The Westland Whirlwind
helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attributes ...
was a British
licence-built Licensed production is the production under license of technology developed elsewhere. The licensee provides the licensor of a specific product with legal production rights, technical information, process technology, and any other proprietary compo ...
version of the U.S.
Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
in anti-submarine and
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
roles.
Design and development
In 1950,
Westland Aircraft
Westland Aircraft was a British aircraft manufacturer located in Yeovil, Somerset. Formed as a separate company by separation from Petters Limited just before the start of the Second World War, Westland had been building aircraft since 1915. D ...
, already building the American
Sikorsky S-51
The Sikorsky H-5 (initially designated R-5 and also known as S-48, S-51 and by company designation VS-327Fitzsimons, Bernard, (general editor). ''Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare'' (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 20, ...
under licence as the
Westland Dragonfly
The Westland WS-51 Dragonfly helicopter was built by Westland Aircraft and was an Anglicised licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-51.
Design and development
On 19 January 1947 an agreement was signed between Westland Aircraft a ...
, purchased the rights to manufacture and sell Sikorsky's larger
Sikorsky S-55
The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw (company model number S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom ...
helicopter. While a Sikorsky-built pattern aircraft was flown by Westland in June 1951, converting the design to meet British standards (including the provision of a revised main-rotor gearbox), was time consuming,
[James 1991, pp.320–321.] and the first prototype British aircraft, registered ''G-AMJT'', powered by the 600 hp
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-40 Wasp did not fly until August 1953.
[James 1991, p.322.] This was followed by ten Whirlwind HAR.1s, which entered service shortly afterwards. They served in non-combat roles, including
search and rescue
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search ...
and communications functions. The HAR.3 had a larger 700 hp
Wright R-1300-3 Cyclone 7 engine.
The performance of early versions was limited by the power of the American Wasp or Cyclone engines, and in 1955, the HAR.5, powered by an uprated engine, the
Alvis Leonides Major
The Alvis Leonides Major was a British air-cooled 14-cylinder radial aero engine developed by Alvis from the earlier nine-cylinder Leonides.
Design and development
In 1951 Alvis started development of a 14-cylinder, two row radial of 1,118 ...
, flew for the first time.
[James 1991, p.329.] This was followed by the similarly powered HAS.7, which became the first British helicopter designed for
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
in the front-line when it entered service in 1957. It could either be equipped with a dipping
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
for submarine detection or carry a torpedo, but could not carry both simultaneously, so sonar equipped "Hunters" were used to direct torpedo armed "Killers".
[James 1991, p.330.] The HAS.7 was powered by a 750 hp (560 kW) Alvis Leonides Major 755/1 radial engine. It had a hovering ceiling at and a range of 334 miles at 86 mph.
In 1960 Westland introduced a Whirlwind powered by the 1,000 hp
Bristol Siddeley Gnome turboshaft
A turboshaft engine is a form of gas turbine that is optimized to produce shaftpower rather than jet thrust. In concept, turboshaft engines are very similar to turbojets, with additional turbine expansion to extract heat energy from the exhaust ...
, the greater power giving much improved performance over the earlier piston-engined variants; helicopters receiving this modification were redesignated as the HAR.9. The Gnome featured an early computer controlled fuel system that removed variations in engine power and made for much easier handling by the pilot.
More than 400 Whirlwinds were built, of which nearly 100 were exported to foreign customers.
[James 1991, p. 336.]
Operational service
848 Naval Air Squadron
848 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It operated the Westland Sea King HC.4 helicopter and previously provided advanced flying training to pilots for the other squadrons in the Commando Helicopter Force. The s ...
of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
was the first squadron to receive HAR.1s, which replaced Sikorsky-built HAR.21 versions of the Whirlwind, for utility and
search-and-rescue service from July 1954. After entering service with the Royal Navy, the Whirlwind also entered service with the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
and
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
, which received 37 Whirlwind HAR.2 between 1954 and 1957.
[James 1991, p. 336.]
The
Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force used Whirlwinds painted in overall yellow for rescuing people in distress around the coast of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky H-34 (in US service known as Choctaw). It was developed and produced under licence by Westland Aircraft (later Westland Helicopters). One of the main chang ...
, and eventually
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engin ...
, helicopters later supplemented and eventually replaced Whirlwinds in this role.
Variants
![Westland Whirlwind HCC12 XR486 (G-RWWW) (6819149990)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/db/Westland_Whirlwind_HCC12_XR486_%28G-RWWW%29_%286819149990%29.jpg)
;WS-55 Series 1 : 44 built; American engines (
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-40 Wasp), transport helicopters for military and civilian use
;WS-55 Series 2 : 19 built; Alvis engines (
Alvis Leonides Major 755
The Alvis Leonides Major was a British air-cooled 14-cylinder radial aero engine developed by Alvis from the earlier nine-cylinder Leonides.
Design and development
In 1951 Alvis started development of a 14-cylinder, two row radial of 1,118 ...
), civilian use
;WS-55 Series 3 : 5 built; Gnome turboshaft (
Bristol Siddeley Gnome 101), civilian use
;HAR.1 : 10 built;
RN service; Search and rescue
;HAR.2 : 33 built;
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
service from 1955
;HC.2 : RAF service
;HAR.3 : 25 built; RN service;
Wright R-1300 Cyclone 7 engine
;HAR.4 : 24 built; Improved HAR.2 for hot and high conditions, RAF service
;HAR.5 : 3 built; Alvis Leonides Major engine and a 3 degree droop of the tail boom for increased main rotor clearance; RN service
;HAR.6 : 1 ordered with Turbomeca Twin Turmo engine but completed as an HAR.5
;HAR.7 : 40 built; RN duties – 6 converted to HAR.9's
;HAS.7 : 89 built; RN anti-submarine duties – 1 torpedo; 12 used as
Royal Marine
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
transports, 6 converted to HAR.9's
;HCC.8 : 2 built;
Royal Flight transport,
VVIP
A very important person or personage (VIP or V.I.P.) is a person who is accorded special privileges due to their high social status, influence or importance. The term was not common until sometime after World War 2 by RAF pilots.
Examples incl ...
later converted to HAR.10's
;HAR.9 : 12 conversions of HAS.7 and HAR.7 with a
Bristol Siddeley Gnome gas turbine replacing the Leonides Major engine, RN service
;HC.10 : RAF service
;HAR.10 : 68 built; powered by a
Bristol Siddeley Gnome turboshaft, RAF service, transport and air-sea rescue
;HCC.12 : 2 built; Royal Flight,
The model numbers for the US-built evaluation models were
;HAR.21 : 10 built by Sikorsky; rescue. Equivalent to US Marine HRS-2.
[Thetford 1978, p.423.]
;HAS.22 : 15 built by Sikorsky; anti-submarine. Equivalent to HO4S-3.
Operators
Military operators
[James 1991, p. 336.]
19 helicopters
Civil operators
[James 1991, p. 327.]
Surviving aircraft
Cyprus
* XD184 – HAR.10 on static display at
RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
as a gate guardian
Germany
* XD186 – HAR.10 on static display at
Flugausstellung Hermeskeil
The Flugausstellung Peter Junior, previously the Flugausstellung Hermeskeil, is a private aviation museum in the town of Hermeskeil in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The museum opened in July 1973 in several buildings with a covered ...
in
Hermeskeil, Rhineland-Palatinate.
* XP352 – HAR.10 on static display at Flugausstellung Hermeskeil in Hermeskeil, Rhineland-Palatinate.
Netherlands
* XG576 – HAR.3 on static display at PS Aero in
Baarlo, Limburg.
United Kingdom
* WA.113 – Series 3 on static display at
The Helicopter Museum
The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, England, is a museum featuring a collection of more than 80 helicopters and autogyros from around the world, both civilian and military. It is based at the southeastern corner of the fo ...
in
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
* WA.298 – Series 3 on static display at the
Midland Air Museum
The Midland Air Museum (MAM) is situated just outside the village of Baginton in Warwickshire, England, and is adjacent to Coventry Airport. The museum includes the ''Sir Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre'' (named after the local aviation pionee ...
in
Baginton, Warwickshire
Baginton is a village and civil parish in the Warwick district of Warwickshire, England, and has a common border with the City of Coventry / West Midlands county. With a population of 801 ( 2001 Census), Baginton village is 4 miles (6.5 km) south ...
.
* WV198 – HAR.21 on static display at the
Solway Aviation Museum
The Solway Aviation Museum is an independently-run aircraft museum located at Carlisle Lake District Airport in Cumbria.
It was closed during 2020 on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022 it is open every weekend from 1st April to 30th Octo ...
in
Crosby-on-Eden, Cumbria.
* XA864 – HAR.1 in storage at the
Fleet Air Arm Museum
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is devoted to the history of British naval aviation. It has an extensive collection of military and civilian aircraft, aero engines, models of aircraft and Royal Navy ships (especially aircraft carriers), and paintin ...
in
Yeovil, Somerset
Yeovil ( ) is a town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the district of South Somerset, England. The population of Yeovil at the last census (2011) was 45,784. More recent estimates show a population of 48,564. It is close to Somer ...
.
* XA870 – HAR.1 on static display at the
South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum
The South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum (SYAM) is a Volunteer led museum located at Lakeside in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. It occupies the former site of the Royal Air Force Station, RAF Doncaster. The museum occupies the last remaining o ...
in
Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. Owned by the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group.
* XD163 – HAR.10 on static display at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
* XG574 – HAR.3 on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovil, Somerset.
* XG588 – Series 3 on static display at
East Midlands Aeropark
East Midlands Airport is an international airport in the East Midlands of England, close to Castle Donington in northwestern Leicestershire, between Loughborough (), Derby () and Nottingham (); Leicester is () to the south and Lincoln () north ...
in
Castle Donington, Leicestershire.
* XG594 – HAS.7 in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovil, Somerset.
* XJ398 – HAR.10 on static display at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Owned by the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group.
* XJ723 – HAR.10 on static display at
Morayvia
Morayvia is a aviation museum located in Kinloss, Moray, Scotland near to Kinloss Barracks (the former RAF Kinloss) a frontline Royal Air Force station.
Exhibits
Exhibits:
* Antonov An-2 Red 14
* Avro Vulcan B.2 XH563 (cockpit)
* BAC Jet Prov ...
in
Kinloss, Moray
Kinloss may refer to:
Places
* Kinloss Township, a township in Walsh County, in the State of North Dakota, USA
* Kinloss, Scotland, a village in Moray, Scotland
* Huron-Kinloss, a township in Bruce County, in Ontario Province, Canada
Institution ...
.
* XJ726 – HAR.10 on static display at Caernarfon Airworld Museum in
Dinas Dinlle, Gwynedd.
* XJ729 – HAR.10 airworthy with Historic Helicopters in
Crewkerne, Somerset.
* XK936 – HAS.7 on static display at the
Imperial War Museum Duxford
Imperial War Museum Duxford is a branch of the Imperial War Museum near Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England. Britain's largest aviation museum, Duxford houses the museum's large exhibits, including nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artill ...
in
Duxford, Cambridgeshire
Duxford is a village in Cambridgeshire, England, about south of Cambridge. It is part of the Hundred Parishes area.
History
The village formed on the banks of the River Cam, a little below its emergence from the hills of north Essex. One of the ...
.
* XK940 – HAS.7 on static display at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
* XL853 – HAS.7 in storage at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovil, Somerset.
* XL875 – HAR.9 at Air Service Training in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
.
* XN258 – HAR.9 on static display at the
North East Land, Sea and Air Museums in
Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the historic county of Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on the River Wear's mouth to the North Sea. The ri ...
.
* XN304 – HAS.7 on static display at the
Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum
The Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum is a museum collection of aircraft and aviation-related artefacts, located near the former RAF Bungay airfield in Flixton in the north of the English county of Suffolk.
Details
First established in 1972 ...
in
Flixton, Suffolk.
* XN380 – HAS.7 under restoration for static display at the RAF Manston History Museum in
Ramsgate, Kent
Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in east Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2001 it had a population of about 40,000. In 2011, according to t ...
.
* XN386 – HAS.9 on static display at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Owned by the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group.
* XP299 – HAR.10 on static display at the
Royal Air Force Museum London
The Royal Air Force Museum London (also commonly known as the RAF Museum) is located on the former Hendon Aerodrome. It includes five buildings and hangars showing the history of aviation and the Royal Air Force. It is part of the Royal Air Fo ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
* XP345 – HAR.10 on static display at the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Owned by the Yorkshire Helicopter Preservation Group.
* XP346 – HAR.10 on static display at All Things Wild in
Evesham, Worcestershire
Evesham () is a market town and parish in the Wychavon district of Worcestershire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. It lies within the Vale of Evesh ...
.
* XP355 – HAR.10 on static display at the
City of Norwich Aviation Museum in
Horsham St Faith, Norfolk.
* XR453 – HAR.10 on static display at
RAF Odiham
RAF Odiham is a Royal Air Force station situated a little to the south of the village of Odiham in Hampshire, England. It is the home of the Royal Air Force's heavy lift helicopter, the Chinook, and of the King’s Helicopter Flight (TKHF) . ...
in
Odiham, Hampshire.
* XR485 – HAR.10 on static display at the Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum in Flixton, Suffolk.
* XR486 – HCC.12 on static display at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.
Specifications (Whirlwind HAS.7)
In Fiction
The character of
Harold the Helicopter, from the British television show
Thomas & Friends
''Thomas & Friends'' (originally known as ''Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends'' and later ''Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures!'') is a British children's television series that aired across 24 series from 1984 to 2021. Based on ''The ...
, was based on a Westland Whirlwind with fitted pontoons.
See also
References
Citations
Bibliography
*James, Derek M. ''Westland Aircraft since 1915''. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1991. .
*
*Thetford, Owen. ''British Naval Aircraft since 1912''. London:Putnam, 1978. .
*"Wings Over the Gulf: The Qatari Emiri Air Force". ''
Air International'', September 1988, Vol. 35, No. 3. pp. 135–144.
External links
Navy NewsWestland Whirlwindpage at helis.com database
{{Westland aircraft
1950s British anti-submarine aircraft
1950s British military utility aircraft
Military helicopters
Search and rescue helicopters
1950s British helicopters
Whirlwind (helicopter)
Aircraft first flown in 1953
Single-engined piston helicopters