Antique Heli's

[Vfrpilotpb]

Good Morning Rotorheads,
Yesterday I visited the Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York,they have quite a lot of interesting Aircraft, amongst their gems they also have some old Helis, one in particular is listed as the Westland-Sikorsky Dragonfly HR.3 WH991,fully retsored and looks brand new(was this American or GB design, and was it originally Sikorsky without the Westland bit) this I had always thought of being quite a small craft, but when you are stood right up to it, it is quite big,bigger in fact than a B206, it seems to be a pretty simple design but yet when you look at the details of the pitch change and swash plate workings it seems pretty well similar to a lot of heli's from todays currant fleet. They also have a Helicopter simulator open topped with get this a cut down rotor that is powered( not working when I was there) it is only a small collection of Helis but extremly interesting and well worth a visit, if any of you wish to fly in( heli that is) all they need is a telephone call and your on your way.

My regards :D

[Lu Zuckerman]

Westland built version of the Sikorsky S-51

Rotor diameter: 14.63 m
Length: 17.54 m
Weight: 2004 kg - Max.2675
Power: 1 Alvis Leonides 50 (540 hp)
Range: 482 Km
Acommodation: Pilot plus 4
No.Built: 149

Unless Nick Lappos says something to the contrary, all production Sikorsky helicopters have the same design philosophy relative to input of control to the rotorhead. On the S-51 the original design used mechanical jackscrews operated by cables and chains. In about 1949 or 1950 they were equipped with hydraulic servos. At about the same time they were equipped with metal blades. Some retained the wood three blade tail rotor and most were equipped with a two blade metal tail rotor.

I worked on two of them that were modified as above. The Greyhound Bus Company for VIP transport in the Boston area originally purchased these helicopters. The costs were too high so they were sold to the US Coast Guard and as such had a luxury look to them in the cabin area.

[Vfrpilotpb]

Hello Lu,

Thank you for the info, the Dragonfly I was in yesterday had the two blade tail rotor, whilst I could see the engine thru the mesh I was not quite sure what it was, but later I came across a well engineered space frame with a horizontal fitted very early Alvis Leonides engine connected to a direct drive into a smallish circular ribbed gearbox going into a headset but no blades that must have been a spare engine and transmission for the Dragonfly.
The cause for my visit was to take one of my engines ( I have a small collection) to the Museum for them to use in their Halifax Bomber they intend to fit and start my engine so that people can get to hear what a Bristol Hercules 14 Cyl Radial sounded like on start up. thanks again Lu
My Regards