The Westland Scio The Westland Scio was a successor to the Whirlwind. “Scio” is Saxon for “Sky”. The Scio was designed between the Whirlwind and the Welkin. It was intended to be a photo reconnaissance aircraft.
Equipped with twin Rolls Royce Griffin engines, extended wings and two photographic cameras it was meant to soar high above the earth, taking photos of the ground far beneath. It was designed to cruise for extended range at over 40,000 feet. It carried sufficient film to photograph 150 miles in a swath 10 miles wide. It was meant to elude all potential enemy interceptors by it’s high altitude and its high speed of over 390 mph at 40,000.
The Scio was developed in 1942 as a successor to the Whirlwind which was tested as a Photo-Recce aircraft in 1940. In competition against the Spitfire, the Spitfire winning primarily because of the amount of support available to it, rather than necessarily because it was the better aircraft. The Whirlwind was found to have a ceiling of over 35,000 feet and a speed of approximately 300 mph. The decision was taken to build a better Whirlwind and so the Scio resulted. It was a Whirlwind with six feet longer wings and twin Griffin engines able to cruise at 40,000 feet.
Three prototypes were built and used experimentally by RAE to prove it’s capabilities. The model depicts the first prototype intended to prove the aerodynamics of the aircraft. It was not adopted by the RAF and instead the Spitfire and Mosquito fulfilled it’s role. The Scio was the link between the Whirlwind and the Welkin.
The ModelThe model is an Airfix one, with extended wings from plasticard and resin engine cowls from 63cpe, The propellers from an Airfix Spitfire Mk.22 kit. The decals are from the Whirlwind kit and Kit’s Decals. The paint is from Vallejo and applied with a hairy stick.