The Aviation Historian — January 2018

98 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 22

was the sole example powered by a Rolls-
Royce Clyde two-spool turboprop. The Clyde
was smaller, lighter and easier to install in the
Wyvern Mk 1 airframe than the Python, and
more powerful, but, despite its considerable
promise, Rolls-Royce again decided to curtail
work to concentrate on pure jet engines. This
would prove to be premature and Rolls-Royce
would soon re-enter the turboprop market. The
single Clyde Wyvern, VP120, accrued a mere
50hr of flying time and ended its life as a crash-
barrier test airframe. In the meantime, the loss of
the Clyde and the Eagle left the Wyvern with the
least suitable engine, which took considerable
work to render fit for purpose.

Out of time
Interest in the Eagle-engined aircraft dwindled
quickly. An initial order for 20 production-
standard Mk 1s was cut to ten and then
cancelled after seven had been built. After their
trials careers they faded from view and were
disposed of sooner or later. One is believed to
have been buried at RNAS Sultan, Gosport.
Some of the “production” Mk 1s never even

flew, including VR137, which went to Cranfield

as an instructional airframe. By 1966 it was

the only complete Wyvern in existence, all

production aircraft having been scrapped or lost

in accidents. This aircraft, now on display at the

Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, is similar in

most respects to TS378 or TS380 (as seen ABOVE),

as a fully navalised machine representative of a

service aircraft had the Eagle-powered version

progressed. It has also been restored to its

original bare-metal finish, although such was the

lack of interest in it when it was completed

that it never even received any markings.

A different Wyvern and possibly a different location — the aircraft is probably the

third or fourth of the original six prototypes. Of the Eagle-powered machines, only

TS378 and TS380 appear to have worn the post-war Admiralty colour scheme of

Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky as seen here in this group shot. The location is hard

to establish, although it may be Merryfield or even Rolls-Royce’s aerodrome at

Hucknall. The gentleman in the white shirt and spectacles is believed to be Dennis

Edkins, Wyvern designer Teddy Petter’s assistant.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank

Robin Carter of the Wyvern Project, and the Editor

thanks the late John Havers and Richard and Bettina

Havers, for their help with the preparation of this article

THE WYVERN PROJECT is an active tribute to all

those who helped to develop, fly and maintain the

Westland Wyvern, and has been collecting Wyvern

remains, information and images for 25 years; for more

info visit http://www.facebook.com/Westland.Wyvern.S4/

TAH