Westland 30: threads merged
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Westland 30: TC revoked
From Aviation International News.
In a highly unusual move, the FAA revoked the type certificate for the UK-built Westland 30 helicopters, after Westland helicopter returned the TC for the defunct line to Britain's Civil Aviation Authority.
The CAA susequently asked the FAA to revoke it's TC for the aircraft. There were 9 examples of the this helicopter listed in the US registry, but they had been purchased by Westland and were reportedly in the process of being destroyed at press time.
The Westland 30 gained some limited success in the difficult scheduled helicopter airline sector, but accidents and various mechanical woes soon caused operators to lose confidence in the aircraft.
In a highly unusual move, the FAA revoked the type certificate for the UK-built Westland 30 helicopters, after Westland helicopter returned the TC for the defunct line to Britain's Civil Aviation Authority.
The CAA susequently asked the FAA to revoke it's TC for the aircraft. There were 9 examples of the this helicopter listed in the US registry, but they had been purchased by Westland and were reportedly in the process of being destroyed at press time.
The Westland 30 gained some limited success in the difficult scheduled helicopter airline sector, but accidents and various mechanical woes soon caused operators to lose confidence in the aircraft.
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I was at a well known helicopter base in the mid eighties when a "Wardrobe" was brought in for the day. They offered free rides to anyone who wanted to fly it. Unfortunately it had a reputation...After no-one accepted our boss tried to order people to go in it.
Me? My old back injury suddenly got worse again and I ran all the way home.
Me? My old back injury suddenly got worse again and I ran all the way home.
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There are times when people who have no experience of an aircraft either in terms of flying it or its pluses and minuses should not comment on it.
The W30 was limited in range, and due to RR fly by the hour engine costs, eventually too expensive to operate.
However, on the Penzance to Scillies scheduled service it was the aircraft of choice by many passengers, the alternative being the S61.
On North Sea operations,its' good points were its' large square boxlike passenger cabin in which most men could stand up and walk about, and its excellent baggage hold in terms of capacity and shape.
I flew it for several years and enjoyed it very much. There was no doubt that the aircraft was under-developed in terms of auto stabilisation, autopilot, and powerplant.
However, had the money been available to develop the Series 3 version of this aircraft it may well have been very successful. For £90million more we could have had a 150Knot, 550 nm range helicopter which could carry 17 pax and their baggage. The money was not available unfortunately.
Even in its relatively under-developed state, I had now qualms about flying it,and neither did my colleagues as far as I am aware.
RBS
The W30 was limited in range, and due to RR fly by the hour engine costs, eventually too expensive to operate.
However, on the Penzance to Scillies scheduled service it was the aircraft of choice by many passengers, the alternative being the S61.
On North Sea operations,its' good points were its' large square boxlike passenger cabin in which most men could stand up and walk about, and its excellent baggage hold in terms of capacity and shape.
I flew it for several years and enjoyed it very much. There was no doubt that the aircraft was under-developed in terms of auto stabilisation, autopilot, and powerplant.
However, had the money been available to develop the Series 3 version of this aircraft it may well have been very successful. For £90million more we could have had a 150Knot, 550 nm range helicopter which could carry 17 pax and their baggage. The money was not available unfortunately.
Even in its relatively under-developed state, I had now qualms about flying it,and neither did my colleagues as far as I am aware.
RBS
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I am objecting to the implication on one post that people flew in the aircraft with some trepidation due to its "reputation". In fact it was well thought of as a Southern North Sea work horse. It did not have the range to operate on the Northern North Sea.
It had few incidents and no accidents on the British Southern North Sea. It had an accident in India due to incorrect operation of the aircraft, and there were problems in India with the engines due to compressor damage caused by FOD. The Series 3 W30 was to have different engines-the excellent T800.
The only notewothy incident of which I am aware was caused when a wheel fell off whilst taxying at a major airport. Since the same undercarriage design is used on the Islander, that was something that could have happened to a number of aircraft and not just the W30.
My objections are based on the tone and implications of the previous posts.
I was very sad for the UK helicopter aviation industry when the W30 series 3 helicopter was not certificated and entered into service.
It had few incidents and no accidents on the British Southern North Sea. It had an accident in India due to incorrect operation of the aircraft, and there were problems in India with the engines due to compressor damage caused by FOD. The Series 3 W30 was to have different engines-the excellent T800.
The only notewothy incident of which I am aware was caused when a wheel fell off whilst taxying at a major airport. Since the same undercarriage design is used on the Islander, that was something that could have happened to a number of aircraft and not just the W30.
My objections are based on the tone and implications of the previous posts.
I was very sad for the UK helicopter aviation industry when the W30 series 3 helicopter was not certificated and entered into service.
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RBS, you are the only one so far to have stated its problem areas / criticised it. What I stated was fact. On that day no-one wished to fly in it. I was one of them.
We knew it was a political move to get some cheap PR for the aircraft due to its lack of sales. We didn't see it having a military role at that time.
Its reputation had come about because of the lack of development of its "autostab, autopilot, powerplant" and the fact that India no longer wished to use it. Just as you have stated.
It did look like a wardrobe, though.
When the EH-I01 visited, we all wanted a go.
Loosen up?
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May the Force be with you - and may Gravity treat you gently..
We knew it was a political move to get some cheap PR for the aircraft due to its lack of sales. We didn't see it having a military role at that time.
Its reputation had come about because of the lack of development of its "autostab, autopilot, powerplant" and the fact that India no longer wished to use it. Just as you have stated.
It did look like a wardrobe, though.
When the EH-I01 visited, we all wanted a go.
Loosen up?
------------------
May the Force be with you - and may Gravity treat you gently..
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Skycop,
The W30 was universally known on the North Sea as "The Shed". I admit to being defensive about the "shed" because I regard its demise as a good British aviation opportunity lost due to lack of finance.
A TSR2 of the rotary world perhaps.
The W30 was universally known on the North Sea as "The Shed". I admit to being defensive about the "shed" because I regard its demise as a good British aviation opportunity lost due to lack of finance.
A TSR2 of the rotary world perhaps.
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Skycop
for everyones' information, I repeat the fact that G-BKGD( a W30 affectionately known as
GLADYS)carried many hundreds (maybe a few thousand) pax back and forth to the Scillies for some years without any problems other than minor things that you might expect on any aircraft. Those of us that flew it hold the W30 in some affection. We were all sorry to see GLADYS go dueto lack of further engine availablity.
RBS
for everyones' information, I repeat the fact that G-BKGD( a W30 affectionately known as
GLADYS)carried many hundreds (maybe a few thousand) pax back and forth to the Scillies for some years without any problems other than minor things that you might expect on any aircraft. Those of us that flew it hold the W30 in some affection. We were all sorry to see GLADYS go dueto lack of further engine availablity.
RBS
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Skycop
When I was elsewhere working on a local airfield. A landmark now the rubbish burning pit (and not slagging off here just a statement of fact since I'm too young to ever see one flying and this was how the area ended up)was known on as the Rotordyne site so the name lived on. History lives on. And the old boys remember they days,who knows what would be by now. DOH
When I was elsewhere working on a local airfield. A landmark now the rubbish burning pit (and not slagging off here just a statement of fact since I'm too young to ever see one flying and this was how the area ended up)was known on as the Rotordyne site so the name lived on. History lives on. And the old boys remember they days,who knows what would be by now. DOH
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Good Aircraft in its time for SNS ops, defects on early models included (G-OGAS) airframe cracks, went back to Westland on a low loader. Either G-AS or G-WY had a stabliser break and drop down. Early GEM100 engines had to be changed frequently. Good for passengers, and v-good for freight.
5711..
5711..
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I sense some nostalgia here. for a look at the examples held by the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mud, go here :
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/westland.htm
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/westland.htm
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5711n,
I was the pilot of the W30 that had a stabiliser drop down from its usual position although it did not fall off. I did not know anything about it until I landed at North Denes and the local Ops man told me about it over the radio. If memory serves me correctly, this happened twice to 2 different aircraft. A simple agricultural fix ended all further problems of that kind.
GOGAS did indeed have a titanium strap break. The aircraft was engaged in the building of the Rough field at the time, and we were doing one minute sectors from platform to ship and back with max load in one direction. At the time each pax was deemed to weigh 165lbs. In fact they weighed a lot more than that as it turned out. Anyway, another agricultural fix put that problem right.
RBS
I was the pilot of the W30 that had a stabiliser drop down from its usual position although it did not fall off. I did not know anything about it until I landed at North Denes and the local Ops man told me about it over the radio. If memory serves me correctly, this happened twice to 2 different aircraft. A simple agricultural fix ended all further problems of that kind.
GOGAS did indeed have a titanium strap break. The aircraft was engaged in the building of the Rough field at the time, and we were doing one minute sectors from platform to ship and back with max load in one direction. At the time each pax was deemed to weigh 165lbs. In fact they weighed a lot more than that as it turned out. Anyway, another agricultural fix put that problem right.
RBS
I would be interested to have the opinion of someone who did fly it. I know that when used for offshore work by British Airways on the east coast it was well liked by the rig workers, largely due to internal cabin space. Maintenance seemed to be a problem with the engines being particularly susceptable to FO damage.
The biggest problem seemed to be that Westlands had little comprehension of how to support a civil helicopter operation.
With their attempts to market the EH101 I can only hope they have improoved.
The biggest problem seemed to be that Westlands had little comprehension of how to support a civil helicopter operation.
With their attempts to market the EH101 I can only hope they have improoved.
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It was reported at the time that its failure was due to low power and they didn't get the bigger engines (as in the 30-300 model) out early enough. They made 40, and the type certificate is now withdrawn anyway - at Westland's request when someone in the UK reimported a dozen or so from India expecting to be able to "remanufacture" them and get them flying.
Yes, a W30 was in an episode. And also a hulk of one was in an episode of Peak Practice, or something similar, doing duty as the downed remains of a Lynx.
And if you want to see some for real, go to the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare - only decent thing there, and you can leave the other half shopping at Cribbs Causeway on the way down.
And if you want to see some for real, go to the Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare - only decent thing there, and you can leave the other half shopping at Cribbs Causeway on the way down.
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Didn't Omniflight operate some for a while as an airport shuttle ?.
http://www.helispot.com/photos/03299.html
found this.
http://www.helispot.com/photos/03299.html
found this.
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In the US, Airspur had three in the LA area (white/orange), Omniflight operated the PanAm one - link as above, and Chicago Airlink had 3 or 4 in these colours
http://www.helispot.com/photos/00752.html
but I don't think they were all delivered. Little odd to me that this photo was taken in NYC and the description says "Pan Am" when it obviously isn't in their colours.
Details on the ones in the museum at Weston-super-mare are near the bottom of this page
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/co...n/westland.htm
although they don't admit there to the other 4 or 5 they have available for "swaps" which are rotting away in the salty Atlantic air.
http://www.helispot.com/photos/00752.html
but I don't think they were all delivered. Little odd to me that this photo was taken in NYC and the description says "Pan Am" when it obviously isn't in their colours.
Details on the ones in the museum at Weston-super-mare are near the bottom of this page
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/co...n/westland.htm
although they don't admit there to the other 4 or 5 they have available for "swaps" which are rotting away in the salty Atlantic air.