Lysander Special

The Westland Lysander was the first of the monoplane army co-operation aircraft for the Royal Air Force, and a contemporary of the Spitfire and Hurricane fighters and the Blenheim and Whitley bombers. It was produced under an RAF Expansion Scheme brought about by the growing threat from Nazi Germany. Selection of the Lysander resulted after the Air Ministry had studied three firms' submissions to meet their Specification A39/34 for a two-seat army co-operation aircraft.