Westland Wyvern

[Wirbelwind]

Hoping you guys will be able to help me out with this interesting looking aircraft .

I'm looking into the Wyvern S4 (previous designation was TF4), and it appears that some S4 aircraft have a solid rear canopy whereas others have a clear rear section.

Clear rear canopy:

Solid rear canopy:

Was the solid rear canopy the latest version? If so, was it a field modification or were those aircraft fitted with that style of canopy right in the factory?

Lastly, I've read that some S4 aircraft were actually converted from the S2 variant. Does anyone have the serial number ranges for the converted ones?

 

[Airframes]

I thought I might be able to help, but, after spending hours looking for a detailed magazine article, I couldn't find it.
It was published a few years back, probably in Aeroplane (possibly Fly Past), and covered a lot of detail.
Purely a guess, but I think the clear canopy was on the S2., with the earlier version having the 'solid' rear section, rather like the changes on the Meteor F8 etc.

 

[Wirbelwind]

I did some digging and it turns out that the canopy with the solid rear section was actually the later type. They did this to strengthen the canopy assembly.

 

[Airframes]

That makes sense, and glad you solved the problem.

 

[fubar57]

In the 4+ Publication book, there is a photo with the caption, ".....it was the first of a handful of pre-production TF Mk. 2 aircraft converted on the line to Mark 4 standard...." The serial number is VW880. Also, the early Mk. 4s had the clear canopy

 

[Blutto]

Janes 1955/56 edition shows a photo with the opaque rear canopy section, captioned "Wyvern S Mk. 4".

 

[nuuumannn]

Taking a quick glance through Derek James' Westland Aircraft since 1915 (Putnam), it states that the early one piece canopies collapsed under loading and were strengthened, although I suspect this entailed thickening the perspex rather than the metal rear section - read on.

Further along under the heading of Wyvern S.Mk.4 it states that "As a result of squadron experience a number of modifications were introduced in the Wyvern after it had entered service. These included a change to a Martin-Baker Mk.2B ejector seat, the use of a composite canopy with a metal rear end to replace the stiffened one-piece type..." So, it looks like it was a mod introduced post service entry in S.4s. There are pics in the book that might help, S.4 VZ752 of 813 Sqn and four of its stable mates are shown without metal rear canopies, but the other serials are obscure. VZ748 the third production S.4 is shown with the metal rear canopy. The thing that is needed is to establish when exactly this mod was introduced and to what aircraft within what time frame the mods were done.

The S.2s converted to S.4s are recorded as VW870, VW873, VW880 through VW886, so nine of the 20 pre-production Mk.2s. There's a picture of VW880 in the book, but it has the clear rear canopy.

 

[fubar57]

I have VZ752, 757, 761-763 with clear rear canopies. There is also a pic of VZ761 with the strengthened canopy but no date

 

[nuuumannn]

Yeah, got me interested now. I have a booklet written by the Air Britain researchers on Wyvern production somewhere, but I'm darned if I can find it.

 

[fubar57]

Found another pic of VZ761 with the strengthened canopy. The caption says "....probably in the spring of 1956 after refurbishment by Westland Aircraft...."