Photograph:
Westland IV prototype G-EBXK (A J Jackson collection)
Country of origin:
United Kingdom
Description:
Light commercial monoplane
Power Plant:
Three 78 kw (105 hp) Cirrus Hermes II four-cylinder in-line air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 17.52 m (57 ft 6 in)
- Length: 11.58 m (36 ft)
- Height: 2.89 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 45.532 m² (490 sq ft)
- Max speed: 174 km/h (108 mph)
- Cruising speed: 161 km/h (100 mph)
- Initial rate of climb: 158 m/min (520 ft/min)
- Ceiling: 4,267 m (14,000 ft)
- Range: 845 km (525 miles)
- Empty weight: 1,429 kg (3,150 lb)
- Loaded weight: 2,495 kg (5,500 lb)
History:
The Westland IV was designed and built by the Westland Aircraft Works at its Yeovil facility in Somerset in 1928, being an attractive, small, high-wing, taxi or feeder line aircraft constructed of wood, with fabric covering, and fitted with tail parts from a Westland Wapiti. The Company was interested in reducing the chances of forced landings and installed three engines, the prototype G-EBXK (c/n WA1771) having three 71 kw (95 hp) Cirrus III in-line engines. This aircraft flew for the first time on 22 February 1929, and was followed by the second prototype G-AAGW (c/n WA1867), this machine differing in having three 67 kw (90 hp) Hermes I engines and having the rear fuselage of metal construction. Accommodation was provided for a pilot and four passengers.
Construction of two further Westland IVs was commenced (G-AAJI – c/n WA1771 and G-AULF – c/n WA1898), the latter being built for the Shell Co of Australia Ltd and the former for Wilson Airways Ltd of Nairobi in Kenya. However, the orders for these two aircraft fell through, and at about the same time the Company decided not to use in-line engines any further and G-AAJI was fitted with 78 kw (105 hp) Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major 1A radial engines, the first flight being made in May 1930. This new aircraft then became known as the Westland Wessex and the third and fourth aircraft for Australia and Nairobi mentioned above were fitted with Genet engines.
A total of ten Wessex aircraft was built, the two Westland IVs being converted to Wessex configuration, and as noted, they had the Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major 1A radial engine installed.
It is interesting to note in the press at the time at a farewell dinner given to Capt E J Jones and Flg Off H C Owen in Melbourne, VIC in August 1929 it was said “A Westland three-engined monoplane purchased in London by the Shell Company of Australia will be flown out to Australia by Captain Jones, former Deputy Controller of Civil Aviation, assisted by Flying Officer Owen, who recently flew from England to Australia with Flight Lieutenant Moir”. It seems that Jones was to supervise the construction of the aircraft but Company testing of the performance of the aircraft with in-line engines revealed that the specifications were insufficient to meet the Company’s requirements in the Australian climate and thus Shell decided it would cancel the order.
It seems the Westland IV did not come to Australia. This aircraft VH-ULF (c/n WA1898) first appeared on the Australian Civil Aircraft Register from August 1929 but was struck off the register in April 1930. It seems after cancellation of the order attempts were made to obtain another purchaser, and it was sold eventually in Belgium, becoming OO-AGD. Contemporary newspaper reports stated on 5 March 1932 it attended an aerial pageant at Pyramid Hill, VIC in Australia and was flown by Mr N Haig of the Vacuum Oil Co but this would appear to be an error and must in fact relate to another aircraft type.