Anyone flown the Wessex?
Senis Semper Fidelis
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Anyone flown the Wessex?
I always had the impression that the Wessex was a big cumbersome grunt shifter, I have today witnessed one of these big things doing all manner of movements including some very impressive turns, I salute the pilot for his ability and in giving his former peers at his old college a superb indication of what you can get up too whilst being paid for it, if you are a Ppruner and you see this, you even had SMH watching with awe. Well done that man!
Many regards
Many regards
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To: Vfrpilotpb
I believe the first attempt by Sikorsky at entering the attack helicopter competition was with a stripped down S-61. I think it was called the Blackhawk.
I believe the first attempt by Sikorsky at entering the attack helicopter competition was with a stripped down S-61. I think it was called the Blackhawk.
VFR,
Old and tired it may be (me, as well as the Wx), but I always recall the Wessie as a balanced and agile beast. The Wessex V doing an AS12 (or was it AS11, memories going...) attack, which involved a hefty pull up, nose over going almost negative G, then a rapid break after launch, was a testimony to the agility of the airframe, and the grunt from 2 Gnomes. It was almost true Cat A up to MAUW, the junglies would often ferry back on one, following a SE failure.
Who is currently operating them in UK, any non-mil. after Bristow sold them off?
Old and tired it may be (me, as well as the Wx), but I always recall the Wessie as a balanced and agile beast. The Wessex V doing an AS12 (or was it AS11, memories going...) attack, which involved a hefty pull up, nose over going almost negative G, then a rapid break after launch, was a testimony to the agility of the airframe, and the grunt from 2 Gnomes. It was almost true Cat A up to MAUW, the junglies would often ferry back on one, following a SE failure.
Who is currently operating them in UK, any non-mil. after Bristow sold them off?
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John E,. . This pilot did what you have explained plus an aweful lot more, turns that were so tight it seemed that the Wx was stationary almost on its side, with some very excited faces and legs peering down at us from the open door and waving like mad, all with a big serene rotor chugging round.. .Anybody remember the weight of this heli. I have watched the Navy Sharks with their Gazelles, this pilot was every bit as interesting, all just above tree tops!!
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I hope this is not too boring, but I have now discovered who the pilot is, and where he flew from, he may not be a Ppruners after all, but I will write to him and offer my thanks for a magnificent display, of some pretty heavy metal at angles normally reserved for Gazelles and other such " Sporty" stuff. .Thank you, for all your interest.. .Peter B
Gawd, that sounds like a beefer 
Thanks for the refresher on the HAS1 & 3
, the HU5 and Mk60 were certainly better endowed, with 240rrpm, transient 205 to 258 (extremes, 210 SE to 243 power on). Torque limits were 3520psi/20 secs, 3200 continuous. CRPM was 25,300 max continuous, 26,750 max contingency. Max gross IIRC 13,600lbs. I don't miss watching those gauges whiz round one little bit, and the memories of chuffing around in the HAS1 & 3 under the ambers just makes me go cold
No sonar and radar to haul around, though, made for a bit more capability.
Remember the HAS3 that towed the water skier on the rescue hoist, across Chesil Beach? Opened a few grockles eyes when they lifted him out of the water at the very last moment as the water met the sand.
Maybe a few other Wessex stories, like Leading Edge climbing up the outside one dark and gloomy night in the hover, and knocking on the pilot's window? Or the fun of the back seat crew tying the non flying pilot's bootlaces together, behind the cyclic, and watching when he tried to take control? Dry winching at Culdee, with Mike Lehan paying out 50 yards of cable, then reefing in the power so the poor stude (me...) was looking at the co pilot every time I swung under the Wessex
[ 01 February 2002: Message edited by: John Eacott ]</p>
Thanks for the refresher on the HAS1 & 3
, the HU5 and Mk60 were certainly better endowed, with 240rrpm, transient 205 to 258 (extremes, 210 SE to 243 power on). Torque limits were 3520psi/20 secs, 3200 continuous. CRPM was 25,300 max continuous, 26,750 max contingency. Max gross IIRC 13,600lbs. I don't miss watching those gauges whiz round one little bit, and the memories of chuffing around in the HAS1 & 3 under the ambers just makes me go cold No sonar and radar to haul around, though, made for a bit more capability.
Remember the HAS3 that towed the water skier on the rescue hoist, across Chesil Beach? Opened a few grockles eyes when they lifted him out of the water at the very last moment as the water met the sand.
Maybe a few other Wessex stories, like Leading Edge climbing up the outside one dark and gloomy night in the hover, and knocking on the pilot's window? Or the fun of the back seat crew tying the non flying pilot's bootlaces together, behind the cyclic, and watching when he tried to take control? Dry winching at Culdee, with Mike Lehan paying out 50 yards of cable, then reefing in the power so the poor stude (me...) was looking at the co pilot every time I swung under the Wessex
[ 01 February 2002: Message edited by: John Eacott ]</p>
No scanner I'm afraid, stuck out in the desert at the moment, some bloke wearing a bedsheet and a long beard.....will try and get with the technology thing as soon as i work out how to use the microwave!!!
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<img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> Fabulous old lady she may be, but it's still like driving a double decker bus from the top deck <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
Just a numbered other
jayteet
As the only protagonist I know who's driven both double deckers (admittedly not from the top deck!) and the fine old Wessex, the bus loses out every time.
John E's memory is good for those figures, and I seem to remember a rotor span of 56ft and a height of 14ft 6in just like a Routemaster. The HU5 had an overload to 14000lbs with a running take off and when it went out of service wuth the RN a basic of pushing 10000lbs, hence a very limited usefulness.
The missiles were SS11 (A Tank) and AS12 (A Ship). Both wire guided, so no heroics as the aimer had to steer the sight with one hand and the missile with the other. The bunting and lobbing was done with the 2" RPs. Not strictly necessary but fun anyway.
Lu Z, it's a twin turbine S58 remember, not the S61 which became the Sea King. Got a good video of one of them doing a little more than the 30deg limit of bank too.
As the only protagonist I know who's driven both double deckers (admittedly not from the top deck!) and the fine old Wessex, the bus loses out every time.
John E's memory is good for those figures, and I seem to remember a rotor span of 56ft and a height of 14ft 6in just like a Routemaster. The HU5 had an overload to 14000lbs with a running take off and when it went out of service wuth the RN a basic of pushing 10000lbs, hence a very limited usefulness.
The missiles were SS11 (A Tank) and AS12 (A Ship). Both wire guided, so no heroics as the aimer had to steer the sight with one hand and the missile with the other. The bunting and lobbing was done with the 2" RPs. Not strictly necessary but fun anyway.
Lu Z, it's a twin turbine S58 remember, not the S61 which became the Sea King. Got a good video of one of them doing a little more than the 30deg limit of bank too.
Ark,
Thanks for the reminder on missiles, completely forgot the 2"RP's. Story of which, was the firepower demo one day off Ark, when a steely Phantom driver hoiked off 4 pods in ripple, whilst pulling a climbing turn away from the goofers. Set for airburst, it all looked very pretty, except the one that went ballistic and chased the Phantom, going off terribly close to the intake <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
My first job in Oz was driving a Mk60 north out of Derby, in the far north west, about 300+nm. Northbound in the morning, southbound in the afternoon, I was often asked in the Boab Hotel if I was a truck driver, since my right arm was 4 shades darker than the left <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Sitting up there in splendid isolation, wondering if all the passengers were behaving downstairs <img src="cool.gif" border="0">
Thanks for the reminder on missiles, completely forgot the 2"RP's. Story of which, was the firepower demo one day off Ark, when a steely Phantom driver hoiked off 4 pods in ripple, whilst pulling a climbing turn away from the goofers. Set for airburst, it all looked very pretty, except the one that went ballistic and chased the Phantom, going off terribly close to the intake <img src="eek.gif" border="0">
My first job in Oz was driving a Mk60 north out of Derby, in the far north west, about 300+nm. Northbound in the morning, southbound in the afternoon, I was often asked in the Boab Hotel if I was a truck driver, since my right arm was 4 shades darker than the left <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">
Sitting up there in splendid isolation, wondering if all the passengers were behaving downstairs <img src="cool.gif" border="0">
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Seems like this particular breed of heli has earned a lot of respect from you folk who have been involved with her(or is she a "Bus"). .My regards. .PeterB
[quote]Sitting up there in splendid isolation, wondering if all the passengers were behaving downstairs <hr></blockquote>
I always thought the design was inspired by the old fashioned Stagecoach.
I always thought the design was inspired by the old fashioned Stagecoach.
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To: Arkroyal or anyone interested in providing a response.
In my comment about the stripped down S-61 in Sikorsky’ bid on the Army’s’ attack helicopter program I was confused. The confusion came from the designations used for license built Sikorsky helicopters. Can you (anyone) please provide your names for these helicopters built by Westland so as to eliminate confusion from this side of the pond?
S-51. .S-55. .S-58. .S-61
Incidentally, I was a techrep on the S-58 series along with the S-56 and S-55 and I still am confused by the Indian tribe names used by the US Army for these helicopters.
One small point. When I type in Westland my spell checker notes an error and provides “wetland and wasteland” as an alternative. Care to comment?
In my comment about the stripped down S-61 in Sikorsky’ bid on the Army’s’ attack helicopter program I was confused. The confusion came from the designations used for license built Sikorsky helicopters. Can you (anyone) please provide your names for these helicopters built by Westland so as to eliminate confusion from this side of the pond?
S-51. .S-55. .S-58. .S-61
Incidentally, I was a techrep on the S-58 series along with the S-56 and S-55 and I still am confused by the Indian tribe names used by the US Army for these helicopters.
One small point. When I type in Westland my spell checker notes an error and provides “wetland and wasteland” as an alternative. Care to comment?
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Lu
S-51 Westland built 130 + under the name Dragonfly. .S-55 Westland called the Whirlwind nearly 400 built in 12 variants including the Gnome turbine. . .S-58 Westland produced 300+ Wessex in 10 variants the nostalgic subject of this thread.. .The SH-3D was produced in large numbers as the Sea king for numerous countries. The S-61 has never been produced by Westland
A point to note, none of the above aircraft have been produced as “off the shelf “ designs all have had considerable re-design and development work to make them better suited to UK military and civil operation.
Wunper . . <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
S-51 Westland built 130 + under the name Dragonfly. .S-55 Westland called the Whirlwind nearly 400 built in 12 variants including the Gnome turbine. . .S-58 Westland produced 300+ Wessex in 10 variants the nostalgic subject of this thread.. .The SH-3D was produced in large numbers as the Sea king for numerous countries. The S-61 has never been produced by Westland
A point to note, none of the above aircraft have been produced as “off the shelf “ designs all have had considerable re-design and development work to make them better suited to UK military and civil operation.
Wunper . . <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">
Oops, went for breakfast and wunper beat me to it. I'll leave it on for the links? <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
Westland produced a variety of Sikorsky models under licence.
<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_dragon-r.html" target="_blank">Dragonfly and Widgeon</a> - (S-51). .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_whirlwind-r.html" target="_blank">Whirlwind</a> - S-55 (Piston and Turbine versions). .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_wessex-r.html" target="_blank">Wessex</a> - S58. .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_king-r.html" target="_blank">Sea-King/Commando</a> - S61A/B (SH-3). .(The <a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_westminster-r.html" target="_blank">Westland Westminster</a> which was never production manufactured, utilized the H-37 rotor system).
Westland incorporated British engines into these designs (some, licence manufactured US engines) and generally a variety of modifications that in some cases made the aircraft quite significantly different than the machines they were derived from.
Westland came up with some very good modifications to the original aircraft, some of which were incorporated back into the Sikorsky products. Of these, the commercial Wessex 60 was a tremendous aircraft, as others have explained here. Operating side by side with the S58T's, there was really no comparison between the two!
Can't say I miss any of the British part-numbers and hardware though! <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">
[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: Cyclic Hotline ]</p>
Westland produced a variety of Sikorsky models under licence.
<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_dragon-r.html" target="_blank">Dragonfly and Widgeon</a> - (S-51). .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_whirlwind-r.html" target="_blank">Whirlwind</a> - S-55 (Piston and Turbine versions). .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_wessex-r.html" target="_blank">Wessex</a> - S58. .<a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_king-r.html" target="_blank">Sea-King/Commando</a> - S61A/B (SH-3). .(The <a href="http://avia.russian.ee/vertigo/west_westminster-r.html" target="_blank">Westland Westminster</a> which was never production manufactured, utilized the H-37 rotor system).
Westland incorporated British engines into these designs (some, licence manufactured US engines) and generally a variety of modifications that in some cases made the aircraft quite significantly different than the machines they were derived from.
Westland came up with some very good modifications to the original aircraft, some of which were incorporated back into the Sikorsky products. Of these, the commercial Wessex 60 was a tremendous aircraft, as others have explained here. Operating side by side with the S58T's, there was really no comparison between the two!
Can't say I miss any of the British part-numbers and hardware though!
<img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">[ 02 February 2002: Message edited by: Cyclic Hotline ]</p>
VFR,
"Cab", for some reason, is the nonclemature in the RN for an aircraft. I imagine, however, that a Crab would have no problems driving a bus
Cyclic,
The offshore oil runs, with about 6-8 pax "downstairs", was fraught with assumed trust, since we had no cabin crew. I got a severe b*llocking from Mayne-Bristow management for refusing to accept a passenger who was so drunk that he couldn't walk from the F28 night flight, to the Wessex. I know who would have been held liable if he'd got up for a leak and fallen out the door somewhere over the Timor, though
Speechless 2,
Talking of showing off to Wren joyriders, was it Leading Edge who asked to be advised when the test flight passed 6000 ft, and later was advised to remove and wash the aft flotation bag??
"Cab", for some reason, is the nonclemature in the RN for an aircraft. I imagine, however, that a Crab would have no problems driving a bus
Cyclic,
The offshore oil runs, with about 6-8 pax "downstairs", was fraught with assumed trust, since we had no cabin crew. I got a severe b*llocking from Mayne-Bristow management for refusing to accept a passenger who was so drunk that he couldn't walk from the F28 night flight, to the Wessex. I know who would have been held liable if he'd got up for a leak and fallen out the door somewhere over the Timor, though
Speechless 2,
Talking of showing off to Wren joyriders, was it Leading Edge who asked to be advised when the test flight passed 6000 ft, and later was advised to remove and wash the aft flotation bag??
