Airspeed Queen Wasp
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| AS.30 Queen Wasp | |
|---|---|
| Type | Pilotless Target Aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Airspeed (1934) Ltd |
| Maiden flight | 1937 |
| Introduced | 1937 |
| Primary user | Royal Air Force |
| Produced | 1937 |
| Number built | 5 |
The Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp was a British pilotless target aircraft built by Airspeed Limited at Portsmouth.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
The Queen Wasp was built to meet an Air Ministry Specification Q.32/25 for a pilotless target aircraft to replace the de Havilland Tiger Moth based de Havilland Queen Bee. Two prototypes were ordered in May 1936, one to have a wheeled landing gear for use by the Royal Air Force and the other as a floatplane for Royal Navy use for air-firing practice at sea.
The aircraft was a single-engined biplane constructed of wood with sharply-tapered wings and fabric-covered control surfaces. An enclosed cabin with one seat was provided so the Queen Wasp could be flown manually with the radio control system turned off. The landplane first flew on 11 June 1937, and the floatplane on 19 October 1937. The floatplane was successfully catapulted from HMS Pegasus in November 1937. In flight tests, the aircraft was found to be underpowered and only three more aircraft were built and delivered to the Royal Air Force.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (Landplane)
General characteristics
- Length: 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
- Wingspan: 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
- Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
- Max takeoff weight: 3,500 lb (1588 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 172 mph (277 km/h)
[edit] See also
Related lists
[edit] References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
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