What is it about the Wessex that makes people so fond of it?
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Philadelphia PA
I know there was only one engine - the one we had at Boscombe when I was there (now at Duxford) had two JPT gauges - a 'normal' one, and a 'surge' one for use when opening the throttle (because the 'normal' one was so heavily damped it showed you yesterday's JPT).
I thought they all had two JPT gauges, but could have been just ours...
I thought they all had two JPT gauges, but could have been just ours...
Joined: Jun 2010
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From: Milano, Italia
.. because the 'normal' one was so heavily damped it showed you yesterday's JPT.
Would dearly love to have flown the Wessex (especially the all-powerful MkV) but thoroughly enjoy reading about all the marks and their exploits.
Joined: Jun 2002
Aviation Qualifications: PPL
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From: east ESSEX
Shawn,humble apologies as I have found a photo which shows 2 JPT gauges; if you try `www.futurshox.net` and search there;can also find it on `google`.
Can't remember seeing 2 gauges and I flew the 1 and 3 at BD,Bed ,and F`boro....probably didn't trust you Students,but then after the cartridge and AvPin start....!!
Can't remember seeing 2 gauges and I flew the 1 and 3 at BD,Bed ,and F`boro....probably didn't trust you Students,but then after the cartridge and AvPin start....!!
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 5th March 2012 at 20:29. Reason: Add photos
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: In the shadows
This is cropped from a corner of a photo of the instrument panel in the Wessex HAS Mk1 at Duxford. I haven't flown a Mk 1 for well over 40 years but I don't recall two JPT gauges. Having said that, I sat in the cockpit at Duxford for a good 15 minutes and took this photo and never noticed there were two on XS863......
This photo of a Wessex Mk3 panel shows only one JPT gauge:
This photo of a Wessex Mk3 panel shows only one JPT gauge:
Last edited by CharlieOneSix; 5th March 2012 at 21:48.
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 1,835
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From: Philadelphia PA
Thanx for the pix. 863 was the very machine!!
It ended up at Duxford after the AVPIN starter blew up on the first flight after Christmas leave. Took out not only some of the structure of the airframe, but a chunk of the tarmac too. Too expensive to repair, and it was the last one in service, so off to the museum.
Fortunately for those of us on D Sqn at the time, it was the boss who was flying it, so he couldn't blame us.
It ended up at Duxford after the AVPIN starter blew up on the first flight after Christmas leave. Took out not only some of the structure of the airframe, but a chunk of the tarmac too. Too expensive to repair, and it was the last one in service, so off to the museum.
Fortunately for those of us on D Sqn at the time, it was the boss who was flying it, so he couldn't blame us.
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 191
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From: S England
Shawn,
Now you have set a real problem. The operational Wessex 1 had only one JPT gauge but I have a dark and very blurred photograph of an ASW Wessex 1 cockpit taken about 1966 whilst in the hover .... the JPT reads 540 deg. and immediately above it is another temperature gauge which reads 3 on an arc which is marked EXH in deg C from 0 to 8 (00)? It appears to have a red line just above 4 and on tape below it reads something like "rear plate". Do I vaguely remember a limit of 410 or 420, or even 416 ?
Apologies, but I don't know how to upload the picture. I just cannot think what it could be .... is there an old pinger out there who maybe has the answer?!!
Now you have set a real problem. The operational Wessex 1 had only one JPT gauge but I have a dark and very blurred photograph of an ASW Wessex 1 cockpit taken about 1966 whilst in the hover .... the JPT reads 540 deg. and immediately above it is another temperature gauge which reads 3 on an arc which is marked EXH in deg C from 0 to 8 (00)? It appears to have a red line just above 4 and on tape below it reads something like "rear plate". Do I vaguely remember a limit of 410 or 420, or even 416 ?
Apologies, but I don't know how to upload the picture. I just cannot think what it could be .... is there an old pinger out there who maybe has the answer?!!
Last edited by 76fan; 6th March 2012 at 14:43. Reason: Apologies for not loading picture
Joined: Jul 2012
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From: Preston
Sorry for the thread bump, thought this may interest some of you. It appears to be XT469, which has stood in a rich blokes garden for the past few months, until he went bankrupt! Rumour has it she was being taken out to Blackpool.
Apologies for the bad quality of the video, riding while holding a mobile phone to record is quite difficult!
Apologies for the bad quality of the video, riding while holding a mobile phone to record is quite difficult!
Chief Bottle Washer
Joined: Sep 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: PPRuNe
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2
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From: Preston
Hey, thanks for the comment, I found the forum while trying to find information about it.
This was the best image I could get, I think I'm right in saying it's XT469?
Photo here
This was the best image I could get, I think I'm right in saying it's XT469?
Photo here
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 13th July 2012 at 23:21. Reason: Image too large: link instead
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 248
Likes: 38
From: Parts Unknown
To answer the original question - what makes those who flew her so fond of her?
It may sound like a cop-out, but the answer is - if you didn't have the priveledge to fly her, you will never know.
She was unbelievably manoeuverable - pull up over a ridge, rack on 140 degrees of bank and pull down the other side then slam her wings level - she loved it. On a SAROP, winching at 50ft - if the winch-op asked for a 6" movement, you could do it - she was so stable in the hover with all the weight (engines and Cbox) in the nose. SH into a rough field - no problem - just zero speed her (with those balloon tyres and massive oleos) in to any site you like - no problem.
Why was she so amazing. Simple. Whilst she may not have been the best in the world at any one thing (and I bet she she was), she was really good at EVERYTHING.
The RAF have not been able to replace her for one simple reason - she can't be replaced. Our modern helo's are bland, specialised and compared to the Wessex - limited. They all do one thing perfectly - she did everything well. I know which I think is better.
It may sound like a cop-out, but the answer is - if you didn't have the priveledge to fly her, you will never know.
She was unbelievably manoeuverable - pull up over a ridge, rack on 140 degrees of bank and pull down the other side then slam her wings level - she loved it. On a SAROP, winching at 50ft - if the winch-op asked for a 6" movement, you could do it - she was so stable in the hover with all the weight (engines and Cbox) in the nose. SH into a rough field - no problem - just zero speed her (with those balloon tyres and massive oleos) in to any site you like - no problem.
Why was she so amazing. Simple. Whilst she may not have been the best in the world at any one thing (and I bet she she was), she was really good at EVERYTHING.
The RAF have not been able to replace her for one simple reason - she can't be replaced. Our modern helo's are bland, specialised and compared to the Wessex - limited. They all do one thing perfectly - she did everything well. I know which I think is better.
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 687
Likes: 1
From: Up north
Savoia
As a display pilot on the old Wessex it was possible to overbank the old girl in a wingover. You had to carefully manage speed control so making sure you pulled up to slow her down - then overbank as you turned in a wingover - as the nose dropped you levelled and pulled out of the dive going in the opposite direction
HF
rack on 140 degrees of bank
HF
