Ad Hoc Publications

Wyvern: From the Cockpit #1

by  Michael J. Doust

Reviewed By  Robert Allen, IPMS# 39155

MSRP: £12.95 ISBN: 978-946958-53-5 In some ways, reading about a mediocre aircraft can be more interesting than reading about a great one. There are a limited number of ways that pilots can express affection for aircraft such as the Spitfire or F-86. An aircraft like the Fleet Air Arm's Westland Wyvern, which suffered a protracted development, and had a short but eventful operational career, offers far greater scope for dissenting views. While author Michael J. Doust (himself a Wyvern pilot) states in his introduction that the Wyvern was "enjoyed by all who flew and went to war in it," a closer look at the comments provided by other pilots indicates that was not exactly the case. Wyvern: From the Cockpit No 1 is the first in a new series by Ad Hoc Publications (who are responsible for the excellent Aeroguide series) looking at aircraft from the perspective of those who flew and maintained them. This is not a history of the Wyvern per se (although a short development and service summary is given), but a collection of essays from 13 men who flew or worked on the aircraft, about their experiences. The 68-page book is printed on glossy paper, with many well-printed photos (all black-and-white except the cover shot), and includes a two-page full color four-view drawing, with two additional pages of color profiles. All of the units that operated the Wyvern are covered in the text, with information given on commanding officers and deployments. The Wyvern was a post-WW2 carrier-based, single-seat strike fighter of which even the author admits, "Had it not been for NATO's requirement for the Royal Navy to have two torpedo fighter squadrons, it would doubtless have been put to death during feasibility studies." The engine originally chosen for the Wyvern was the piston Rolls-Royce Eagle, but service versions had the Armstrong-Siddeley Python turbo-prop, driving two four-blade contra-rotating props. No Python-powered Wyverns are still in existence, the only survivor being an Eagle-powered TF.1 in the Fleet Air Arm Museum. The Python was "designed for steady, long-haul flights, and not for fighter tactics during which a pilot would often demand rapid changes of power output." The outer wing tips folded down, directly above the canopy when the wings were fully folded, and many a forgetful pilot managed to bang his head on them when getting out of the cockpit! Its long nose made it hard to land on a carrier. There is one amazing photo in the book of the aftermath of an accident aboard Eagle in 1955 when a Wyvern crashed into the ship's funnel; part of the port wing is stuck half-way up the funnel. One pilot sums up his feelings about the aircraft with this comment: "I think we should have bought the Skyraider." In spite of its faults, the Wyvern was still regarded some affection by many of the pilots interviewed, which goes to show how selective the memory can be. To be fair, it performed well in the one combat operation it was involved in, the 1956 Suez Crisis, and two of the pilots who flew missions give their recollections. Although not intended directly for the modeler, there are many photos that will be very helpful in making either the 1/72nd or 1/48th Trumpeter kits of the Wyvern S.4 (or the Classic Airframes in the larger scale, if you prefer). There are several shots of the cockpit and ordnance variations that show clear details. I'd recommend this book highly, for the approach it uses, the opportunity to read about a subject usually ignored, and the excellent presentation. This book is available directly from Ad Hoc Publications; please visit their rwebsite (www.adhocpublications.com) for ordering details. My thanks to Ad Hoc Publications for the sample copy.

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