The Wren Type 9 Jet Fighter Project

[Leading Observer]

The Wren Type 9 Jet Fighter Project
Like many manufacturers towards the end of WW2, the Wren Aircraft Company were keen to enter the new jet age, and set to work developing their own fighter aircraft utilizing the exciting new type of power plant.
Wrens first jet fighter, the Type VII, known as the Assassin, which first flew in 1945, was a twin seat, twin engined flying wing design, but following its loss in combat [the development of the Type VII, and the circumstances leading to its loss are fully described in David Bruces excellent book "Assassin"], Peter Wren felt that a single engined design of more conventional layout would better meet the requirements of Air Ministry Specification E.10/44 (issued February 1945), which specified a maximum speed of 550 mph (885 km/h) up to 30,000 ft (9,100 m), and be both more economical for the Company to produce and easier for pilots to fly in service use, should orders be forthcoming.
Drawing on experience gained designing and developing both the Wren Type 6 and the Type VII [Assassin] aircraft, the companies Chief Designers Harry Mason and John Wren very quickly had a design finalised, and using parts already to hand, including a pair of Spitfire Vc wings from the unfortunate Type VIII and frames and panels left over from the Type 6, the new aircraft was ready to took shape. All they needed was an engine!
Using his contacts at the Air Ministry, Peter Wren was able pull a few strings and obtain one of the new Nene engine being developed by Rolls-Royce and this was soon fitted into the new aircraft. With the engine installed, work progressed smoothly and the aircraft was completed later that year. Its first flight took place in April 1946 in the hands of Peter Wren. Whilst the aircraft performed well in the air, it was soon discovered that the spindly undercarriage, inherited from its Spitfire Vc ancestor, coupled with the power of the jet engine, made it extremely difficult to taxi, and this ruled out any potential development of a navalised version. As a consequence, the company lost out to the very similar Supermarine Attacker, [which of ironically was based in part on data obtained from the company's own Type 8 aircraft], and as no orders were placed by the MoS for the Type 9, the decision was taken that no further development of the would take place, and the prototype was scrapped shortly afterwards.
This decision had lasting consequences for the Wren Aircraft Company. The Ministry of Supply made it known that they had decided that Wren were too small to compete with the larger companies for any future military contracts, and as a result, Wren quietly retired from the aircraft production world.

[chrisonord]

Very nice indeed 

[NARSES2]

The wings suit it