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Wapiti No Photo Available Manufacturer : Westland Number Built : 558 Production Began : 1927 Retired : 1944 Type : The prototype first flew on 7 March 1927. Initial tests showed poor control, and the prototype was modified with a much larger tail and horn-balanced ailerons, solving these problems. (It was later discovered that a 2-foot (0.61 m) fuselage section had been omitted from the prototype – as handling was now acceptable, it was not reinstated.) The Wapiti performed well during RAF trials, while using significant amounts of DH.9A components, and was declared the winner of the competition, an initial contract for 25 aircraft being placed in October 1927. The Wapita entered service with No. 84 Squadron RAF in Iraq in June 1928. It was heavily used in Iraq and India in the Army Cooperation role, acting also sometimes as a bomber or reconnaissance aircraft. Wapitis of No. 20 squadron escorted Victoria troop carriers in the evacuation of Kabul (the Kabul Airlift) in December 1928. It was still in service in India until 1942. In Britain, Wapitis served with the Auxiliary Air Force from 1929 to 1937. It was also flown by Australia and Canada, where it saw service at the start of the Second World War. The prototype Wapiti V, registered G-AAWA, was used for demonstration flights in Argentina and Uruguay on floats, powered by a 550 hp Armstrong Siddeley Panther IIA engine. It was later modified as the Bristol Pegasus-powered Westland PV-6 or Wapiti VII, re-registered G-ACBR (also known as the Houston-Wallace after the patron Lucy, Lady Houston), for an attempt to fly over Mount Everest. Flown by Flt Lt David F. McIntyre and accompanied by a Westland PV-3 the two aircraft became the first to fly over Mount Everest on 3 April 1933. The PV-6 was later designated the Wallace Mk I, bearing serial K3488 which introduced a number of improvements. A total of 68 Wapitis were converted to Wallace Mk I standard.

Wapiti

Signatures for : Wapiti A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. Name Info Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie DSO DFC Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie DSO DFC Died : 16 / 1 / 1997 Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie DSO DFC Group Captain Thomas Gilbert Hamish Mahaddie. DSO, DFC, AFC.. CzMC. Nos 7, 55, and 77 Squadrons. Born In Keith, Edinburgh, on 19 March 1911. He joined the RAF as a part of the 17th Entry at Halton in 1928 and trained as a metal rigger, after which he was posted to Cranwell on ground servicing duties. In 1933 he boarded a troopship bound for the Middle East where he joined No 4 FTS at Abu Suler for pilot training. He gained his wings in 1935 and his first air crew posting was to No 55 Squadron at Hinaldi flying Westland Wapitis. On his return to England in 1937 he joined No 77 Squadron flying Whitleys from Driffield. During World War II he completed a tour of operations with No 77 Squadron before moving to Klnloss to instruct with No 14 OTU. He completed another tour, this time with No 7 Squadron at Oakington on Stirlings, before joining HQ Staff of No 8 (Pathfinder) Group. Group Captain Mahaddie finished the war as Station Commander at RAF Warboys, home of PFF Navigation Training Unit. In June 1945 he was appointed to command No 111 Wing in Germany followed by a spell at the Staff College, Haifa, In 1947. His postwar duties also included two tours of duty at the Air Ministry, as OC Flying Wing at Binbrook, and also as Station Commander at Sylt and Butzwellerhof in Germany. He finally retired from the RAF in 1958 and has since been involved with the film Industry as an aviation consultant specialising in electronics for all three services. Hamish Mahaddie died 16th January 1997. Air Commodore W Bill Pitt-Brown DFC Click the name above to see prints signed by Air Commodore W Bill Pitt-Brown DFC Air Commodore W Bill Pitt-Brown DFC After Cranwell Bill Pitt-Brown was posted to India where he saw service on the North-West Frontier with 31 Squadron flying Wapatis and Valencias. When the Japanese attacked in the far east he was posted to command 5 Squadron flying H75A Mohawk fighters in Assam and on the Imphal and Arakan fronts. Returning to the UK he was given command of 174 Squadron with Typhoons which he led through the Normandy Invasion. In August 1944 he became Wing Leader of 121 Wing. He was rested in October 1944 after a total of more than 100 operational sorties. He went on to high command of the RAF after the war. Memories of Normandy are coloured by the enemy speed of reaction to our air supremacy. In the first few days after D-Day the enemy rushed forward to confront the Allies. We created havoc by picking off targets to jam the traffic and then methodically flaming the lot. Very large losses of German tanks and MT were inflicted in the fluid situation. Then suddenly by day nothing in the area was immediately visible. The German guns and tanks had dug in hull-down in the deep bocage country hedges which were perfect for camouflage. MT moved cautiously in shade and shadow. The vicious close-quarter tank and infantry fighting was largely unseen. Air attacks on map references were acknowledged by the Army to be effective but were frustrating since results were seldom seen except for transport brew ups. The picture was transformed when the Allies burst out of the bridgehead primarily through sheer force of numbers. the whole area east of Avranches - Vire, Mortain, Flers, Falaise, Argentan erputed and became a seething mass of enemy trying to retreat. The air forces smashed, burnt and killed. It seemed unbelievable that so much enemy force could have been concealed; now that they were all in the open, the slaughter, explosions, and fires burning from endless daily air attack obliterated everything. It was deadful; dead horse-drawn transport, bloated farm animals and humans all contributed to the sickly sweet smell of death. The enemy escaped annihilation by being highly disciplined even after such a defeat. Their losses were appalling but their retreat was never a rout.

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