Ugly Airplanes, pt7 - lysander.jpg (1/1)

"Mitchell Holman" wrote in message
...
"Chris D" wrote in news:47cc585c$0$26468$afc38c87
@news.optusnet.com.au:


"Mitchell Holman" wrote in message
...

Interesting. My guess is that it was produced in the Photoshop factory in
Sussex?


"The concept of a turret night-fighter version of the Lysander
culminated in the curious "Experimental Aeroplane No. 136". Late
in 1940, a further attempt was made to fit a turret, this time
according to the French Delanne formula. This meant fitting a
second wing in tandem to the main one - effectively a much
enlarged tailplane - with end-plate fins and rudders. The aircraft
became a kind of hybrid, an army-co-operation aircraft with a
"generic" heavy bomber tail unit.

The aircraft underwent trials in the winter of 1940-41. Lysander
K6127 was by now fitted with a Bristol Perseus XII engine. Radical
changes to the rear fuselage enabled a mock-up of a four-gun Nash
& Thompson turret to be installed, made of plywood and perspex and
having a very light framework. The overall length of the aircraft
became 25 feet 7 inches. It was hoped the design would develop into
an effective night-fighter, or at least a gunnery trainer. However,
the Lysander turret night-fighter, despite successful flight trials,
remained a one-off experiment."

http://www.unrealaircraft.com/hybrid.../lysan_mod.php

Thanks Mitchell, I would never have believed it was for real. Particularly
with the quality of the first picture. As for a night fighter version that
they were considering. One would have thought the best place for a turret
would been on top. Then the gunner could fire up into enemy aircraft from
below.