Chopper: Sadly I don't have the USA Team LongRanger but, if you do source a copy, I'd love to see it!
Westland WG-13 Lynx XX907 at Widdle Wallop on 27th July 1973 (Photo: Mike Freer)
The Lynx was one of three types of aircraft (Puma, Gazelle and Lynx) covered by the Anglo-French helicopter agreement first proposed in February 1967 and confirmed on 2nd April 1968. On 1st December 1972 a long-term agreement was signed between Westland Helicopters and Aerospatiale to formalize and strengthen the existing collaboration programme. Westland had design leadership in the Lynx, which was a medium sized helicopter intended to fulfill general-purpose, naval and civil transport roles. It was the first British aircraft to be designed entirely on a metric basis.
Five basic aircraft were being used by Westland to prove the fundamental design parameters. Following flight testing using two Scout helicopters fitted with scaled-down versions of the Lynx rotor system, the first Lynx prototype (XW835) flew for the first time on 21st March 1971 and was followed by XW837, the third prototype (second Lynx to fly), on 28th September 1971. Third to fly was the Lynx (XW838, on 9th March 1972), the first to have the monobloc rotor head designed for production aircraft.
Then followed, on 24th March 1972, the first flight of XW836, which had previously been used for ground vibration testing. The fifth Lynx to fly (XX153, on 12th April 1972) was a development aircraft for the British Army, the AH.Mk.1 version.
In addition to these five aircraft, a sixth Lynx (XX907 [above], first flight 20th May 1973) was allocated to Rolls-Royce for engine development.
Further airframes were built for static, fatigue and electrical testing.
On 20th and 22nd June 1972, Roy Moxam flying XX153 set up Class E1e international speed records of 199.92 mph (321.74 kmh) over a 9.3/15.5 mls (15/25 km) straight course and 197.909 mph (318.504 kmh) over a 62.1 (100 km) closed circuit. During the flight test program the Lynx rolled at more than 100° per second, dived at 230 mph (370 kmh), and flew backwards at 80 mph (130 kmh).