Westland Whirlwind Question

[rudekid]

I came across an old photo of a Royal Westland Whirlwind flying which didn't look quite right.

It appeared to have soft bags on each of the four wheels, which I thought was rather strange. Kind of looked like the sort of bags the rest of the RAF may have put on an aircraft not in flight!

Any ideas from the intellectuals?

[SASless]

This is the Whirlwind I would have loved to have flown!

http://www.beehivehockey.com/images/history_images/52whirlwind.jpg

[Kitbag]

Rudekid

Flotation bags in case of coming down on water

[BEagle]

SASless - a Whirlwind was demo'd in the US after WW II. Unfortunately it was left to rot - and, I gather, after a while the base commander pinched the RR Peregrine engines to use them in his boat!

[Rigga]

Rudekid,
Would've been nice to see the photo?

[Jackonicko]

Emergency flotation gear, like the man says!

SASless!

We agree on something! Faster than a Spit at low level, four 20-mm cannon well concentrated, and a joy to fly, I'm told. And capable of roaming far out into sausage side. Imagine if we'd built a Whirlwind instead of every Blenheim and Battle? The damage we could have done to the German war machine and the much reduced losses.....

A sobering thought.

[olddog]

I came across an old photo of a Royal Westland Whirlwind flying which didn't look quite right.
It appeared to have soft bags on each of the four wheels, which I thought was rather strange. Kind of looked like the sort of bags the rest of the RAF may have put on an aircraft not in flight!
Any ideas from the intellectuals?
Possibly floatation bags. I seem to remember some Comms Sqn/Royal Flight Whirlwinds had them fitted in case of problems operating into Thames Heliport with VIPs in the 60s - Damn - giving my age away again!! Definitely not an interlectual tho' (yes I know I spelled it wrong!!)

[mike rondot]

I've just finished a piccy of a yellow 22 Sqn Whirlwind for an ageing chopper pilot who tells me that when used on royal flight duties they could be fitted with flotation bags on the wheel hubs, as were the later RF Wessex. Safety police did not like the Sax-Coburg-Gothas flying in single-engine helos, hence rapid introduction of Wessex.

[oldbeefer]

Safety police did not like the Sax-Coburg-Gothas flying in single-engine helos, hence rapid introduction of Wessex.

Particularly after the main rotor drive shaft of a royal Flight Whirlwind sheared just below the head in flight!

[Bertie Thruster]

....though in that particular case, any number of engines wouldn't have made the slightest difference!

[Jackonicko]

That accident had NO effect on the Whirlwind replacement plan - since the aircraft was lost en route to Yeovil for a pre-delivery look at the new Wessex.....

[rudekid]

Thanks to all for the informative replies.

I'll try and scan the photo and place it here for those who asked.

Sure does look strange! Almost like the engine blanks have been put over the wheels. What would happen if one of the float bags didn't inflate? Surely it would just have tipped?

Was it designed to stay the correct way up? Or turn upside down, but remain on surface?

[jeppsbore]

Certainly most machines with pop out floats are designed to stay upright but with A/C like the 206 or 355 where the floats are mounted on the skids, unless the water is flat calm the slightest wave will cause th A/C to turn upside down because of the naturally high C of G.
However at least it will still float and you will have something to hang on to.

JB

[Kitbag]

Does anyone have any evidence this emrgency flotation gear was ever used?

[Cornish Jack]

The likelihood of the flotation bags keeping the old girl right way was ... Zero!!:eek:
In all my time on the 10's I only once saw a sea state which would have allowed an upright initial alighting. Rotor rundown, voluntary or involuntary thereafter would almost certainly put the rotor head/gearbox in its gravity inspired position!!
When we did the 'dunker' at Vernon, the assumption for ALL exit drills was that it would be from an inverted, nose down position. A tale or two to be told from those sessions, too!!:ooh:
Still nothing quite like the Whirlwind (rotary version) for sheer SATISFACTION when you got it to do exactly what you wanted ... NO automatics, NO stabilisation systems, two powered control axes and one 'mandraulic' and if you let go of the cyclic, it instantly diverged. :E

[Jackonicko]

My first powered flight was in a Mark 12..... aged 4 or 5.

[mike rondot]

I don't have the knowledge to post a photo here but I could email it to you if you know how to do it.