Vintage Wings of Canada Lysander 416

An interesting machine.

Unique, in fact in a number of ways, the most obvious being the slat actuated flaps, and the critical trim settings on the tailplane – Penrose wasn’t too happy signing off the type with the latter – rather dangerous – issues, but expansion period numbers were required with immediate effect.

As to speeds, there’s newsreel footage on Pathe and You Tube of the prototype (pre-naming) trumpeting its remarkable speed range.

Rob Erdos did the fist flight then flew the Harvard chase plane for John Aiken on the second flight. He gave a great talk on his impressions of the aircraft, its faster and slower than the Harvard! John comented that he was surprised at how quickly it got airborne almost before he was ready. Even taking it easy she seemed to be off well before 900 feet. An interesting machine.

I would be interested in good quality photographs and a statement detailing he restoration project for this aircraft, for the record to be included in the Westland Archive.

No doubt a few of us remember the THREE Lysanders which flew together at Legends in about 1998.

The Sabena example was damaged soon after, but restoration is nearly complete. It shares a hangar with a 2nd example, under static restoration.

Both can be seen in the photo ( Oldtimers website )

Great news!

Thanks for the link, fine achievement.
reminds me that long ago I saw a colour air to air of a restored Lysander on the cover of Air Pictorial flying in Canada,I wonder what happened to that one?

Assuming it’s one of the photos of the example flying in Canada, it’s in the Canadian National Aviation Collection, Rockliffe. David Burke’s thinking of the ex-Canadian example that was restored to fly in the USA (California) and eventually donated to the Smithsonian.

Neither are any longer airworthy of course, but it’s nice that Canada has now taken the flying numbers from one (Shuttleworth’s) to three (CWH & VWoC). And there will be more.

i was standing next to Mike Potter when she flew for the second flight as soon as 416 was airborn he called Harry to tell him she was flying. Even held the phone up so he could hear her fly by. He said all Harry could say is he wished he could have been there in person.

Great to see her flying once more, well done to all involved including Harry Whereatt for saving her from the scrapmana…

Scotavia – I have a feeling that the machine your referring to is the example that went to the USAF museum.

Flew twice today, John Aiken’s comments an interesting machine!
More info and pics here:
http://vintagewingsofcanada.blogspot.com/2010/06/its-official-shes-airborne.html

She flew today, according to WIX, hard on the heels of the CWH example which flew just last year.

Thanks for the link, fine achievement.
reminds me that long ago I saw a colour air to air of a restored Lysander on the cover of Air Pictorial flying in Canada,I wonder what happened to that one?