A Westland Sea king Helecopter on a low loader, after being on static display at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Westland Aircraft was founded in 1935 when Petters Limited split its aircraft manufacturing from its aircraft engine concerns. During World War II the company produced a number of undistinguished military aircraft including the Lysander, the Whirlwind and the Welkin. After the Second World War, the company began to build helicopters under a licensing agreement with Sikorsky. From the mid-1950s the company came to increasingly concentrate on helicopters eventually to the exclusion of other types. Production started with the Sikorsky S-51, which became the Dragonfly, flying for the first time in 1948, and entering service with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force in 1953. Wesltand developed an improved version the Widgeon, which was not a great success. Success with the Dragonfly was repeated with the Sikorsky S-55 which became the Whirlwind, and a re-engined Sikorsky S-58 in both turboshaft and turbine engine powered designs as the Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British license-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines, British made anti-submarine warfare systems and a fully computerised control system. The Westland Sea King was also produced as the Commando troop transport version for export
Size: 5050px × 3360px
Location: Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Photo credit: © John Gaffen 2 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: helecopter, helicopter, military, transporter, westland
