Westland Scout
| Westland Scout | |
|---|---|
 Westland Scout |
|
| Type: | Multipurpose helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
August 9, 1959 |
| Commissioning: |
4th August 1960 |
| Production time: |
1960-1970 |
| Number of pieces: |
150 |
| Westland Wasp | |
|---|---|
 Westland Wasp |
|
| Type: | light submarine hunting helicopter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
September 28, 1962 |
| Commissioning: |
October 1963 |
| Production time: |
1963-1970 |
| Number of pieces: |
63 |
The Westland Scout / Wasp family was a series of British military light helicopters . The Scout version was used for SAR service and observation, while the Wasp version was designed as a light on-board helicopter of the Navy for submarine hunting.
history
The Scout / Wasp series is a further development of the P.531 from Saunders-Roe . After Westland took over the company in 1959, development of this type continued. The goal was a light, modern helicopter with advanced engines, with Westland experimenting with various shaft turbines . During the first flight of a prototype after the takeover by Westland on August 9, 1959, a Bristol-Siddeley-Nimbus turbine operated in the helicopter with reduced power to a maximum of 635 hp. During the flight of the second prototype developed under Westland's direction, a de Havilland Gnome H.1000 turbine was used, which also had a throttled output of 685 hp.
After the first pre-production Scout model was delivered to the British Army (the first flight of this machine took place on August 4, 1960), 66 machines of this type were initially ordered. At the same time, the British Navy was interested in its use as a ship-based helicopter. She also received three pre-production models in 1959, which were modified and tested under real conditions on board the frigate HMS Undaunted. The modifications of the previous models included various configurations of runners or wheels for landing maneuvers. Since additional functions such as a foldable rotor and a foldable tail boom were required for use on board, the further development of the model, now called Wasp, took longer. While the first scouts were delivered to the army in 1960, the Wasp could not be put into service until 1963.
Stationed in Germany
The Rhine Army also stationed scouts in north-west Germany in the 1960s and 1970s at Bünde (Birdwood Barracks, 652. ), in Münster (Waterloo Barracks, 662. ), Osnabrück (Quebec Barracks, 659. ), Soltau (Bournemouth Barracks, 657 . ) and Verden (Caithness Barracks, 651st Squadron ).
Furnishing
The freely accessible, uncovered turbine behind the rotor head was typical of this model series. While the two types Scout and Wasp were basically the same, some changes had been made for the marine version Wasp. In addition to the folding rotor and tail boom, these models had four completely independently rotating wheels with individual suspension instead of skids or a rigid undercarriage, in order to enable maneuvering in the tightest of spaces on board the carrier ship . The Wasp version was designed for submarine hunting for a weapon load of a maximum of 250 kg. Optionally, two Mk-44 torpedoes or alternatively depth charges could be carried. Locating electronics were dispensed with, the Wasp helicopter fought submarines on sight or was guided by radio from the mother ship.
Versions
| British Army | Westland Scout AH.Mk 1 |
| Royal Navy | Westland Wasp HAS.Mk 1 |
Military use
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commitment
In addition to Great Britain, individual machines were also used in the Netherlands, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, New Zealand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data Scout AH.Mk 1 | Data Wasp HAS.Mk 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Construction year | 1961 | 1962 |
| Manufacturer | Westland Aircraft | |
| crew | 2 | 2 |
| Rotor diameter | 9.83 m | |
| Hull length | 9.24 m | |
| Length over all | 12.29 m | |
| height | 3,563 m | |
| Takeoff mass | 2405 kg | 2495 kg |
| Top speed | 211 km / h | 193 km / h |
| Range | 510 km | 488 km |
| Engine |
Rolls-Royce / Bristol Nimbus 101/102, 504 kW (685 PS) |
Rolls-Royce / Bristol Nimbus 503, 522 kW (710 PS) |
See also
literature
- Giorgio Apostolo: World Encyclopedia of Airplanes . tape 3 . Südwest-Verlag, Munich 1984, ISBN 3-517-00851-6 .