Wessex Pictures
 

Does anyone have any pictures of the mighty Wessex that they would be kind enough to post?......

Many thanks

Ralph

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

http://images.airliners.net/photos/m...1/9/950918.jpg

There is one like this on the gate at Shawbury
Many more where I got that one from

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

Thank you!,
Saw that cab and the old 84Sqn ac when they arrived from Cyprus. I am led to believe that the 84 cabs that were sent to Chile were left on the dock and have rotted??

Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?

Ralph

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

Look at the end of the rotor...Is that Matron's missing oven mitt?

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

How many do you want ;) You can trawl through my ftp directories, here, or my web site here and there are some in the Gallery :ok:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...ourse%2002.jpg

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...khana%2002.jpg


http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...fly%201972.jpg

and so on.......... :D

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.gur...and64small.JPG

Portland 1964

Clint.

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

http://www.btinternet.com/~simon.gur...ugh64small.JPG


Farnbough 1964.


Clint.

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

Ralph said:

"Anyone have any pics of the bad old days in NI?"
This one is available as a Limited Edition Print if NI Wessex are your thing.

http://www.artistic.flyer.co.uk/72wsxS.jpg
"Swiftly Slemish" a Wessex of No 72 Sqn passes Slemish Mountain, County Antrim at low level. The Wessex has the distinction of being the longest serving "operational" aircraft in RAF History.

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

RFA Sir Tristram, 1986
http://www.atsx91.dsl.pipex.com/phot...rTristram2.jpg
Somewhere I've also got a pic of a Wessex on the back of a Type 23, which is pretty unusual. I'll try and dig it out.

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

I'm sure 'XR505' Aries is still around.

I know 60(R) have a Wessex in the corner of there hanger at Shawbury with 'Aries' on the door. Well at least it was last year...

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

The "Aries" door now resides upon another host Wessex on the main gate at Shawbury. Sixty have a Wessex that is ex 2FTS repainted to respresent a 60 Sqn machine. This still "serves" as a ground instructional airframe.

The gate guadian is owned by a civilian and loaned to RAF Shawbury, as even the RAF cannot get time expired airframes retained nowadays. Once the F700 is handed in, the MOD beancounters flog it for as much (or little) as they can get. (invariably from the scrapman, who realises that he can resell the cockpit section for more than he has paid for the whole airframe).

Good causes such as ATC Sqns and Air Museums (inc RAFM) either part with competitive money or forget it. But I digress..........

There is also a Wessex on the gate at Aldergrove, and the Ulster Aviation Society have one, though their future in unknown at this time, anybody here know the info?

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

Hello ****, the Wessex on the Gate at Aldergrove is still there in very good nick and the UAS example with the broken back (Castlederg heavy landing, I think) is still with the collection, move to a new home in Province in progress.

Re: Wessex Pictures
 

Well I have some rather unique wessex pics from my fathers collection (he was a keen snapper and served on eagle then county class?) but sadly only b/w prints and no scanner.
They include a wessex ditching and being recovered from the sea (beleive beside a county class destroyer) plus a wessex in flight at some public display, then actually hitting a brick wall with it's tail, mid way.:oh:

Sumatra 1972' ish. Tail rotor failure, with an under-slung load which didn't jettison, 44 gallon fuel drums. I watched this machine do several 360s before gravity won. Bits of blades everwhere.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2.../trfailure.jpg

Errrr...... Wouldn't that be the Canberra? 55 years and still going (just). Agreed, the Wessex was the longest serving helicopter in RAF history.

I'll get me anorak:O

Cheers

Jeff:ok:

I think "operational" in this context means active operations, ie, those for which a medal was issued.

72 first went to NI (with the Wessex) in July or August 1969, and finally stood down in (IIRC) 2002. Whatever you may think of the GSM NI, it was certainly issued throughout those 33 years (OK pedants - it was issued in 1972 but backdated to '69). It says "For Campaign Service" on the back and, as with any medal, only the bloke wearing it really knows what he got it for....

Longest continuous "operational" (in those terms) service of any military flying squadron anywhere in the world .... to put it into context, just a little bit longer than from 1914 to 1945........

I think my anorak's on the hook next to yours....

I think you'll find that the Canberra PR9 is the last of a long line of marks that have been in continuous operational use [not just with the RN/RAF]. Still active over current 'war' zones; previously various marks used in conflicts worldwide in Africa, S America, India, Vietnam, etc.

Wessex? Aberdeen Airport, 1974, courtesy of my old man

http://www.ewenclan.co.uk/arc/wessex.jpg


I'm back to RAF Cosford next week, the Mech Training School has just taken delivery of a Wessex as an instructional airframe. I'll get a pic or two when I'm down......

If you want civvie Wessex, here are a couple from Australia in 1979:

http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...essex%2002.jpg


http://www.helicopterservice.com.au/...essex%2003.jpg

Far too many RN Wessex, so I'll try and redress the balance - these two are from the logbook, I'll have to find some more to scan in. No prizes for the location of the black and white (but make sure you've seen both!), but who can tell me where the colour one was taken???
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...head/wx1_1.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...head/wx2_1.jpg