The Wyvern

Wyvern TS378

1949 colour scheme, as shown on page 292 of Putnam’s “Westland Aircraft since 1915”.

Wyverns in Suez

Both pilots were rescued from the sea by Whirlwinds. The second loss was at the time one of the longest rescue flights.

The missions were all ground attack raids with either bombs or rockets. The attacks were on airfields or bridges in the main.

Sorry for the delay in replying been away on business

Although some examples of this type carried roundels and serials, they were all unpainted.

Not quite. At least two of the Eagle-powered TF.1 prototypes (TS378 and TS380) were painted in the early post-war EDSG upper and Sky-S lower scheme complete with roundels and fin flashes, whilst VR 131 and another of the TS38-serialled aircraft received the same later scheme (Sky-S with EDSG upper decking) as applied to VR137 during her early days at FAAM.

In truth VR137, VR138, VR139 and VR140 only carried the last three digits of their serial, exactly as VR137 is depicted at FAAM now. Unfortunately, though construction was well advanced, VR138 – 140 were never completed.

Hope that helps.

Well at least there is one left and it will be looked after for generations to come

Sadly unrepresentative of the production model, but at least its better than the surviving Blackburn Firebrand (or lack thereof).

I’ve seen pictures of the FAAM example painted in a spurious scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey/Sky which no TF1 ever carried while being tested, so the FAAM restored this example to the original bare metal. Although some examples of this type carried roundels and serials, they were all unpainted.

Heres one of Victorious, 1959, taken at Portsmouth having the remains of the Wyvern removed from the side of the hull, look along to the right of the flight deck.

I think you’re a bit confused here. This photo, from 1959, will depict Victorious in Portsmouth after she had undergone her extensive modernisation refit to allow operation of the Scimitar. What you are probably referring to was the incident where a Wyvern crashed into the funnel of HMS Eagle, necessitating the ship’s return to Portsmouth to have the remains of the engine removed (the rest of the aircraft having fallen to the deck).

With regard to the Wyvern crashing at Yeovil, this would have been VP113 – one of the Python 1-engined TF.2 prototypes which suffered engine failure whilst flying past the control tower, overshot the airfield and crashed into No.28 Seaton Road (plus one other), setting the houses on fire and killing the pilot, Sqn Ldr Mike Graves and three occupants of the houses.

The only Wyvern left is in the FAAM sadly.

Well at least there is one left and it will be looked after for generations to come

I rember seeing a Wyvern dive headlong into the ground at Langrish, Petersfield in Hampshire in the early 1950’s. I was standing on a railway bridge at Petersfield on a sunny day watching three aircraft dog fighting at about 5/7 thousand feet. If my memory serves me right, there were two Vampires (possibly from RAF Odiham) chasing the Wyvern. They were rolling and tailchasing for a few minutes and the Wyvern went into a steep climb, rolled off the top, and dove down after one of the other aircraft. The noise was quite incredible as the Wyvern came lower and lower and then it disappeared behind a small hill. I heard the whoomff as it hit the ground, and saw a pall of black smoke rising skywards. The other aircraft seemed to depart very quickly and then the local siren sounded, calling our fire service crew to go into action.
The Wyvern pilot was an American on exchange posting.

Reminds me of a story I read in the local rag when I lived at Yeovil.
I seem to remember that a Wyvern crashed on approach to Westlands’ airfield, killing the pilot and several people on the ground, including a young girl riding a tricycle 🙁

The only Wyvern left is in the FAAM sadly.

Just for interest are there any S4’s left??

Cliff

Wyverns

I rember seeing a Wyvern dive headlong into the ground at Langrish, Petersfield in Hampshire in the early 1950’s. I was standing on a railway bridge at Petersfield on a sunny day watching three aircraft dog fighting at about 5/7 thousand feet. If my memory serves me right, there were two Vampires (possibly from RAF Odiham) chasing the Wyvern. They were rolling and tailchasing for a few minutes and the Wyvern went into a steep climb, rolled off the top, and dove down after one of the other aircraft. The noise was quite incredible as the Wyvern came lower and lower and then it disappeared behind a small hill. I heard the whoomff as it hit the ground, and saw a pall of black smoke rising skywards. The other aircraft seemed to depart very quickly and then the local siren sounded, calling our fire service crew to go into action.
The Wyvern pilot was an American on exchange posting.

830 Squadron from HMS Eagle had nine Wyverns S4 on operations in Suez

They operated daily from 1st-6th November.

Two aircraft were lost

3rd Nov 1956 WN330/379 due to flak damage

5th Nov 1956 WN328/374 due to flak

Two additional Wyverns joined Eagle on 4th Nov

Information from Air War Over Suez by Brian Cull

What type of missions were the Wyverns tasked with, ground attack?
I’ve just looked in my 1952 Observers Book of Aircraft, which classes them as a naval strike fighter, but performance details were secret then.
Were the pilots lost as well as the a/c.

Although I was around at the time of the Suez crisis and have a good memory, I remember nothing about it from the time it occured, I was probably sent to bed before the news came on the old b/w telly so that I didn’t have nightmares.

Wyverns during Suez

830 Squadron from HMS Eagle had nine Wyverns S4 on operations in Suez

They operated daily from 1st-6th November.

Two aircraft were lost

3rd Nov 1956 WN330/379 due to flak damage

5th Nov 1956 WN328/374 due to flak

Two additional Wyverns joined Eagle on 4th Nov

Information from Air War Over Suez by Brian Cull

Hello Pete,
I made these pictures in 27.8.2004.

Cheers for that, things had obviously changed in the year since I had been there.

A bit off thread I know, but what a/c would have been used on Victorious when I took the picture in 1959.
I remember buying the Airfix kit a few years later and the tiny a/c were Scimitars, Sea Vixens and Skyraiders!!!
I’ve still got the original model in a cardboard box upstairs along with a pile of other warships including a Victorious that I attempted to convert back to WW2 status by sawing off the angled flight deck, it looked crap.

Incidentally, I noticed that the large scale model Wyvern has Suez invasion stripes, what was their role in this conflict and did they achieve anything.

Hello Pete,
I made these pictures in 27.8.2004.

Evzen
When were those pics of the Wyvern taken at the FAAM.
I’ve been there a few times, last time just 3 years ago and I can’t remember seeing the Wyvern in meatal finish in the Concorde Hall, what/is was it’s original colour scheme while in the museum.
Heres one of Victorious, 1959, taken at Portsmouth having the remains of the Wyvern removed from the side of the hull, look along to the right of the flight deck.

Only kidding!!!!

Vance Mosher here in the States makes a 75″ flying model of the Wyvern. He also has plans for a 96″ version. Vance is a fantastic model builder as the pic of his prototype below reveals.

There has been an excellant new kit of a Wyvern S4 in 1-72 scale released by Turmpeter

I took 350(!) photographs of the Wyvern in the FAA Museum last year. So if anybody needs any details… 😉

Wyvern in Fleet Air arm Museum

I once worked with someone in the 70s who in an earlier life had flown one into the side of HMS Victorious. Which accounted for the fact that half his skull was stainless steel, or maybe titanium…
Ouch!!!

William