{"product_id":"trumpeter-plastic-model-kit-westland-wyvern-s-4-1-72","title":"Trumpeter Plastic Model Kit Westland Wyvern S.4 — 1:72","description":"\u003cp\u003eManufacturer\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTrumpeter is a Chinese manufacturer of injection-moulded plastic scale models. The company's 01619 is part of its extensive 1:72 aircraft range and represents the British post-war Westland Wyvern S.4, one of the most distinctive carrier strike aircraft operated by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is listed as a 151-part model, with decals for three markings.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit contents\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Trumpeter kit contains approximately 151 parts and represents the definitive S.4 production version.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit includes:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Injection-moulded fuselage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Upper and lower wing sections\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Folding wing components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Cockpit and pilot's seat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Instrument panel\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Canopy\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Westland Wyvern's distinctive contra-rotating propellers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Armstrong Siddeley Python engine representation\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Four-bladed propeller assemblies\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Tailplane and fin\/rudder\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Retractable undercarriage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wheel and undercarriage-bay components\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Four 20 mm cannon\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Underwing\/under-fuselage stores\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Separate control surfaces\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Clear parts\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Decals\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Assembly instructions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit is described by specialist references as a 151-part 1:72 plastic model, with decals for three markings.\n\u003cbr\u003eHistory of the full-size aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Westland Wyvern was a British single-seat carrier-based strike aircraft developed immediately after the Second World War. It was designed by Westland Aircraft for the Royal Navy and represented a major step forward from the piston-engined naval fighters of the wartime period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern's development was complicated by the rapid transition from piston engines to jet propulsion. The original aircraft was conceived around a piston engine, but the design eventually became one of the world's most powerful turboprop-powered carrier aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prototype first flew in 1946, and production continued through the early 1950s. The final production aircraft was the S.4, which became the only version to see combat.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe Armstrong Siddeley Python\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern's most distinctive technical feature was its Armstrong Siddeley Python turboprop engine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Python was a powerful turboprop producing approximately 3,560 hp in the S.4 installation. Instead of driving a conventional single propeller, the engine drove two contra-rotating propellers mounted on the same axis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis arrangement allowed the Wyvern to absorb the Python's enormous power without requiring an excessively large single propeller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe resulting four-bladed-plus-four-bladed propeller arrangement gave the aircraft its instantly recognisable appearance.\n\u003cbr\u003eDesign\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern was a relatively large aircraft for a single-seat carrier aircraft. It featured:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    A powerful turboprop engine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Contra-rotating propellers\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Folding wings for carrier storage\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Retractable landing gear\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Four 20 mm cannon\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Substantial external weapons capacity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Armoured cockpit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Large fuel capacity\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft was designed primarily as a strike fighter, meaning it could attack surface targets while retaining sufficient performance to defend itself.\n\u003cbr\u003ePerformance\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePublished specifications for the S.4 include approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Engine: Armstrong Siddeley Python turboprop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Power: approximately 3,560 hp\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Length: 12.88 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Wingspan: 13.41 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Height: 4.8 m\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum speed: approximately 616 km\/h \/ 383 mph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Service ceiling: approximately 8,500 m \/ 27,900 ft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum range: approximately 1,460 km\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Fixed armament: 4 × 20 mm Hispano cannon\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Maximum external stores: approximately 1,300 kg of bombs and\/or rockets\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern's relatively modest maximum speed compared with contemporary jet fighters reflects its role as a heavily loaded naval strike aircraft rather than an air-superiority fighter.\n\u003cbr\u003eProduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately 127 Wyverns were completed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe S.4 was the definitive production version, with earlier pre-production versions accounting for the remaining aircraft. The final production aircraft were completed during the mid-1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft entered Royal Navy service during the 1950s, just as naval aviation was undergoing another major transition from piston and turboprop aircraft to jets.\n\u003cbr\u003eCarrier operations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern was specifically designed for carrier operations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts folding wings reduced the aircraft's footprint when stored below deck, while the robust landing gear and arrestor hook allowed it to operate from Royal Navy carriers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft served with Fleet Air Arm squadrons aboard carriers including:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    HMS Eagle\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    HMS Albion\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    HMS Ark Royal\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    HMS Bulwark\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts combination of long range, heavy weapons load and relatively low-speed handling made it well suited to maritime strike missions.\n\u003cbr\u003eCombat in the Suez Crisis\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern achieved combat service during the Suez Crisis of 1956.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRoyal Navy Wyverns conducted strike missions against Egyptian targets during Operation Musketeer, attacking airfields and other military targets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe S.4 was therefore unusual among British turboprop aircraft because it was not merely a training or patrol aircraft: it was a genuine combat aircraft that conducted operational strike missions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Suez operation also demonstrated how quickly aviation technology was changing. By 1956, jet aircraft were already becoming the standard for front-line combat, making the Wyvern's operational career relatively short.\n\u003cbr\u003eEnd of service\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Wyvern was retired from front-line Fleet Air Arm service by the late 1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIts short career was largely a consequence of the rapid development of jet propulsion. Aircraft such as the Hawker Sea Hawk and later the Supermarine Scimitar offered substantially greater performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNevertheless, the Wyvern remains historically significant as one of the most powerful and distinctive turboprop carrier aircraft ever operated by the Royal Navy.\n\u003cbr\u003eSurviving aircraft\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA number of Wyverns survive in museums and collections, making the aircraft unusually well documented for such a short-lived type.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe surviving examples are particularly valuable because the Wyvern's complicated Python engine and contra-rotating propeller installation make it an important example of the final generation of high-performance piston\/turboprop naval strike aircraft.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Trumpeter","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57504170344828,"sku":"Trumpeter-01619","price":23.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/EE5AB0A3-634C-4065-A6F1-408DA1FC3601.jpg?v=1790403607","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/trumpeter-plastic-model-kit-westland-wyvern-s-4-1-72","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}