Lee,
For your forthcoming tome on the Wessex, a little more on that most fabulous and complex arrangement, the much loved Windscreen Wiper System.
This was a development from the Whirlwind, where all systems were controlled by a doll, for a doll it was, as there were numerous "dolls eyes" that winked at you from under the Whilwind dashboard whenever said doll had mischief in mind.
Clearly this would not do for the more macho Wessex, so a Genie was installed during the build at Yeovil. This genie (not in any way related to the Demon that lived in the plumbing of the "Heads" on Grey Funnel line ships. It had mighty powers) allowed electricity to be made from the noise produced by the engines through their friends, the inverters. They certainly were "in"verters as very little electricity was allowed out to the rest of the aircraft, but that is another story.
Should the pilot be wilful enough to switch on the windscreen wipers, a lot could and usually did happen.
The principal area of activity surrounded the electro-mechanical-hydro mechanism that lived on the floor of the cockpit.
The first indication of action was the leaking of copious amounts of hydraulic fluid on to the floor under the second pilot's feet, thus converting their non-slip footwear to hi-slip. What hydraulic fluid that remained was pumped up to the next device, situated close by the windscreen. It was here that much more activity was enabled by the genie, with even more mischief in mind.
At first, all appeared well. The rain was on the screen, the wiper blade wiped and then.... sufficient hydraulic fluid was allowed to leak on to the outside of the windscreen, where it would be promptly wiped, mixed with the rainwater and thus rendering the windscreen opaque. Any deliberations on their now non-existent forward view by our by now bemused aviator were rendered redundant by the next phase of the operation, as the wiper blade, having done it's work, would depart the aircraft, where it could and did impact with either a main or tail rotor blade. In this case the ensuing vibration would take one's mind off not being able to see anything ahead.
If some or any of the above was not enough, the by now fed up electro-mechanical-hydro device would promptly overheat and emit an evil smell or just catch fire.
There was one more wiper feature embodied in the Wessex and this was the separate parking arrangement for the wiper blade (not much used as there was rarely a wiper blade left to park). A secondary function of this parking system doubled up as the main flying control secondary hydraulics. Clever.
As alluded to above, there is so much more to the mighty Wessex, such as how to start a reluctant engine by the sole use of a self-loading rifle. How not to spend all of your flying pay on a new coupling gearbox. The list is endless.
It was great fun and we all loved it. What a ship.
Best wishes with your book,
Rocking Grate.