Scout/Wasp
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Scout/Wasp
From the IFR flying thread it would seem there a few lurking here who once had an acquaintance with Mr. Westlands machine. Was yours a love affair as was mine? Only 144 hours but thought it the nearest thing in terms of handling to a sports car. Rock solid governor, no droop or overspeed, no cool down either as I remember (36 years ago). Just a pity about the fuel consumption and payload capability. Interested in your views/experiences. Flew this machine from ship in survey work updating Capt. Cooks charts (which were impressively accurate).
Nigerian In Law
Happy Days !!
Aah, truly the Queen Of The Skies. Flew them in Hong Kong and Brunei, nice and hot !! Autorotations were a real roller coaster ride, albeit very short as they went down like a brick !!
The QHI (who was a complete w
ker) used to do 6 monthlies without engine failures as he didn't have the balls to auto !!
A climb up to 16,000 feet over Sek Kong took up to 15 minutes but if you weren't careful you'd be passing the free fall team who jumped off on the way down !!
Memories are made of this
NEO
The QHI (who was a complete w
ker) used to do 6 monthlies without engine failures as he didn't have the balls to auto !!A climb up to 16,000 feet over Sek Kong took up to 15 minutes but if you weren't careful you'd be passing the free fall team who jumped off on the way down !!
Memories are made of this
NEO
Join Date: Dec 2002
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Wasp
I quite agree - I've never flown a Scout but the Wasp was a joy to fly. 
Pity the Pusser kept adding more and more bits on to it until you could hardly get off the deck.
And the less said about the reliability of the Nimbus the better - it let me down a few times; unexpected arrivals in ploughed fields and even a swim on dark night - good job the water was warm!
I don't think Westlands can claim any credit for it's amazing handling, the basic clever ideas all came from Saunders Roe.
PSTJGW
Pity the Pusser kept adding more and more bits on to it until you could hardly get off the deck.
And the less said about the reliability of the Nimbus the better - it let me down a few times; unexpected arrivals in ploughed fields and even a swim on dark night - good job the water was warm!
I don't think Westlands can claim any credit for it's amazing handling, the basic clever ideas all came from Saunders Roe.
PSTJGW
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The Scout was indeed an odd helicopter. Very responsive controls, but the cockpit was a disaster - especially the heater lever being next to the HP cock (fuel valve for the uneducated). The hydraulics off were dreadful, and the engine reliability legendary for being poor. I believe the engine originally was developed for drones or short range missiles wasn't it?
And it needed a stability system for IFR, but only the Wasp had that.
Not so very fond memories of the machine, sadly.
And it needed a stability system for IFR, but only the Wasp had that.
Not so very fond memories of the machine, sadly.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit
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I always understood that the designer of the Nimbus committed suicide about half way through development which may explain some of it's unreliability as others now had to pick up and run with a ball that had not been their own idea to start with. At one time there was a need for engine change every 300 hours.
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Ah yes, the lovely whrrrump as yet again the compressor started to stall as you were pulling in power on the final stages of your night deck approach 
. I just loved the float fit above the cockpit level which necessitated flying with no doors over water. This made it a delight to fly off Iceland in the winter during the Cod War - the electrically heated gloves and socks we had were great until they failed 20 minutes into a patrol. Definitely no soggy boxers in those days. I remember one army exchange officer who had plenty of time on the Scout, but very little on the Wasp, flying the 845 Squadron Wasp from the Rusty B, but he forgot to press the manoeuvre button on the cyclic which disengaged the autopilot - it was one of the more interesting and amusing Wasp take-offs I saw 
. The solid droop stops were also ideally designed for landing on a rolling deck if one pushed down through the negative pitch detent too quickly 
.
. I just loved the float fit above the cockpit level which necessitated flying with no doors over water. This made it a delight to fly off Iceland in the winter during the Cod War - the electrically heated gloves and socks we had were great until they failed 20 minutes into a patrol. Definitely no soggy boxers in those days. I remember one army exchange officer who had plenty of time on the Scout, but very little on the Wasp, flying the 845 Squadron Wasp from the Rusty B, but he forgot to press the manoeuvre button on the cyclic which disengaged the autopilot - it was one of the more interesting and amusing Wasp take-offs I saw . The solid droop stops were also ideally designed for landing on a rolling deck if one pushed down through the negative pitch detent too quickly .
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Ahhhhhhhhhh
Looks like the Army version, can't make out the airframe No, had around 1600 hrs of pure enjoyment together with the occational moment of terror in this fine work horse. As mentioned the positioning of the HP cock, was well named, she was V prone to surge if you got the nose high and where out of balance, the position of the intake behind the rear cabin being the culprit. Never experienced engine failure but lived through the turbine creep period, shot flames out of the rear when you bleeped up the RRPM. Engine off's 
pure adrenalin or good sport depending on your location, over frozen mole hills in Germany and south to north EOA at Wallop being 2 of the former. All in all an interesting introduction to turbine power, would have to agrree with the floppy lovers in that it was more truck like but at least it could survive a surge without an engine change! Believe the design came from civil airliner APU!!!!
pure adrenalin or good sport depending on your location, over frozen mole hills in Germany and south to north EOA at Wallop being 2 of the former. All in all an interesting introduction to turbine power, would have to agrree with the floppy lovers in that it was more truck like but at least it could survive a surge without an engine change! Believe the design came from civil airliner APU!!!!
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A nervous fag
A nice little bus, though do remember a nasty habit of the blow lamp going out at rather inopportune moments. Farnborough in the early sixties and a rather nice Auto onto the grass followed by a nervous fag and a few pints down the Queens Hotel springs to mind.
Old Fart Outhouse
Old Fart Outhouse
The Nimbus was a licence built engine from Turbomeca as were many Blackburn engines. This should not be confused with the Blackburn Nimbus which powered the Vickers Vendace II (in the 20's!).
Sogs,
Quit yer whining.....it was the "Cold War" remember?
Quit yer whining.....it was the "Cold War" remember?
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HP cock
Remember a chum I went through Wallop with telling me of the time he had a VIP trip and the General was snoozing away so though he would put the heater on/off. Silence followed but he managed to restart the engine before they impacted the ground. Said to General who had Woken up due to high rate of descent, "thought we would go low level for this bit General".
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The Nimbus was based on the Turbomeca Artouste engine, which was originally used as an APU on airliners. From Janes Aero Engines:
Derived from a French design, this small helicopter engine is no longer in military/naval service. In 1958 the Nimbus free-turbine turboshaft was derived from Turbomeca designs by Blackburn Engines, originally with the designation A.129. In 1960 Blackburn was one of several aerospace companies purchased by the Hawker Siddeley Group. It later became a unit of Bristol Siddeley Engines, and with the purchase of that company in 1966 the Nimbus became a Rolls-Royce engine. When it passed out of British military service in 2001 all rights to it were transferred to H+S Aviation of Portsmouth, Hampshire. Nimbus-powered helicopters are still flying. The Nimbus was based on the Turbomeca Artouste, for which Blackburn obtained a manufacturing licence. To the fury of the French company, Blackburn added two axial compressor stages ahead of the centrifugal compressor, a second turbine stage to the gas generator, and a free power turbine to drive the output shaft. From the free turbine, the output is taken via a two-stage gearbox. The Nimbus, then known only as the A.129, was first run as a turbojet in July 1958, and as a turboshaft with a mainshaft drive gearbox in the following month. When ready for production in 1960 the rated power was 722 kW (968 shp). Production engines were de-rated to suit the applications.
Derived from a French design, this small helicopter engine is no longer in military/naval service. In 1958 the Nimbus free-turbine turboshaft was derived from Turbomeca designs by Blackburn Engines, originally with the designation A.129. In 1960 Blackburn was one of several aerospace companies purchased by the Hawker Siddeley Group. It later became a unit of Bristol Siddeley Engines, and with the purchase of that company in 1966 the Nimbus became a Rolls-Royce engine. When it passed out of British military service in 2001 all rights to it were transferred to H+S Aviation of Portsmouth, Hampshire. Nimbus-powered helicopters are still flying. The Nimbus was based on the Turbomeca Artouste, for which Blackburn obtained a manufacturing licence. To the fury of the French company, Blackburn added two axial compressor stages ahead of the centrifugal compressor, a second turbine stage to the gas generator, and a free power turbine to drive the output shaft. From the free turbine, the output is taken via a two-stage gearbox. The Nimbus, then known only as the A.129, was first run as a turbojet in July 1958, and as a turboshaft with a mainshaft drive gearbox in the following month. When ready for production in 1960 the rated power was 722 kW (968 shp). Production engines were de-rated to suit the applications.
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Airborne Palouste!
True Story
Remember divers going down in Portland harbour (about 1973 maybe 74) to recover a Wasp ditched by Ben Caesar.
After 10 minutes - diver comes up and asks for the side number.
"Why do you want the side number?" asks the Diving Officer
"Well Sir - we've already found six of the b****rs and we need to know which one you're after!"
Trog
Watched an impressive Wasp crash on the back of Tiger - loud compressor stalling noise on approach followed by a splat - I flew the wreckage underslung with a SeaKing across to an RFA later!
Remember divers going down in Portland harbour (about 1973 maybe 74) to recover a Wasp ditched by Ben Caesar.
After 10 minutes - diver comes up and asks for the side number.
"Why do you want the side number?" asks the Diving Officer
"Well Sir - we've already found six of the b****rs and we need to know which one you're after!"
Trog
Watched an impressive Wasp crash on the back of Tiger - loud compressor stalling noise on approach followed by a splat - I flew the wreckage underslung with a SeaKing across to an RFA later!
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I flew it first in 1969/70 when the engine problems with the Nimbus were at their worst, requiring an ultra-sonic check on the free turbine each time the engine was stopped. Since this needed to be done by an engineer and took half an hour after it had cooled down, we didn't get a lot done.
I flew it most in Hong Kong in 71/74 and found it to be be a very solid beast with good lifting performance. We usually flew with 4/5 Gurkhas in the back while 28 Sqdn RAF were only lifting 5/6 in their Whirlwinds.
I think that by then most of the problems with the Nimbus had been sorted. We had only one engine failure with five aircraft in two and a half years. Chap dropped into HK harbour on take-off from Chatham Rd Barracks (I think). Popped the floats, flagged down a passing junk, barely got his feet wet.
Apart from the Nimbus, I liked it very much although I'd have to agree that engine-off landings were character forming. Having converted from the Bell 47, I found the ROD alarming.
I flew it most in Hong Kong in 71/74 and found it to be be a very solid beast with good lifting performance. We usually flew with 4/5 Gurkhas in the back while 28 Sqdn RAF were only lifting 5/6 in their Whirlwinds.
I think that by then most of the problems with the Nimbus had been sorted. We had only one engine failure with five aircraft in two and a half years. Chap dropped into HK harbour on take-off from Chatham Rd Barracks (I think). Popped the floats, flagged down a passing junk, barely got his feet wet.
Apart from the Nimbus, I liked it very much although I'd have to agree that engine-off landings were character forming. Having converted from the Bell 47, I found the ROD alarming.
