Westland Wessex WS58 HC2 Royal Air Force Helicopter. GAV 2132-183
An American-built Sikorsky HSS-1 was shipped to Westland in 1956 to act as a pattern aircraft. It was re-engined with a Napier Gazelle turboshaft engine, and first flew in that configuration on 17 May 1957. The first Westland-built Wessex XL727, designated a Wessex , first flew on 20 June 1958,[1] and they entered anti-submarine duties in 1961 with the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. The Royal Navy's anti-submarine examples (, ) also used the Gazelle engine. The design was adapted in the early 1960s for the RAF, and later Royal Marines, to become a general-purpose helicopter capable of troop-carrying, air ambulance and ground support roles. In contrast with the , it used twin Rolls-Royce Gnome engines. These marks (, , ) had a single large exhaust on each side of the nose, the Gazelle-powered examples having a pair of smaller exhausts on either side. The Wessex was first used by the RN, the RAF first used the helicopter in 1962, and did not finally retire until January 2003, being the main transport helicopter until the introduction of the Aérospatiale Puma. The bright yellow RAF machines used for air-sea or mountain rescue duties became especially famous and saved many lives. The Navy pressed the development of the into the improved , coming into service in 1967. It saw embarked service on the County class destroyers. The could be identified by a dorsal radome and strake extending behind the "hump". Wessex helicopters were also used by the Queen's Flight of the RAF to transport VIPs including members of the British Royal Family, from 1969 to 1998. Those Royal helicopters were designated and were essentially similar to the but with an upgraded interior, additional navigation equipment and enhanced maintenance programmes. A later version used by the Royal Marine Commandos was the
Size: 3983px × 6128px
Location: RAF Lossiemouth, Moray. Grampian. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -58, aircraft, british, choctaw, developed, flying, fts, license, school, shawbury, sikorsky, training, turbine-powered, version, wessex, westland
