No need James, what you’ve said is as usual very good. I will just add though that the Wyvern did indeed prove itself at Suez as a very stable and accurate strike aircraft, and pilots in general liked it. But that was with complete air superiority on its side whilst making its attack runs. Had it come up against contemporary Russian designed jet fighters then it would not of stood much chance. With a relatively low maximum speed, and a turning circle the size of Yorkshire because of its high wing loading, it was said that a lightly loaded Wyvern would even struggle in a dogfight against a fully loaded F-84 Thunderjet. It was also very vulnerable to ground and small arms fire.
But, as James has already hinted, that was not the fault of the aircraft itself. Three different engines through no fault of its own, and an original specification that changed constantly, its no wonder it took nye on seven years of development to get it right.. well nearly right. And in those seven years just look how much jet fighter design had progressed. The americans on the other hand never got to grips with their A2D Skyshark equivalent, and that was abandoned after the first fatality (but thats a different story and another awesome aeroplane)!
Westland Chief Test Pilot Harold Penrose once said of the Wyvern after most of its niggles had been sorted, it was “very nearly a very good aeroplane”
And i love it! 😎
Rob
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