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8 Wessex Helis and Spares - No reserve auction

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8 Wessex Helis and Spares - No reserve auction

Old 19th Sep 2007, 12:23
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8 Wessex Helis and Spares - No reserve auction

PPRuNers would be aware of the ongoing saga of the Westland Wessex helis in New Zealand



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Last edited by aseanaero; 19th Sep 2007 at 13:08.
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Old 19th Sep 2007, 18:06
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Have you tried approaching the Uruguayan air force , I heard they were seriously short of spares to support the Ex Hong Kong ones they bought.
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Old 19th Sep 2007, 18:27
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Or the RAF. They too are really short of a good old sturdy SH.
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Old 19th Sep 2007, 19:04
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Why don't we, as Rotorheads, have a quick whip round? It seems that for the price of an R44, we can start our own little air force...

I'm sure that we should be able to find enough volunteers who were trained by Aunty Betty to fly and fix them.


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Old 20th Sep 2007, 09:30
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Not that easy...the aircraft cannot be civil registered ,Westland will not provide support and the whole reason they are up for sale now is because the NZ CAA refused to give them even a restrticed permit for logging.
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Old 20th Sep 2007, 10:55
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I spoke with some friends who are THE S58T people and they say that in many ways the Wessex is superior and more rugged than the 58T but because of that ruggedness weighs in at nearly 500kg heavier

Heli1 is correct , the manufacturer no longer supports the Wessex and in any 1st World country the use of ex-military helis in restricted commercial ops is becoming very difficult (even the DGAC (CAA) here in Indonesia said no)

I was approached by some African and Arab buyers but due to arms embargoes on some of those countries I couldnt do business with them (export of the helis and spares requires Dept of Trade / MoD approval)

For someone in the right regulatory environment or a well heeled enthusiast :-) this package is a bargain

Last edited by aseanaero; 20th Sep 2007 at 11:29.
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Old 20th Sep 2007, 12:20
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Looking at the website I count only five Wessex..or is it Wessi ?
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Old 20th Sep 2007, 12:22
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Still uploading ...
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Old 20th Sep 2007, 14:38
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Good luck Tony,

I know you have been working hard on this and deserve to pull it off.

G'zilla
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Old 20th Sep 2007, 15:37
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I sure hope someone is able to put these machines to good use. I had the good fortune to be a part of the rebuild of the 3 aircraft operated by the Navy of Uraguay. After many years working on the S58 I would have to agree that the Wessex is just what the doctor ordered. We all have little quirks about the machines we fly and maintain and those were exactly the quirks that were worked out of the S58 when you move to the Wessex. Just think, the old radial engine S58 had 1500 Hp if I remember right. The Wessex has two engies at 1250!

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Old 20th Sep 2007, 15:55
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We demonstrated an engine start for one potential African buyer and I warned him that there could be a small fireball , the flame that shot out was a beauty due a bit too much fuel getting in before it lit and the flame was a good 3 metres long with the accompany RR Gnome 'fffwhoooosh'

I never seen a guy lock his sphincter so fast and try and retreat at the same time , we nearly had to do a quick trip back to town to buy some new trousers ! He really nearly kacked his pants haha

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Old 21st Sep 2007, 01:04
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Wow! 8 eight helis and 25 containers of spares would keep me amused for ages but my wife would be a bit cross if I brought them home!

Can anyone point me at the original threads about these NZ machines and their problems? The search facility does not seem to be working at the moment.
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Old 21st Sep 2007, 03:37
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An aircraft dealer friend of mine bought himself a BAC Strikemaster for personal use without telling his wife , she took it pretty well

But you maybe stretching it if you have a bunch of Wessex parts sitting in the lounge room

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Old 21st Sep 2007, 04:06
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"five Wessex..or is it Wessi ?"

I would like to propose the term Wessux ... tongue in cheek as they are a great old heli

"Have you tried approaching the Uruguayan air force"

Yes , via on of their suppliers
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Old 21st Sep 2007, 07:53
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Having been one of the original Wessex Mk5 pilots on the trials unit back in 1963 or so, I feel very sad of the thought of these ones being scrapped. I'm happy to say I spent 1035 hours in them & the machine never frightened me once, although I think I may have frightened the machine several times!
I had been asked to fly one in Oz but after the NZ problems, the Wessex never came to Oz.
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Old 21st Sep 2007, 08:03
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Its amazing the longevity of the S58 / Wessex

I have a few S58T main rotor blades (we started with 34 and now down to 20 which are still fit for overhaul and repair) in the warehouse which will be shipped back to a customer in the USA for overhaul , a few of these blades date back to the mid to late 50's ! ! !

I think as far as helis goes these old things are built like tanks
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Old 21st Sep 2007, 15:53
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It makes you wonder sometimes. There is another thread going right now about the EMS industry in the US and how it is driven by profit. Nobody is going to run bigger better machines because they cost more. Here we have a bunch of proven aircraft capable of carrying two pilots and all the avionics you could ask for as well as extra fuel without sacrificing payload and with the low purchase price could probably be operated for the same as an star! And we are not allowed to operate these because they are not certified and therefore safe? Oh the irony!

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Old 22nd Sep 2007, 10:20
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wessex on a uk permit

Would the UK CAA allow one to be put on a Uk permit to fly - or would this be the start of a massive paperwork exercise ?

Could be a lot of fun - although very expensive
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Old 23rd Sep 2007, 09:28
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Lost Again....unlikely...its been tried but the lack of manufacturer support is a problem.
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Old 23rd Sep 2007, 13:24
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i thought the whole idea of a permit is when the aircraft do not have the manufactures support

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