Westland Wapiti

The Westland Wapiti was a British two-seat general-purpose military single-engined biplane of the 1920s. It was designed and built by Westland Aircraft Works to replace the Airco DH.9A in Royal Air Force service.

First flying in 1927, the Wapiti entered service with the RAF in 1928, and remained in production until 1932, a total of 565 being built. It equipped twenty squadrons of the RAF, both overseas (particularly in India and Iraq) and at home, remaining in RAF service until 1940, also being used by the Air Forces of Australia, Canada, South Africa and India. It also formed the basis for the Westland Wallace which partly replaced the Wapiti in RAF use.

The Wapiti is named for the wapiti, also known as elk, one of the largest species of the deer family and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia.

Design and development

In 1927, the British Air Ministry issued Specification 26/27 for a replacement of the elderly Airco DH.9A, designed during the First World War which still equipped the Royal Air Force's General Purpose squadrons. To save time and money, the specification called for the use of a high proportion of DH.9A components, (as the RAF still held large stores of DH.9A spares), while it encouraged the use of an all-metal structure.James 1991, p.139. A large number of types were tendered to meet this requirement from most of the major British aircraft manufacturers, including Westland, who submitted the design that later became known as the Wapiti. Westland had an advantage in that it had carried out the detailed design work for the DH.9A, and was already a major contractor for the DH.9A.Jarrett Aeroplane July 1994, p.59.

The Wapiti was a conventional single-engined equal-span two-bay biplane with a slight wing stagger. It had tandem open cockpits and a fixed main undercarriage plus a tailskid. The forward fuselage was of metal tube structure with aluminium-and-fabric covering, while the rear fuselage was of fabric-covered wooden construction. The wings and tail were standard wooden DH.9A components,Jarrett Aeroplane July 1994, p.59–60. although later models replaced the wooden parts with an all-metal structure. The Wapiti was powered by a single Bristol Jupiter radial engine, and its crew of two were armed with a forward-firing Vickers machine gun and a Lewis gun for the observer, while it could carry up to 580 lb (264 kg) of bombs under the wings and fuselage. It was also fitted with radio and photographic cameras, and like the DH.9A before it, could carry a spare wheel for operations in adverse terrain.James 1991, pp.141–142.

The prototype first flew on 7 March 1927.James 1991, p.142. Initial tests showed poor control, and the prototype was modified with a much larger tail and horn-balanced ailerons, solving these problems. (It was later discovered that a 2-foot (0.61 m) fuselage section had been omitted from the prototype – as handling was now acceptable, it was not reinstated.)Janes 1991, pp.142–143. The Wapiti performed well during RAF trials, while using significant amounts of DH.9A components, and was declared the winner of the competition, an initial contract for 25 aircraft being placed in October 1927.Mason 1994, pp.188–189.

After initial production, the wooden fuselage, tail and wings were replaced by metal structures in the Wapiti II and IIA, and the original long fuselage was eventually reinstated in the Wapiti V and later versions. In 1930, Westland produced an updated version of the Wapiti, the Wapiti VII, which differed so much that it was renamed the Westland Wallace.

Operational history

The type entered service with No. 84 Squadron RAF in Iraq in June 1928.Thetford Aeroplane Monthly September 1994, p.17. It was heavily used in Iraq and India in the Army Cooperation role, acting also sometimes as a bomber or reconnaissance aircraft. Wapitis of No. 20 squadron escorted Victoria troop carriers in the evacuation of Kabul in December 1928. It was still in service in India until 1942. In Britain, Wapitis served with the Auxiliary Air Force from 1929 to 1937. It was also flown by Australia and Canada, where it saw service at the start of the Second World War.

The prototype Wapiti V, registered G-AAWA, was used for demonstration flights in Argentina and Uruguay on floats, powered by a 550 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA engine.Jackson p.509 It was later modified as the Bristol Pegasus-powered Westland PV-6 or Wapiti VII, re-registered G-ACBR (also known as the Houston-Wallace after the patron Lucy, Lady Houston), for an attempt to fly over Mount Everest. Flown by Flt Lt David F. McIntyre and accompanied by a Westland PV-3 the two aircraft became the first to fly over Mount Everest on 3 April 1933. The PV-6 was later designated the Wallace Mk I, bearing serial K3488 which introduced a number of improvements. A total of 68 Wapitis were converted to Wallace Mk I standard.

The Wapiti was used by the Indian Air Force into the early days of the Second World War. During the Imperial Japanese Navy attack on Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the Indian Air Force sent two Wapitis to patrol off the east coast of India, looking for the Japanese fleet. The southern patrolling Wapiti found nothing, but the northern patrolling Wapiti found a Japanese task force including the Japanese aircraft carrier and then survived to land undamaged.Shores, Christoper, Cull, Brian, and Izawa, Yasuho; Bloody Shambles, volume two, Grub Street publishers, London, 1993, Pages 408, 410.

Military operators

Royal Australian Air Force – 44 Wapitis were in service from 1929 to 1944. No. 1 Squadron RAAF No. 3 Squadron RAAF No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF Central Flying School RAAF

Royal Canadian Air Force No. 3 Squadron RCAF No. 10 Squadron RCAF No. 100 Squadron RCAF No. 118 Squadron RCAF

Chinese Nationalist Air Force

Hejaz Air Force

India Royal Indian Air ForceThe Westland Wapiti II in Indian Air Force Service No. 1 Squadron, Indian Air Force No. 2 Squadron, Indian Air Force No. 7 Squadron, Indian Air Force No. 1 Air Gunnery School (India) No. 1 AACU No. 2 AACU No. 3 AACU No.1 Coastal Defence Flight, IAFVR No.2 Coastal Defence Flight, IAFVR No.4 Coastal Defence Flight, IAFVR (Later No. 104 (GR) Squadron, Indian Air Force No. 104 (GR) Squadron, Indian Air Force ) No.5 Coastal Defence Flight, IAFVR No.6 Coastal Defence Flight, IAFVR

South African Air Force

Royal Air Force (in India) No. 5 Squadron RAF from 1931 to 1940 No. 11 Squadron RAF from 1928 to 1932 No. 20 Squadron RAF from 1932 to 1935 No. 27 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1940 No. 28 Squadron RAF from 1931 to 1936 No. 31 Squadron RAF from 1931 to 1939 No. 60 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1939 (in Iraq) No. 30 Squadron RAF from 1929 to 1935 No. 39 Squadron RAF from 1929 to 1931 No. 55 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1937 No. 84 Squadron RAF from 1928 to 1935 (in the United Kingdom) No. 24 Squadron RAF from 1924 to 1930 at RAF Northolt No. 501 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1933 at RAF Filton No. 600 Squadron RAF from 1929 to 1935 at RAF Hendon No. 601 Squadron RAF from 1929 to 1933 at RAF Hendon No. 602 Squadron RAF from 1929 to 1934 at RAF Renfrew then RAF Abbotsinch No. 603 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1934 at RAF Turnhouse No. 604 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1934 at RAF Hendon No. 605 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1934 at RAF Castle Bromwich No. 607 Squadron RAF from 1932 to 1937 at RAF Usworth No. 608 Squadron RAF from 1930 to 1937 at RAF Thornaby

Variants All built by Westland at Yeovil

Wapiti I – Initial production version for the RAF. Wooden structure. Powered by a 420 hp (313 kW) Bristol Jupiter VI radial piston engine. 25 built for RAF.James 1991, p.144. Wapiti IA – Improved version for the RAAF. Powered by a 480 hp (358 kW) geared Bristol Jupiter VIIIF radial piston engine and divided-axle main undercarriage. 28 built.James 1991, p.146. Wapiti IB – Similar to the Wapiti IA. Four exported to South Africa. Later re-engined with the 525 hp (392 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Panther. Increased fuel.James 1991, p.148. Wapiti II – Pre-production version with all-metal rear fuselage and wing structure replacing wooden structures of Wapiti I. Powered by Jupiter VIII engine. 10 built. Wapiti IIA – Major production version with tropical equipment and partial dual controls, and able to use wheel or float landing gear.Jarrett Aeroplane Monthly July 1994, pp.61–62. Initially powered by Jupiter VIII. 430 built.James 1991, pp. 148–149. Wapiti III – Two-seat general-purpose biplane for the SAAF based on Wapiti IIA. Powered by 480 hp (358 kW) Armstrong Siddeley Jaguar VI or 550 hp (410 kW) Panther VI engines. Four built by Westland followed by 27 under licence in SAAF Workshops.James 1991, p.153. Wapiti IV – Project for Hispano-Suiza 12N powered aircraft with long fuselage for Spain. One long fuselage aircraft designated Wapiti IV may have been delivered to Chinese Warlord Zhang Xueliang in 1931.Mason 1994, p.190. Wapiti V – Long-fuselage army cooperation version for RAF, fitted with message pick-up hook, stronger undercarriage and powered by a 600 hp (448 kW) Jupiter VIIIF. 35 built.Jarrett Aeroplane Monthly July 1994, p.62. Wapiti VI – Unarmed dual control training version for the RAF. 16 built.James 1991, p.156. Wapiti VII – Converted Wapiti V prototype, original designated the Houston-Wallace P.V.6 before reconversion to Wapiti VII experimental aircraft. Wapiti VIII – Long fuselage version for Central Chinese government. Powered by a Panther IIA, four built.James 1991, p.157.

Surviving aircraft

A Westland Wapiti (Serial Number K-813) survives at the Indian Air Force Museum, Palam, Delhi, the last surviving aircraft of the type. The fuselage and lower wing of one other (Serial Number K-811) were reported as surviving at the museum warehouse but in June 2012 it was determined that only K-811s lower wing survives, albeit in a ruinous condition.

Specifications (Wapiti IIA)

Westland Wapiti

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