips behind enemy lines to place or recover agents, particularly in occupied France with the help of the French Resistance. Royal Air Force army co-operation aircraft were named after mythical or historical military leaders; in this case, the Spartan admiral Lysander was chosen.

In 1934 the Air Ministry issued Specification A.39/34 for an army cooperation aircraft to replace the Hawker Hector. Initially, Hawker Aircraft, Avro, and Bristol were invited to submit designs, but after some debate within the Ministry, a submission from Westland was invited as well. The Westland design, internally designated P. 8, was the work of Arthur Davenport under the direction of "Teddy" Petter. It was Petter's second aircraft design and he spent considerable time interviewing Royal Air Force pilots to find out what they wanted from such an aircraft. The army wanted a tactical and artillery reconnaissance aircraft to provide photographic reconnaissance and observation of artillery fire in daylight – up to about 15,000 yards (14 km) behind the enemy front. The result of Petter's pilot inquiries suggested that field of view, low-speed handling characteristics, and STOL performance were the important requirements.

Davenport and Petter designed an aircraft to incorporate these features. The Lysander was to be powered by a Bristol Mercury air-cooled radial engine and had high wings and a fixed conventional landing gear mounted on an innovative inverted U square-section tube that supported wing struts at the apex and contained internal springs for the faired wheels. The large streamlined spats also contained a mounting for a Browning machine gun and fittings for removable stub wings that could carry light bombs or supply canisters. The wings had a reverse taper towards the root, which gave the impression of a bent gull wing from some angles, although the spars were straight. It had a girder-type construction faired with light wood stringers to give the aerodynamic shape. The forward fuselage was a duralumin tube joined with brackets and plates, and the after part was welded stainless steel tubes. Plates and brackets were cut from channel extrusions rather than being formed from sheet steel. The front spar and lift struts were extrusions. The wing itself was fabric covered and its thickness was greatest at the strut anchorage, similar to that of later marks of the Stinson Reliant high-winged transport monoplane.

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (1 pilot, 1 pass.)
Length: 30 ft 6 in (9.30 m)
Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
Height: 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m)
Wing area: 260 sq ft (24 m2)
Airfoil: RAF 34 modified
Empty weight: 4,365 lb (1,980 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 6,330 lb (2,871 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Mercury XX 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 870 hp (650 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed
Performance

Maximum speed: 212 mph (341 km/h, 184 kn) at 5,000 ft (1,524 m)
Stall speed: 65 mph (105 km/h, 56 kn)
Range: 600 mi (970 km, 520 nmi)
Service ceiling: 21,500 ft (6,600 m)
Time to altitude: 10,000 ft (3,048 m) in 8 minutes
Take-off distance to 50 ft (15 m): 915 ft (279 m)
Armament
Guns: 2x forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Browning machine guns in wheel fairings and two more for the observer.
Bombs: 4× 20 lb (9 kg) bombs or 1x drop tank (fuel or cargo) under rear fuselage and/or 500 lb (227 kg) of bombs or drop tanks on undercarriage stub wing hardpoints (if fitted)

[chocsaday]

That is a very interesting aircraft and a revealing description of it and the properties particularly of the slats and forewing.

[Imnotyourdoormat]

Even when building models of the Lyslander when I was a kid I thought it would have fantastic visibility...and I was right.

[mastathrash]

I totally forgot that there was a Lysander version that had machine guns in the wheel fairings. Always thought they only carried single in the upper wing. It's amazing how much stuff they fit into that thing

[mickparsons]

Brilliant walk around of this amazing plane. Really enjoyed this

[MonstroLab]

What a great teacher/speaker this guy is. Really enjoyed this. To bad theres not many left.

[raymondyee]

In Europe they were much liked by the SOE. Though it should be noted they were also used in the China-Burma-India theater of operations.

Interestingly in the pc game “Flying Tigers: Shadows Over China” there is a mission over Mae-Huangsang (Thailand) when Squadron Leader KK “Jumbo” Majumdar in an Indian Air Force Lysander MK2 (1 Squadron) flew a combat mission in rainy weather.

[somedayzo]

The presenter was perfect for the job. Super knowledgeable!

[JohnViinalass-lcow]

...so enjoyed this vintage warbird post!...smashing account!...thank you, good folk!...happy Canada Day, team!...

[chasm]

Superb video! And to find out that the Dave Hadfield is Chris’s brother ..

[walterkronkitesleftshoe]

Back in the 1990s when I was still in the Fire Brigade, one day we were visiting houses in the station area to install domestic smoke alarms. During one visit to an elderly gentleman My eyes immediately fell on a framed photograph of a young man in a flying suit, also in the frame was a row of medal ribbons. I know British WW2 ribbons well and apart from the usual campaign star ribbons was a distinctive diagonal purple and white striped ribbon. When I asked him who the DFC (Distinguished flying cross) belonged to, his eyes opened wide with surprise that a young man as I was then would recognise it as such. I then spent a wonderful half hour with the white haired, quiet spoken gentleman who told me his experiences as a Lysander pilot during the 1940 battle of France. The number of close shaves he survived, the number of friends he had lost, and then told me of when the remaining aircraft of 2 lysander squdrons were ordered at short notice to fuel up and fly across the channel back to Britain. I recall that he said there were 12 aircraft that left the French airfield and only 4 arrived safely back in Britain. He said he flew at wavetop level and was twice attacked by German fighters but managed to evade them even though he had received a bullet wound during one of the attacks. He went on to transport SOE agents to and from France and had been awarded the DFC in 1944 for his service.

A genuine, understated and remarkable old hero. I was proud to have shook his hand.

[AB-kgrk]

very interesting and educational. Thanks!

[lindarooke]

some thirty years ago I met a small man that had a DFC with bar, talking to him I found he had been an SOE Lysander Pilot that had been captured and tortured on his last mission, who would accept a such humble man that did so many heroic actions

[NickyH]

Can somebody please tell Mr Hadfield to look up the Bristol Blenheim, Beaufort, Beaufighter, Brigand, Buckmaster...? They all had Bristol radial engines with the collector ring at the front of the cowling! As did the Vickers Wellington, Short Sterling, HP Halifax, Avro Lancaster Mk II, Avro Anson etc!🙂

[sblack]

Looks like getting in is more complicated than flying it!

[gerarddebrosse]

En France, le Lysander servait pour le transport des "résistants"

[EpemaKlapkin]

Интересно было бы сравнить его с немецким fieseler шторх

[tonylam]

The British made lousy small arms and often very ugly planes. I am not sure where the Lysander and Fairly Gannet place among the top 5 most ugly planes. Maybe they could have left out the engine, don't need it to fly, it is so ugly the earth repel them. The Germans did a much better job with the Storch.

[velonico]

How cool to hear this Skipper discuss landing issues and pilot experience. Rare to get such detail. Just like a real debrief.