The Westland Wallace was a British two-seat, general-purpose biplane of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

, developed by

Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila ...

as a follow-on to their successful

Wapiti The elk (''Cervus canadensis''), also known as the wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The comm ...

. As the last of the interwar general purpose biplanes, it was used by a number of frontline and Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons. Although the pace of aeronautical development caused its rapid replacement in frontline service, its useful life was extended into the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

with many being converted into target tugs and wireless trainers. In 1933 a Westland Wallace became the first aircraft to fly over

Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

, as part of the Houston-Mount Everest Flight Expedition.

Design and development

In 1931, Westland produced the PV-6, a private-venture development of its successful

. This updated aircraft embodied a number of improvements including a lengthened fuselage, brakes and wheel spats on the undercarriage and a new engine. By this time both the appearance and performance differed considerably from the standard Wapiti, so the company designated it the "PV6 Wallace." Compared with the earlier Wapiti, the Wallace was longer, incorporated an improved undercarriage and was powered by a Bristol Pegasus IV engine. The first batches of MK I Wallaces were conversions of Wapitis, a total of 68 powered by Pegasus IIM3 engines. Westland designed an improved version, the Mk II which was fitted with a more powerful engine and the then-novel idea of an enclosed canopy over both crew positions. This offered greater comfort for the crew and improved the rear gunner's aim by protecting him from the slipstream. Three Wallace Is (''K4346''-''K4348'') were later converted to Mk II standards, including fitting the closed canopy.

Operational history

The original PV-6 prototype, registered ''G-ACBR'' (and also known as the Houston-Wallace) along with Westland PV-3 ''G-ACAZ'', was part of the Houston Everest Expedition, named after

Lucy, Lady Houston Dame Fanny Lucy Houston, Lady Houston, Baroness Byron ( Radmall; 8 April 1857 – 29 December 1936) was a British philanthropist, political activist and suffragist. Beginning in 1933, she published the '' Saturday Review'', which was best kn ...

the patron, an attempt to fly over

Mount Everest Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...

. Both aircraft received modifications that included fitting heating and oxygen equipment, fully enclosing the rear cockpits and using highly supercharged Bristol Pegasus IS 3 engines.James 2008, pp. 22–23. Flown by Flight Lieutenant D.F. McIntyre and

Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton Air Commodore Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 14th Duke of Hamilton and 11th Duke of Brandon, (3 February 1903 – 30 March 1973) was a Scottish nobleman and aviator who was the first man to fly over Mount Everest. When German Deputy Führer Rudol ...

, otherwise known as Lord Clydesdale, the two aircraft became the first to fly over Mount Everest on 3 April 1933.James 2008, p. 24. Most of the Wallaces served with the

Auxiliary Air Force The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of His Majesty's Reserve Air Forces (Reserve Forces Act 1996, Part 1, Para 1,(2),(c)). It provides a primary rein ...

: 501, 502, 503 and 504 squadrons beginning with the converted Wapitis early in 1933.Thetford 1957, pp. 456–457. Others operated with the Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Flight at

RAF Biggin Hill London Biggin Hill Airport is an operational general aviation airport at Biggin Hill in the London Borough of Bromley, located south-southeast of Central London. The airport was formerly a Royal Air Force station RAF Biggin Hill, and a small ...

. The last Wallace was completed in October 1936. The first RAF casualties of WW2 occurred when a Wallace of the RAF Observer School (K6028) crashed at Bennachie, near Aberdeen. Pilot Officer Ellard Alexander Cummings (23) from Ottawa, Canada and Leading Aircraftman Alexander Ronald Renfrew Stewart (24) both lost their lives. When withdrawn from the general purpose role, many Wallaces were converted into

target tug A target tug is an aircraft which tows an unmanned drone, a fabric drogue or other kind of target, for the purposes of gun or missile target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent com ...

s. A total of 83 Wallaces remained in service at the beginning of the Second World War. The last were withdrawn in 1943.James 1991, p. 208.

Variants

;Westland PV-6:Prototype, later converted to military configuration as a Wallace I. ;Houston-Wallace: Alternative name for the PV-6 as modified for the Everest expedition. ;Wallace Mk I:Conversion from Wapiti powered by a Bristol Pegasus IIM3 engine, 68 converted. ;Wallace Mk II:New aircraft with glazed cockpit and powered by a Bristol Pegasus IV engine, 104 built.

Operators

; *

** No. 501 Squadron RAF ** No. 502 Squadron RAF ** No. 503 Squadron RAF ** No. 504 Squadron RAF

Specifications (Westland Wallace II)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * James, Derek N. ''Westland Aircraft since 1915''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1991. . * James, Derek. "To The Top of the World". ''Aeroplane''. Vol. 36, No. 4, Issue No 420, April 2008, pp. 20–25. * Mondey, David. ''The Hamlyn Concise Guide to British Aircraft of World War II''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1994. . * Thetford, O. ''Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1918-57''. London: Putnam, 1957.

External links

Westland Wallace Mk II
{{Authority control 1930s British military utility aircraft Wallace Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Aircraft first flown in 1931