Most scale modellers are familiar with the Ford / Stout 'Tin Goose' and Fokker F.VIi trimotors. However, Britain had its own three-engined airliner in 1930s, the Westland Wessex. The Wessex first flew on the 21st February 1929, and was originally fitted with the Cirrus engine of 95hp. It was designed for two crew and four passengers and proved to be a reliable design that impressed prospective operators with its economy and comparatively short take-off run. The Wessex was just the ticket when Sir Alan Cobham set up his air service between Guernsey and the UK mainland. Ten examples were built. Re-equipped with the Armstrong Siddeley Genet engine of 140hp, providing the Wessex with a maximum speed of 122mph/ and a range of 420 miles. For those who collect obscure facts of aviation, as a stop-gap, the Wessex prototype was first flown with an off-the-shelf Westland Wapiti rudder. It functioned so well, the design was retained for all ten production airframes.
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