Armstrong Whitworth Wolf
The Armstrong Whitworth Wolf was a British two-seat reconnaissance aircraft ordered by the Royal Air Force in 1923.
Design and Development
The Wolf was a two-bay biplane with an unconventional configuration, as its fuselage was positioned between the upper and lower wings. Although evaluated, it did not secure a production contract. The three aircraft built for the RAF were instead transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, where they spent their service lives as experimental test beds.
In addition to the initial order, Armstrong Whitworth produced two examples for the RAF Reserve Flying School at Whitley, followed by a sixth and final aircraft completed in 1929. These later Wolves were used as trainers and gained a good reputation among pilots. However, their rigging and undercarriage arrangements were considered inconvenient by ground crews, who found maintenance more demanding than on comparable types.
All Wolves were withdrawn from use in 1931. Most were subsequently scrapped, with only the last constructed airframe retained. This final aircraft was sent to Hamble, where it served as an instructional example for technical training.
