Westland F.7/30

Westland Aircraft

Industry	Aerospace, Defence
Headquarters	Yeovil , United Kingdom
Products	Aircraft

The Westland F.7/30 (also known as Westland PV.4) was a British prototype fighter aircraft developed in 1934. Only one unit was constructed, and the design did not advance to production as its capabilities failed to meet the Royal Air Force's expectations. Ultimately, the Gloster Gladiator secured victory in the F.7/30 contest.

Development

The Westland F.7/30 emerged from a response to Air Ministry Specification F.7/30, initially issued in October 1931 and subject to multiple revisions thereafter. The specification sought a day and night fighter equipped with four .303-inch (7.7-mm) machine guns, capable of reaching a minimum speed of 195 mph (314 km/h), exhibiting a rapid climb rate, and maintaining a low landing speed. While the specification did not mandate the use of the Rolls-Royce Goshawk evaporative cooling engine, the Air Ministry showed an informal preference for it, leading all shortlisted prototype designs to incorporate this powerplant. The document emphasized the necessity for excellent pilot visibility during combat and proposed a low-wing monoplane as one potential approach; alternatively, a pusher configuration was also considered.

Arthur Davenport, the designer behind the Westland F.7/30, initially conceived a monoplane featuring an engine embedded within the fuselage above the wing center section, transmitting power to a tractor propeller via an extended driveshaft. This arrangement positioned the pilot just ahead and slightly above the engine, providing superior forward visibility. However, concerns regarding potentially high landing speeds prompted a redesign into a biplane format with an upper wing shaped in a gull wing style.

Completed in 1934 in this altered biplane configuration, the F.7/30 presented an unconventional yet refined appearance. The gull-shaped upper wing and straight lower wing were linked by N-shaped struts and reinforced with bracing wires. Its fixed landing gear featured main wheels enclosed by spats. The pilot’s cockpit was positioned ahead of the wing’s leading edge and elevated, affording excellent visibility forward, upward, and laterally. Initially open-cockpit, it was later enclosed through two modification stages. Armament consisted of four machine guns mounted within the cockpit’s side panels—two on each side.

The original tail design was distinctive; its rudder hinge line stood vertical when on the ground rather than during flight—a feature intended to enhance ground handling effectiveness. After testing, however, a larger tailfin with a more conventional layout replaced this design.

Power came from a Rolls-Royce Goshawk III or IIS engine cooled via a radiator placed ventrally behind the fixed undercarriage legs. The engine’s location placed exhaust outlets between the wings just aft and below the cockpit.

Flight tests conducted at RAF Andover revealed that the Westland F.7/30’s performance was significantly below specification requirements: although some sources cite speeds near 185 mph (298 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,600 metres), data from July 1935 indicated a maximum speed of only 146 mph (235 km/h) at 10,000 feet (3,000 m)—approximately 100 mph (160 km/h) slower than its competitor, the Gloster Gladiator. Additionally, it required 18.8 minutes to reach 20,000 feet (6,100 m) altitude. Due to these unsatisfactory results, development of the type was discontinued.