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Aviation History
1941
1941 - 0255.PDF
JANUARY 30TH, 1941. FRIEND or FOE? Spotting Enemy Aircraft : Characteristics to be Noted for Identification LYSANDER Westland Lysander ; Two-seater. Strut-braced high-wing.Fixed undercarriage with stub-wings for bombs or supply- containers. Squat fuselage with totally-enclosed cockpit.Radial engine. Tail surfaces of large area. A LTHOUGH the Westland Lysander, designed speci- /"A fically for Army co-operation, is a familiar sight in Great Britain and is distinctive enough to be in- stantly recognised from any other British type by the veriest novice among spotters, it has a fairly close approxi- mation in its German counterpart, the Henschel Hs 126, which has so far remained a distinct rarity over these shores. But with the accepted possibility of an attempted invasion by German forces, perhaps during the next few weeks, the likelihood of the Hs 126 putting in a definite appearance is not to be ignored. As is the case with other "opposite numbers" among Allied and enemy aircraft, the Lysander and the Hs 126 have a number of distinct differences in spite of their strong general resemblance. It so happens that these two aircraft become quite different-looking machines when they present the spotter with a clear side-view. From this pgle the British plane ap- ears as a short, squat Machine with its wing-roots anchored to the apex of its lofty cabin, whereas the Henschel has an altogether longer and slimmer appear- ance . Sharp differences in other details will also be seen from this aspect. In the case of the Lysander the V-struts meet the legs of the undercarriage at the bottom of the fuselage, but on the Hs 126 the '' legs '' are well forward of the vving-struts, lhe Lysander's tailplane is mounted level with the bottom of the fuselage and follows the cantilever prin- ciple found on most British machines, whereas that of the Hs 126 is mounted high on the fin and is externally braced with double struts. Yet another difference is Hsl26 frT Henschel Hs 126 ; Two-s;ater. Strut-braced, parasol wing,back-swept. Fixed undercarriage. Semi-enclosed cockpit. Radial engine. Double strut-braced tailplane set highon fin. that the Lysander pilot sits with his head practically level with the leading-edge and his windscreen projects well in front of it. But the pilot's cockpit of the Henschel is just behind the narrow centre-section of the wing, the trailing- edge of which has a pronounced cut-out immediately above the windscreen. A comparison between the two half-tone pictures above and the two centre diagrams showing side- views will be particularly helpful here. When seen head-on, or nearly so, the presence of stub- wings just above the wheel-spats will help to identify the machine as a British Lysander, but stress should be laid on the fact that, as these are detachable and are occasions- ally "not worn," their absence must not be relied upon to establish hostile identity. Neither should it be for- gotten, of course, that the wily Hun might suddenly de- cide to add deceptive stub-wings to his Henschel when co-operating with his would- be invaders. The wings of both these aircraft are of unusual design, and they can readily be identified when seen from directly below. In plan, the Lysander wing appears to be swept forward (though this is not actually so), and the Hs 126 has a definite back-sweep. From a head- on view, about the only way to differentiate between the two rival aircraft is to look at the centre-section of the wing. On the Lysander it is broken by the top of the cabin to which it is attached, whereas the Henschel is a " one piece ' parasol wing anchored to the fuselage by centre- section struts and clear of the half-covered cockpit aft of the trailing edge. Next week: Lockheed Hudson and Me no.
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