Westland F.7/30

The Westland F.7/30, also called the Westland PV.4, was a British fighter prototype built in 1934 to Air Ministry Specification F.7/30, which asked for a day and night fighter armed with four .303 inch machine guns and a top speed of at least 195 mph. Designer Arthur Davenport first planned a monoplane with the engine buried in the fuselage, then converted it to an unconventional biplane with a gulled upper wing, a fixed undercarriage with spats, side mounted guns and a Rolls-Royce Goshawk engine cooled by a ventral radiator. The pilot sat ahead of the wing leading edge for an excellent view. Flight testing from RAF Andover showed a top speed of only 146 mph at 10,000 feet, nearly 100 mph slower than the Gloster Gladiator that won the competition, and only one prototype was built before the type was abandoned.