King George VI views the Westland Lysander

Co-operation of the Air Force with the Army demanded a special type of aircraft. This view of a Westland Lysander co-operative machine, having a punctured tire serviced on a snow-covered aerodrome, shows its unusual wing design.

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The Westland Lysander could carry food supplies, for isolated troops, in cylinders on the stub wing.​

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The Westland Lysander II was specially designed for the Army co-operation squadrons of the R.A.F The wings were set high so that the large cabin gave an extensive field of view. The full length of the wing was slotted and fitted with flaps so that it could have full control at speeds as low as 45 m.p.h. Not only could it land in and rise from a small field, but it could go so slowly as almost to hover in the wind. His Majesty, seeing it up in a 50 m.p.h wind, declared that it "must be going backward." It could rise sharply at great speed. Parachute flares, extra fuel tanks, parachute supply containers, or bombs could be carried on the special stub wings attached to the spats. Two machine-guns were enclosed in the wheel fairings as well as landing lights. These unique features made the Lysander an ideal machine for the diverse duties it had to perform for the army in the field.

The King inspects the assembly of Lysanders in a West Country aircraft factory. The cabin gave the pilot the wide field of view required by Army co-operative duties. ​

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The King and Queen standing beneath a Bristol Beaufort bomber chat with the chief test pilot of the Bristol factory. ​

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The King inspects a completed Lysander. The rod and hook beneath the fuselage are used for picking up messages.​

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