Westland-Hill Pterodactyl

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Pterodactyl 1A (Flight 1928)

Pterodactyl 1A pictured from below (Flight 1928) - note the reptile-like paint scheme

The Pterodactyl series of experimental tailless aircraft designs were developed by Geoffrey T. R. Hill in the 1920s and early 1930s. They are named after the genus Pterodactylus, a well-known type of Pterosaur commonly known as the pterodactyl.

History

Captain G.T.R. Hill designed the Pterodactyl in an attempt to develop a safer aircraft: many pilots lost their lives when their craft stalled, went into a spin and flew into the ground, and Hill wanted to develop a design which was resistant to stalling and spinning. His investigations resulted in a tailless type with swept wings in the form of a blunt arrow head. The designs were credited as being inspired by observation of seagulls.^{[citation needed]}

Helped by his wife, he constructed a prototype which was flown as a glider in 1926. The machine was later fitted with a 35 h.p. Bristol Cherub engine and taken to Farnborough, where it was demonstrated to the Secretary of State for Air, Sir Samuel Hoare.

All subsequent examples were built by Westland Aircraft, having their first flights from RAF Andover. The first Westland-built type, the Pterodactyl I, was a braced shoulder-wing monoplane with fully moving wingtips and single pusher propellor. If both tips were moved in the same way they functioned as elevators, in opposite ways then as aileronsIt was designated the Mk. IA or IB according to which engine was fitted.

The next model to be built was the Mk. IV, which flew in 1931. It was a three-seat cabin monoplane in which the all-moving tips were replaced by conventional ailerons. An unusual feature was the use of variable wing sweep to provide longitudinal trim.

The final variant, the Mk. V, flew the next year, in 1932. A two-seat fighter powered by a 600 h.p. Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine, it differed noticeably from the previous versions in having a sesquiplane lower wing and tractor propeller. The lower wing was unswept and of short span, and braced to the upper wing. The forward propeller position, together with the tailless wing configuration, gave the rear gunner an outstanding field of fire. Despite its performance and flyability in other respects rivalling its conventional competitor the Hawker Hart it was not accepted for production.

Hill would later work on further Pterodactyl projects in conjunction with companies such as Short Brothers, but no more were built.

Aircraft

Pterodactyl

Glider, built by G T R Hill and his wife in 1926; later fitted with Bristol Cherub engine in co-operation with the Air Ministry.

Pterodactyl IA

First Westland-built example, a braced monoplane with Bristol Cherub engine.

Pterodactyl IB

The IA fitted with an Armstrong Siddeley Genet engine and smaller rudders.

Pterodactyl IV

Three seat cabin monoplane of 44 ft 4 in span and 19 ft 6 in length, produced in 1931. Pitch and roll control by elevons. Also a braced monoplane, the wings had variable sweep through a small range of angles, to allow longitudinal trim in flight in the absence of any horizontal stabiliser.

Pterodactyl V

Fighter design in the form of a sesquiplane with straight lower wing. Fitted with a 600 hp Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine and 2 Vickers machine guns, it demonstrated equal capability to conventional fighters of the day, but other issues prevented it from going into production.

Pterodactyl VI

Designed to Specification F.5/33 for a 2 seater fighter aircraft with front mounted turret. Pusher engine design with powered, front-mounted gun turret.

Pterodactyl Mk VII

Designed to Specification R1/33. Flying boat with two tractor and two pusher engines

Short Brothers-Hill Pterodactyl VIII

Proposed Flying wing transatlantic passenger aircraft with 5 pusher Rolls-Royce Griffon engines.

Surviving aircraft

The Pterodactyl 1A of 1926 is held by the Science Museum London.

References

Lukins, A.H.; The book of Westland aircraft, Aircraft (Technical) Publications Ltd, 1943 or 1944.
British Aircraft directory 9 February 2007
Intriguing aircraft 9 February 2007
Westland history 9 February 2007

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westland-Hill Pterodactyl.

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