Help for Westland Scout & Wasp book
 

For those that are familiar with the Warpaint series of books for the modeller, I am currently gathering material for one on the Westland Scout & Wasp.
I have all the photos I need, but am unable to find any good quality colour photos of Army Scouts that operated in Cyprus painted in United Nations markings, with light blue tail band and 'UN' lettering. Can you help? Also if any Scout or Wasp pilot is interested in contributing a piece describing the handling idiocyncracies of a Scout or Wasp, I would love to hear from him?

PM me, I can help. Autos are sporty, hydraulic failure takes some effort. Don't be too spirited or you will hear a popping sound as the compressor stalls. Run out of tail rotor authority in strong winds. Always check the throttle is open. Always. And then check again.
Re paint schemes and photos, try the Musum of Army Flying, they have extensive archives.

Many thanks to those that replied by pm. Some great experiences related on the Scout. Any Ex Navy Wasp pilots out there that would care to relate their experiences with the Wasp at sea?
Also still looking for a photo of an Army Scout in United Nations markings as operated in Cyprus.

Our records do not show Scout in Cyprus, it would have been Alouette II or Gazelle. Archivist doesn't know of any Scout in UN colours, closest we can come up with is white cross in the doors for Op AGUILA.

Scout in Cyprus
 

I found these 2 images on the internet.
So there has at least incidentally been a scout on Cyprus.

Link 1

link 2

SLB

The second image has Pegasus on the doors so is almost certainly a parachute regiment flight aircraft.

Looks like Sam Lochead as the pilot

As you say, incidental, even perhaps tasked to UN by British Forces in the absence of any other rotary assets. Remains, our records do not show Scout assigned to UN. If we can get a tail number, we can dig further. Parachute Regiment Battalions didn't have a Flight, the Brigade had a Squadron (656?). Photos seem to indicate 1964, suggest these two photos are from the initial set up of UNFICYP.

Someone is telling 'porkies' then as I have been sent a photo of XP890 and XP896 in full UNO markings operated by 3 Flt. 651 Sqn. in Cyprus December 1964

removed info

removed info

Parachute Regiment Battalions didn't have a flight!

No they had a Squadron, 664 Parachute Sqn AAC. Disbanded 1976/77 when 16 Parachute Bde was disbanded. I would suggest the aircraft with Pegasus on the door was a 664 Sqn cab and certainly 1 Para did a Cyprus UN tour, maybe more, almost certainly a flight from 664 would have accompanied them.

https://sites.google.com/site/barmavn/aircraft/scout

Blimey :sad:

Para Reg air squadron
 

Prior to becoming 664 Sqn, the Para regiments had their own flights. They were amalgamated into 21 Flight before my posting to them in 1969. Aircraft then were 6 Sioux AH1 and 6 Scout AH1. There were a couple of Scouts with XP tail nos (890/ 891 ?). All had the Pegasus decal on forward doors. The all-metal tail rotor blades replaced the earlier wooden bladed items in or about 1970. In'69 all our Scouts had the fully bulged rear doors to seat 4 rear pax.
The Link 2 photo (Sid's) Makarios Iii In Nicosia, Cyprus On February 21, 1964: Makarios and... News Photo | Getty Images definitely shows XP889.
The rear doors are the earlier version with the small bulge low to accommodate the casualty litter handles (Wasps never had the big-bulge doors due to fitment of the flotation gear fitment).
I suspect that the Scout in photos (Links1 & 2 above) were taken during either an emergency detachment or an exercise that happened to be at the right time; the S/Sgt pilot isn't wearing Cyprus theatre uniform

Met his family recently.

Regardless, archives do not show Scout in UN livery, armed with this information, we'll search again. That said, we are all volunteers and if we get it wrong, it is sometimes because we are looking in the wrong place or others have information and they haven't offered it or we haven't asked the right person. Record keeping from that time isn't an Excel spreadsheet with a Ctrl+F function.
Being proved wrong sometimes throws up more questions than it solves!

It took some searching
Definitely a Scout with UN colours
Obituary Lieutenant-Colonel-Allan-Corner
SLB

That, is an outstanding effort SLB, do you live near MW, we could do with that level of historical corpoarate knowledge. Meanwhile, I'll get the young pups back on to it. It'll cost a lot of Jaffa Cakes!

Additional photo to my previous stated "link 2"
(Not UN livery)

february-21-1964-makarios
SLB

Off topic but given the fine response to the issue above I thought I would post here.
I looked up the fate of the aircraft in the photo above and while doing so I also looked up Gazelle XW850. My understanding was that 850 was involved in a fatal accident in which 3 trainee engineers on an air experience flight were killed while flying out of Middle Wallop. This would be circa 1972/3.

Looking up the aircraft there is no mention of this accident and I am left wondering if I have got the wrong aircraft or my memory is seriously at fault.
The details given for the loss of 850 do not tally with my recollections although the reason given i.e electrical interference between the anti collision beacon and the hydraulic shut off valve is plausible as this was an issue at the time.

My understanding was that the aircraft entered a dive during which the controls locked and the impact resulted. This was put down to jack stall and military Gazelles were modified by installation of a hydraulic accumulator.

Any clarification would be appreciated as it is sad to think that these young mens lives have been airbrushed from history by the power of the internet.