Airspeed Queen Wasp

AS.30 Queen Wasp

Airspeed Queen Wasp, c. 1939
Role	Pilotless Target Aircraft
Manufacturer	Airspeed (1934) Ltd
Designer	Hessell Tiltman/N.S. Norway
First flight	1937
Introduction	1937
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Produced	1937
Number built	5 (5 additional airframes not completed)

The Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp was a British pilotless target aircraft built by Airspeed Limited at Portsmouth during the Second World War. Although intended for both Royal Air Force and Royal Navy use, the aircraft was fated not to go into series production.

Design and development

The Queen Wasp was built to meet an Air Ministry Specification Q.32/35 for a pilotless target aircraft to replace the de Havilland Tiger Moth based de Havilland Queen Bee. Two prototypes were ordered in May 1936, one to have a wheeled landing gear for use by the Royal Air Force and the other as a floatplane for Royal Navy use for air-firing practice at sea. Powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine, a total of 65 aircraft were ordered, contingent on the success of the flight test programme.^[1]

The aircraft was a single-engined biplane constructed of wood with sharply-tapered wings and fabric-covered control surfaces. An enclosed cabin with one seat was provided so the Queen Wasp could be flown manually with the radio control system turned off. The radio control system was complex with a number of backup safety devices to ensure radio and battery operation was uninterrupted. A trailing receiver aerial was winched out after takeoff and served as an automatic landing device which was activated when the trailing aerial weight hit the runway. The sensitivity of the system in turbulent weather meant that an alternative landing signal was used to initiate a landing procedure.^[1]

The landplane first flew on 11 June 1937, and the floatplane on 19 October 1937. The floatplane was successfully catapulted from HMS Pegasus in November 1937.

Operational history

In flight tests, the aircraft was found to be underpowered and water handling difficulties necessitated a redesign of the floats by their builder Shorts. Although the production run of 10 aircraft was begun (P5441–P5450), only three more aircraft were completed and delivered to the Royal Air Force.^[1]

Airspeed proposed a number of unsuccessful designs derived from the Queen Wasp including the AS.38 communications aircraft and the AS.50 trainer developed to meet Specification T.24/40.^[1]

Operators

United Kingdom

Specifications (Landplane)

General characteristics

Length: 24 ft 4 in (7.42 m)
Wingspan: 31 ft 0 in (9.45 m)
Height: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
Max. takeoff weight: 3,500 lb (1588 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah IX radial piston engine, 350 hp (261 kw)

Performance

Maximum speed: 172 mph (277 km/h)
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6100 m)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Airspeed Queen Wasp.

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp" 1978, p. 40.

Bibliography

"Airspeed AS.30 Queen Wasp." Control Column, Official Organ of the British Aircraft Preservation Council, Volume 12, No. 2, February/March 1978.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.

Aircraft produced by Airspeed Ltd

manufacturer designations

AS.1
AS.2
AS.3
AS.4
AS.5
AS.6
AS.7
AS.8
AS.9
AS.10
AS.11
AS.12
AS.14
AS.15
AS.16
AS.17
AS.18
AS.19
AS.20
AS.21
AS.22
AS.23
AS.24
AS.26
AS.27
AS.28
AS.29
AS.30
AS.31
AS.32
AS.33
AS.34
AS.35
AS.36
AS.37
AS.38
AS.39
AS.40
AS.41
AS.42
AS.43
AS.44
AS.45
AS.46
AS.47
AS.48
AS.49
AS.50
AS.51
AS.52
AS.53
AS.54
AS.55
AS.56
AS.57
AS.58
AS.59
AS.60
AS.61
AS.62
AS.63
AS.64
AS.65
AS.66
AS.67
AS.68
AS.69

By role

Airliners	Ferry Courier Envoy Ambassador Consul

Maritime patrol	Fleet Shadower

Racers	Viceroy

Sailplanes	Tern

Target drones	Queen Wasp

Trainers	Oxford Cambridge

Transport gliders	Horsa