Westland Dragonfly
| Westland Dragonfly HR3 | |
|---|---|
 Westland Dragonfly
|
|
| Type: | light multipurpose helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: |
Westland Aircraft under license from Sikorsky |
| First flight: |
August 18, 1943 (as Sikorsky S-51 ) |
| Production time: |
1947-1955 |
| Number of pieces: |
133 |
The Westland Dragonfly was a license-built British light helicopter manufactured by Westland Aircraft and was based on the US Sikorsky S-51 .
history
When a collaboration between the two helicopter manufacturers Sikorsky in the USA and Westland in Great Britain was agreed in 1947, Westland first began building the Sikorsky S-51 under license, which was already very successful in the USA. The British version was called Dragonfly . There were a total of 7 different versions of this type, with the version identified internally with the HR3 designation being the most common variant. In addition to their main function as reconnaissance and rescue helicopters in the British Army, a few machines were also used for civilian purposes as business helicopters and by the police and rescue services. A further development of the Dragonfly was the Westland Widgeon .
Military use
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- Egyptian Air Force - 2 for VIP transport.
- French Air Force - Sept.
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- Yugoslav Air Force: 10
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| Passengers | 3 |
| length | 17.54 m |
| Rotor diameter | 14.63 m |
| height | 3.95 m |
| Empty mass | 1987 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 2663 kg |
| Top speed | 153 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 3780 m |
| Range | 483 km |
| Engines | 1 × Alvis Leonides 50 radial engine with 403 kW |
See also
literature
- Giorgio Apostolo: World Cyclopedia of Airplanes, Volume 3 , Südwest-Verlag, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-517-00851-6 .