Westland Lysander - Geneseo Air Show

Westland Lysander -

Pilot Rick Rickards

Crew Richard Moos

Westland Aircraft of Yeovil, UK, started to design an Army Cooperation aircraft for the British Air Ministry, in June 1935. The first Lysander flew a year later and demonstrated a remarkable short field performance that today would be seen in a STOL aircraft. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, seven RAF squadrons equipped with Lysanders were sent to France in support of the British Army. In May-June 1940, 118 Lysanders were destroyed in action and 120 aircrew were killed or taken prisoner. These severe losses showed that the old ideas about army support aircraft were out of date and the future lay in fighters like the Hurricane.

The most daring use of Lysanders in WW II was with the Special Operations Executive, which supported the Resistance in German occupied France and Belgium, by flying in agents and picking up escapees. It was during these night operations, that the Lysander came into its own, using its remarkable STOL capabilities to fly into the small fields marked out by the Resistance....more info, click on the link below:
http://www.warplane.com/vintage-aircr...

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum -

Website: http://www.warplane.com/

National Warplane Museum -

Website: http://www.nationalwarplanemuseum.org/

Facebook:   / 318097311071