Fancy your own airworthy Lynx on the U.K. reg
 

Spotted one for sale along with 3 Seakings, the Lynx is an AH.7

https://www.controlleremea.co.uk/lis...itary-aircraft

That is fine piece of machinery and an absolute collectors dream! I wonder how few hours that will fly a year……

Is this the same one?

https://projectlynx.co.uk/

It looks like the Lynx and three SeaKings from Historic Helicopters.

I hope the decision to put them on the market is not indicative of financial problems for them - They are responsible for a lot of helicopter history and I'd hate to think it was at risk.

Fingers crossed!

I know that a well known member of this forum is involved in flying these machines - Hopefully he will be along soon and can perhaps offer some reassurance?

OH

First visual differences are that 179 has always had a ‘W” on the cabin door and has a different nose cone / antenna configuration.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....48dce87608.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....a575cf5f6.jpeg

Then the locations are different:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ff6fcc192.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....eb61134924.jpg

Four Lynx on G-INFO...
G-LNKX = XZ616 (Mk7 - built 1980)
G-NCKS = XZ179 (Mk7 - built 1978)
G-NCKY = XZ678 (Mk7 - built 1982)
G-NCKZ = ZD252 (Mk8 - built 1982)

Despite the claims of being ‘The only fully operational and UK registered Westland Lynx permitted to fly’ (even though the permit according to GINFO ran out in January & 179 is fully up and running) and the date advertised as 1977, I’m going for 616 being the one for sale.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....40c28f8521.jpg
(pic: Steve Kingston)

... and not 179...

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b5c1c54b0d.jpg
(pic: Project Lynx)

FYI - This weekend, Sunday 7 May, XZ179 makes her public display debut at the Shuttleworth Season Premiere Airshow!
Biggleswade, SG18 NEA
https://www.shuttleworth.org/product/seasonpremiere
https://projectlynx.co.uk

I imagine the sales market for this is very very very slim. Horrendous running costs, you have to fly it two crew. A complex aircraft, old tech, not very "usable". You would be better off buying an A109 and painting it green!

It's Air and Ground that do the disposals, such as the Hercs etc, funnily enough after you mentioned the 109, they have some of them for sale too.

https://www.airandground.com/aircraft-spares-services/

https://www.airandground.com/

I wouldn’t read too much into the aircraft being for sale, they have been that way for quite some time and, as Hargreaves 99 points out, the market for them is a very select and small one.

I flew 3 hours on 616 in March on a film shoot and we are just waiting to see which air shows we will go to this year.

One of the Sea Kings is in the Netflix series The Diplomat at the end of episode 2 and in episode 3. I even get my face on camera for half a second😀

"Viewer discretion advised"...

It sounds like an excuse to cancel my subscription, they're letting anybody onto it these days...

The Lynx AH7 is the classic maintainers nightmare. The more you fly it, the longer it stays serviceable, the longer it spends in the hangar, the more it leaks, drips, breaks and generally becomes unserviceable. Nothing a well motivated and well-funded group of aviation enthusiasts can't cope with, but for private ownership, it's effectively a non-starter.

Have to fly it two crew? Is this only IFR?

I think the two-crew is a CAA requirement of the "Permit to fly"

It is day VMC only and can be flown single pilot. I have a copy of the permit I had to show for the filming task.

Do not know the peculiarities of the Mk 7 but the HAS 2&3 were pretty reliable mechanically and would usually fly once taken out of the shed. Corrosion of gearboxes and tail cone forgings could be a problem, and of course the perennial vibration. Access to the vibration database would be really useful to any private owner, though I daresay some support might be had from Lysander Road, at a price.

N

N

Did the Military require two pilots? Is this a bureaucratic thing? Seems interesting you need a permit. Is there a good reason for needing two pilots?

It was two crew, perversely, unless you were on an airiest when you could stick a REME air tech in the other seat.

The RN flew them single pilot with an Observer in the other seat and no duals.

They could be flown single pilot according to the RTS but weren’t often due to the Anti-tank role the 7s were primarily used for.

Interesting, thanks for the answers.
I always assumed they were SP with weapons officer/crew given the size and role. That’s why I was surprised about the two Pilot comment.