Westland Whirlwind G-BVGE Flying Today @ Weston
 

This doesn't seem to have been mentioned much but great to see the old girl flying again.
I'm sure this will spark off a few posts about WIWOW :)

Brilliant. Well done. First aircraft I ever worked on, a HAR9. Is this one a Mk10?

It clattered its way over Eval Towers this morning; lovely sight and sound.

tucumseh:

It is indeed, formerly XJ729 c/n WA100.

I had no idea one was flying. Hopefully I'll catch up with it soon.

The one and only time I ever took the controls of a helicopter was when I attempted to hover a 28 Squadron Whirlwind at Kai Tak in 1968. Made a complete and utter pigs ear of it!

Still, it gave the 28 Sqn guys looking from their crewroom a laugh at least!

Great to see her flying again! Well done to the team of enthusiasts who maintain her.

XJ729
 

As some of you may know, I am in the process of writing an article with the new owner of XJ729.


As far as I know it is now re-registered as XJ729 and the owner intends to participate in a number of air shows this year.


Back in May I was lucky enough to accompany the 'Whirlybird' to a local fundraiser and take some air-to-air photos of it. She looks just great.


If anyone is interested, I will let you know when the article is published.


KR,
Lewis

lmgaylard, please check your PM's.


Oldlae.

wonderfull good too see 1 back in the air again.

Were I the emotional, nostalgic sort of chap, there would have been a lump in my throat as I watched the video above.


My last 'go' in a Whirlwind was precisely 40 years ago at RAF Upwood. An old friend flew over from CFS(H) to look at a Skeeter, which adorned the place I worked, and agreed to give me a flip around the local countryside. The monochrome photograph I took of XP405 that afternoon now has pride of place in the downstairs loo (how posh to have more than one!!!) and next to and slightly below the framed photo of a Tonker, with which the current Mrs O-D had some association.


XJ729 used to be owned and was originally restored by a mate. I'm glad to see it flying again and congratulate those who made it possible.


Old Duffer

Brilliant! The film takes me back to my last flight in a Whirlwind 10 some 42 years ago.

Pedro 45

Great video - brings back some good memories, My last flight was 36 years ago and I had forgotten how long it took to get them going. I'm sure we had some shortcuts on SAR sorties.

This interests me. There seems to be some time after the engine(s?) is/are started before the blades start turning.
What is the power-plant type and how is the drive transmitted?

It's a RR Gnome probably 10101 drives a power turbine to the main gearbox on top and the tail rotor shaft.
It doesn't usually take that long to fire up, but then it is getting on a bit! My first was at Odiham 1964!

It used a conventional R.R. Gnome with a free turbine. This drives a reduction gearbox that finally changes the angle of drive from horizontal to the angle required to connect to the drive shaft that was original powered by a radial engine.
Dreadfully inefficient. The S62, using the same engine and rotor system had a 1.000lbs advantage in payload.,

The S62 had a bigger Gnome 1200 Shaft horse as I recall, and had 2 of them! Not a fair comparison!

She's happy too. Look at that smile!:O

Westland Whirlwind flying again? For a brief moment I thought...."Crikey!"

But no, 'twas just a Humphrey. Good to see an historic aircraft flying again though!

Why is it that everything I've worked on flown in or walked past is now either historic or in a bloody museum? :}

It gets even worse when they replace the those museum exhibits and gate guardians that you used to fly with newer aircraft types!

Now, when I was on Whirlwinds....first rotary winged flight at the SAR flight RAF Leconfield 1977. Got a couple of chances to pole the aircraft as well as being their "duty survivor" which inspired me to ask to be re-streamed rotary wing. Last flight @ RAF Shawbury May 25th 1979. Oh happy days! It was a big aircraft as a basic trainer, especially as they made us do solo engine offs to the ground in it as mere basic students!