Whirlwind Helicopter
I remember going to work at Collingwood and seeing the SAR Whirlwind at Daedalus sitting across the perimeter hedge having managed to lop its own tail off on the approach.
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I remember the late C**** T***** telling me of being a formation flight when he said the rest of the formation suddenly appeared to climb rapidly closely followed by the realisation his engine had failed.
Cosford 2017 Gnome powered flier as mentioned above.
Positioning into wind, the old fashioned way-1 by Tony Taylor, on Flickr
Simply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10-1 by Tony Taylor, on Flickr
Simply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10 by Tony Taylor, on Flickr
Simply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10 by Tony Taylor, on Flickr
Cosford 2017 Gnome powered flier as mentioned above.
Positioning into wind, the old fashioned way-1 by Tony Taylor, on FlickrSimply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10-1 by Tony Taylor, on FlickrSimply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10 by Tony Taylor, on FlickrSimply Timeless Westland Whirlwind HAR10 by Tony Taylor, on FlickrJoin Date: Feb 2006
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Pontious Navigator, the ex QF Whirlwind is indeed where you guess. I had the pleasure of flying in it a few years ago but RW was not the handling pilot at the time. It resides with a lot of "wrecks" including a great deal of stuff from Lockerbie I believe, althought it may have all oxidised by now.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news...-life-13416790
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Additionally, pic
latest on them and what looks like an excellent rebuild this year. Lots of pics.
https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/for...c.php?t=203561
Westland Whirlwind in RAF/UN marks from her days serving in Cyprus.
XP328 can also be seen behind. Both of these Whirlwinds have been at Tattserhall Thorpe (north of Coningsby) since at least the 1990s, probably a little earlier.
They have recently been moved to a more photogenic spot.
XP328 and XP329 left for North Somercotes sometime in 2020 or 2021.
XP328 can also be seen behind. Both of these Whirlwinds have been at Tattserhall Thorpe (north of Coningsby) since at least the 1990s, probably a little earlier.
They have recently been moved to a more photogenic spot.
XP328 and XP329 left for North Somercotes sometime in 2020 or 2021.
https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/for...c.php?t=203561
Roger took the whirlwind to the world helicopter championships in 86 at Castle Ashby, Sure it was a turbine one, he had another that had a fair bit of corrosion, got to walk around his place and he had an interesting collection tucked away. Chris Billings flew it and he was crew. Certainly a good character.
) and practise for the slalam (?) with an underslung load.
Roger bought three W/W Mk 10 from 32 Sqdn at Northolt, I put them on the register using the documentation for the civvy W/W WS55 Series 3. Since then the CAA considers them as different aircraft despite the MOD Parts Manual quoting both civvy and MOD part numbers.
Last edited by Oldlae; 28th Oct 2021 at 08:19. Reason: Typo
Nutloose - your #22 pics ... oh the nostalgia 
Don't know what the winchman's background was, but some 'how to operate in a bo'sun's chair' lessons are in order !
For the wrinklies - gone but not forgotten ...
Don't know what the winchman's background was, but some 'how to operate in a bo'sun's chair' lessons are in order !
For the wrinklies - gone but not forgotten ...
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Cornish J if you want to download any of them as a wallpaper they are in this folder, open the Cosford 2017 one
https://www.flickr.com/photos/142550108@N08/albums
select the picture you want and view it, select the arrow facing down to a horizontal line on the right side below the picture
select all sizes, pick one of the largest, open it and right click on it when its opened, then select set as background, you can then size it to suit, if set as background is greyed out wait a little until it flly opens and then it will allo you to set it.
The "person" they were winching was a dummy..
https://www.flickr.com/photos/142550108@N08/albums
select the picture you want and view it, select the arrow facing down to a horizontal line on the right side below the picture
select all sizes, pick one of the largest, open it and right click on it when its opened, then select set as background, you can then size it to suit, if set as background is greyed out wait a little until it flly opens and then it will allo you to set it.
The "person" they were winching was a dummy..
Avoid imitations
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I trained on the penultimate RAF Whirlwind basic course. It was actually a very large aircraft for a basic trainer, a bit like flying a small bungalow from the Dormer window. But it was a good lead in to the Wessex 5 as an advanced trainer!
For years I flew almost every working day over a dilapidated Whirlwind located in a small clearing in a wood, I think it was a paintball adventure place. Much later I discovered it was actually the very airframe in which I’d carried out my first helicopter solo and my first night solo. By then it had sadly gone, probably for scrap.
For years I flew almost every working day over a dilapidated Whirlwind located in a small clearing in a wood, I think it was a paintball adventure place. Much later I discovered it was actually the very airframe in which I’d carried out my first helicopter solo and my first night solo. By then it had sadly gone, probably for scrap.
Nutloose - many thanks for that. Super pics ... brain fade on the download sequence so went the Ctrl./Prtscn/Paint/Paste route.
The "person" they were winching was a dummy..
Ah, yes - that figures !
The "person" they were winching was a dummy..
Ah, yes - that figures !
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Shy Torque. When was that? I did the Whirlwind course at Tern Hill in the second half of '66. We did the basic 40 hour course on the Sioux, then 60 hours on the Whirlwind. I don't know when they finished using them. As you say, a good trainer for those going onto the Wessex. Wessex 2 in my case (RAF)
It also lacked the power to carry both the dipping sonar and the torpedo, and neither did the Wessex that succeeded it - the later Sea King and subsequent Merlin did. But all technologies have to start somewhere. For whatever reason, probably the ability to deploy a dipping sonar, the ASW Whirlwind displaced the ASW Gannet from RN carrier decks by the early sixties.
Last edited by WE Branch Fanatic; 28th Oct 2021 at 17:47.
Avoid imitations
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Shy Torque. When was that? I did the Whirlwind course at Tern Hill in the second half of '66. We did the basic 40 hour course on the Sioux, then 60 hours on the Whirlwind. I don't know when they finished using them. As you say, a good trainer for those going onto the Wessex. Wessex 2 in my case (RAF)
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
Thanks ShyTorque. I should think the Whirlwind was a handful ab initio. At least we had a few hours on a simpler and more forgiving machine. The Wessex conversion, at Odiham, was about 30 hours
I believe that civil registered WS-55 Whirlwinds had a second hydraulic system.
Avoid imitations
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As far as the Wessex 5 was concerned, Shawbury had major serviceability problems during my time on the advanced course. It took five attempts to get my first solo on type done, all delays were caused by u/s aircraft*.
I only actually completed 30 hours of the usual 35 then got sent off to fly the Puma instead.
*I deny all responsibility for the aircraft getting broken
Last edited by ShyTorque; 29th Oct 2021 at 06:52. Reason: Tippex…productive toast doing its thing..
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Kharg Island, Iran, around 1973. Leo deVigne (spelling?) ex-Westland pilot, arrives to give a Wirlwind conversion to a young American pilot who has just joined Bristow Helicopters. During a post-flight de-brief we can hear voices are rising then Leo says, so that all can hear, “Don’t tell me what the Flight Manual says, I wrote it!” Later, Leo points out to us engineers/mechanics, “The helicopter doesn’t have a clock, the regulations state that a public transport helicopter must have a clock.” He was correct.
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Roger took the whirlwind to the world helicopter championships in 86 at Castle Ashby, Sure it was a turbine one, he had another that had a fair bit of corrosion, got to walk around his place and he had an interesting collection tucked away. Chris Billings flew it and he was crew. Certainly a good character.