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The museum is closed September 11 to October 6 with special programming in place. Learn more.
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Ingenium Canada Aviation and Space Museum

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Westland Lysander III

Hours and Location

Closed September 11 to October 6
Address
11 Aviation Parkway, Ottawa, ON
Admission
Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Browse All Visitor Information

Westland Lysander III

Westland Lysander III

Highlights:

  • A British single-engine observation aircraft developed by Westland Aircraft Limited and produced from 1938 to 1942
  • Named after Spartan general Lysander, it was also known as "Lizzie"
  • Short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) capabilities meant it could operate from unprepared fields
  • Obsolete by 1940, it was replaced by fighter planes used in a reconnaissance role
  • Built in Canada by National Steel Car Corporation (Malton, Ontario) for the RCAF; initially used for observation, then by bombing and gunnery schools
  • Delivered over a hundred agents into occupied Europe on night missions, using fields as runways
  • Postwar, it did not see civilian use, with the exception of the few used as crop-dusters in Western Canada
  • First flight was in June 1936

Image Gallery:

CASM-6994

CASM-6994

CASM-B2,T22,RD,C5

CASM-B2,T22,RD,C5

CASM-21240

CASM-21240

History:

The Lysander was built to a specification calling for a rugged, short-take-off-and-landing (STOL) aircraft for low-level reconnaissance and observation. Unfortunately the specification had been drawn up with First World War in mind. However excellent an airplane, the Lysander proved too vulnerable to survive modern warfare. After 1940, British Lysanders were used for search-and-rescue, and unusual missions such as flying spies in and out of the continent. Canadian-built Lysanders were used chiefly as target tugs at Canadian bombing and gunnery schools.

Called the “Lizzie”, the Lysander was a remarkable flying machine with excellent low-speed capabilities. A Lizzie drifting backward over the airfield as it flew slowly into a headwind was a remarkable sight at Canadian training bases. Spy delivery and pick-up flights were hazardous affairs during which jet-black Lizzies flew with ladders fixed outside and with the rear cockpits jammed with operatives. Landings took place at night in open country inside France or Belgium on improvised landing areas lit by flashlights held, it was hoped, by members of the resistance.

Current Location:

Second World War Exhibition, Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Provenance:

Donation from the Canadian Air Force

The Museum's aircraft was made using parts of three Lysanders. It was built as a centennial project by the RCAF at Winnipeg, Manitoba. The exact identity of the three aircraft is uncertain, but it is known that the fuselage was manufactured by Westland Aircraft Limited in Yeovil, United Kingdom and the wings by National Steel Car Corporation in Malton, Ontario. The composite aircraft was finished in the markings of a Lysander I serving with No. 110 Squadron RCAF in England in 1940.

This Lysander was first flown on December 29, 1967 by project officer Captain Bernie Lapointe. It was used for several demonstrations in Western and Central Canada before being flown to Rockcliffe airport. It was donated to the Museum in September 1968 and was last flown in October 1970.

Technical Information:

Wing Span 15.2 m (50 ft)
Length 9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Height 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Weight, Empty 2,118 kg (4,670 lb)
Weight, Gross 2,766 kg (6,100 lb)
Cruising Speed 274 km/h (170 mph)
Max Speed 350 km/h (217 mph)
Rate of Climb 6,100 m (20,000 ft) / 21.7 min
Service Ceiling 7,270 m (23,850 ft)
Range 966 m (600 mi)
Power Plant one Bristol Mercury XX, 870 hp, radial engine

Westland Lysander III

AVIATION
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Artifact No.
1968.0890
Manufacturer
Westland Aircraft Ltd.
Manufacturer Location
Great Britain
Manufacture Date
1967 (Rebuilt)
Acquisition Date
1968
Registration Number
R9003 (RAF)
  • View all the collection highlights at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum
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About Canada Aviation and Space Museum

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Located on a former military air base just five kilometers from the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum focuses on aviation in Canada within an international context – from its beginnings in 1909 to today.
Read more about the museum

Contact Us

Canada Aviation and Space Museum
11 Aviation Parkway
Ottawa ON K1K 2X5
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Admission
    • Hours
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Health and Safety
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Flights and Simulations
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
    • Birthday Parties
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • The Legacy Series
    • Let's Talk Energy