Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 XJ729

[lmgaylard]

Dear all,



Sorry if this is in the wrong location but, I did ask in 'Rotorheads' but as yet, not had much of a response.

I'm in the process of researching for an article about Westland Whirlwind HAR10 XJ729 and was wondering if any of you fine people ever flew this aircraft while it was in RAF service.

The aircraft has recently been granted CAA permit to fly and made a static appearance at last years Yeovilton air day.

I am soon to meet the current owner to interview about this project and to take some ground, and hopefully, some aerial photos.


If any of you have any tails to tell that I might be able to use I would be most grateful.


Thank you in advance.
Kind regards
Lewis

[Herod]

Can't help you I'm afraid. I did fly a few Whirlwinds in the distant past, but not that one. Great to hear of the Permit to Fly. Keep us posted.

[zetec2]

Was our hangar queen at SAR Finningley early 80's, maybe Sycamore will post (you could pm him) to bring you some more info PH.

[GIGFY]

Nothing special about this chopper; just another one of a common type.
I was a chief tech on 22 & 202 and I got more satisfaction from restoring a Sycamore Mk14 for SAR and that ended up junked at Boscome Down.
If I have any photos of this a/c, I'll send them on.

[sycamore]

You could try the 22 Sdn.Association as they operated the aircraft at different units.I flew it quite a lot at Finningley,and it`s last flight on 17Dec.`81.
There is a picture on the 22Sdn website of it(possibly) when it was a WW Mk2,and built around 1955,with a P &W R-1340 radial.Later about 1960-ish it was converted to a Mk10 with the GE-T58(licence-built) deH/B-S/ R-R Gnome,so loved by `Engineers` like Zetec2....

[zetec2]

Try again, posted on Rotorheads as well
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/zetec2/th_img026.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/zetec2/media/img026.jpg.html), PH

[zetec2]

Another (poor quality), ok Brian so who is GIGFY, there in our time ?, rgds, PH.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/zetec2/th_Whirlwind130.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/zetec2/media/Whirlwind130.jpg.html)

[zetec2]

Sorry thread drift but here for GIGFY:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y94/zetec2/th_Sycamore090.jpg (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/zetec2/media/Sycamore090.jpg.html)

[lmgaylard]

WOW! Thanks everyone for the info and the photos (Mr Zetec2), this is a great help.
Thank you for the leads as well, I will put on my best 'Morse' hat and see what I can find out.


Please keep the info coming.


Thanks again.
Kind regards
Lewis

[Old-Duffer]

XJ729 is the aircraft depicted in the Corgi diecast model of an SAR Whirlwind 10, which is currently on sale for about £45.


Is this the same aircraft that was restored several years ago and then went to Ireland? I know the guy who restored it if that's the case.


As to the Sycamore 14. There used to be one still flying in Austria until a couple of years ago. Love to see one airborne again but I suspect the wooden blades are the issue!!!


Old Duffer

[sycamore]

O-D et al, Red Bull have restored the aircraft and flown it ...might even be at the Austrian GP as VIP transport....make a bit of `decent noise`...

[GIGFY]

Hi, IMGAYLARD - have you tried looking at this info?

Demobbed - Out of Service British Military Aircraft (http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=1186)

On the right of the page is an info radio button.

[chinook240]

Have you seen the Classic British Aircraft documentary on helicopters, includes the Sycamore:


Watch Classic British Aircraft Season 1 Episode 4 S1E4 Helicopters (http://www.ovguide.com/tv_episode/classic-british-aircraft-season-1-episode-4-helicopters-2655821)

[bspatz]

I have posted this photo before but it seems to have disappeared. This is XJ729 having landed in the officers mess car park at RAF Leconfield in 1971 when it was being flown by 202 Sqn. The pilot was the then sqn boss Sqn Ldr Phil Taylor and the Navigator was Pete Pascoehttps://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Helicopter.JPG?_subject_uid=132548064&w=AAAkRJ4QQz4UjO-2Tg3VW57AuhOR1jQgP240Q6x7Vd0fvA

[Oldsarbouy]

I flew a few sorties in XJ729 in late 1978 early 1979 when it was at A Flight 22 Sqdn Chivenor for a short time including a fodder drop for cattle on Exmoor during the blizzards! Happy days.

[lmgaylard]

Oldsarbouy,That's great. You would be most welcome to write a few words relating to you flying her. I would be very grateful.


Thanks everyone for your help, much appreciated.

[Landroger]

Not able to contribute much and nothing to this gentleman's question, but how many flying Wessex are there? I don't suppose there are very many, it being quite a large, complex, military helicopter.

Having said that, in my 'other job' as a Scout Leader, we were at Downe camp (Downe Scout Activity Centre) on the weekend 22nd - 23rd March, which is immediately east of Biggin Hill airport (aerodrome?). During Sunday morning session, outside building major projects, there came the sound of something rotary winged and, to my ear, rather unusual.

Seconds later a Wessex, in grey with, I think, 'RESCUE' about its person flew low in towards the airport. Having not seen a Wessex - I've heard them called the Paraffin Parrot I believe? - for many years and the last time in Florida at least five or six years ago, I was surprised and pleased at this minor 'plane spotting coup'.

Just thought it was at least partly relevant.

Roger

[chinook240]

Landrodger,

Over on Rotorheads

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/534641-wessex-flying.html

[taxydual]

If it is the same aircraft as the Corgi model, an old friend of mine (Sqn Ldr Bob Jones, sadly departed) used to tell a tale from when he was on 22Sqn at Chivenor in the 70's.

They were tasked with an urgent Medevac from somewhere on Exmoor to wherever. The weather was dogs***. After much probing through fog, mist, low stratus they eventually got to the patient and managed a successful uplift. The snag was that all the probing etc had used up a considerable amount of fuel and Bob wasn't happy about his reserves. The weather was still not playing. The patient was getting worse.

At this point, following a main road at 50' agl, a petrol station came into view. Bob landed on the road, dropped off the crewman to ask if the petrol station sold paraffin. They did, so Bob shut down and they pushed the Whirlwind toward the Pink Paraffin pump and took every last drop the petrol station had. Bob signed a chit and away they went to complete the tasking.

Bob wasn't a 'lineshooter' so I have no reason to disbelieve him. He kept the Corgi model of XJ729 on his desk for years.

His only moan was that the petrol station owner was so gobsmacked by the proceedings that he forgot to give Bob the Green Shield stamps for the paraffin.

[Landroger]

Over on Rotorheads

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/534641-wessex-flying.html

Thanks Chinook, that steered me to other threads mentioning a flying Wessex in UK. Apparently the one I saw was Ghanaian and one of two!

And were they called Paraffin Parrot? :)

Roger.

[GIGFY]

GIGFY was 19 years on rotor-craft starting in Aden on Sycamore, Whirlwind and then Wessex choppers.
On 22Sqn he redesigned the winch system to eradicate runaway.
He introduced in-flight strobe tracking.
He advocated AUW air test using a calculated slide rule.
His last project was restoration of Sycamore Mk.14 XJ380
Stationed at St Mawgan, Leconfield, Coltashall (suplying Falkland's War a/c), Lossiemouth, Finningley, of course. Many other staions outside the rotorcraft family.

[zetec2]

GIGFY, pm sent, PH.

[Oldsarbouy]

lmgaylard

See pm