Powered by the Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah engine, a total of 65 aircraft were ordered, contingent on the success of the flight test programme.

[2] The aircraft was a single-engined biplane constructed of wood with sharply-tapered wings and fabric-covered control surfaces.

An enclosed cabin with one seat was provided so the Queen Wasp could be flown manually with the radio control system turned off.

In flight tests, the aircraft was found to be underpowered and water handling difficulties necessitated a redesign of the floats by their manufacturer, Short Brothers.

[2] Airspeed proposed a number of unsuccessful designs derived from the Queen Wasp including the AS.38 communications aircraft and the AS.50 trainer developed to meet Specification T.24/40.