Westland Dragonfly HR.5 705 Sqn FAA,
RNAS Lossiemouth SAR Flight 1961.
Mach 2 -
Kits of the Dragonfly (or it’s Sikorsky equivalent) are a little thin on the ground. This is French company Mach 2’s recent offering, converted to represent an early Royal Navy SAR aircraft.
Early Helicopters……..
Dragonfly, Sycamore, Wasp, Scout, Whirlwind
The UK version was powered by a 500 Hp Alvis Leonides rotary piston engine, giving it a reasonable margin of power for use as a SAR aircraft. Fifty one were also used as fast passenger transports, including that owned by British European Airways, who operated the world’s first scheduled helicopter passenger flights.
Dragonflies first saw duty as plane guards, operating from the RN’s carriers. In this role they effectively replaced an entire escort ship that would otherwise be required to sit aft of the carrier and pick up pilots from any aircraft that crashed into the sea on launch. Later they were also deployed as local SAR Flights at the RN’s main air stations.
Sikorsky’s S-
Most Dragonflies were built as the HR.3 variant, with a number of new build improved HR.5s added in the late 1950s. Most of the earliest HR.1s and HR.3s were eventually converted to HR.5 standard.
Dragonflies remained in service until the mid 1960s, a truly remarkable length of service for what was in effect a first generation helicopter design.
Bristol Sycamore HR Mk.14, 275 Sqn SAR,
RAF Thornaby, 1953.
Glencoe Models 1/72 (own decals)
With its wooden blades and immensely powerful Alvis Leonides piston engine, the Sycamore was one of the first really practical helicopters and continued in service worldwide until the 1970s.
RAF Thornaby was home to one of several RAF detachments pioneering the use of helicopters as SAR platforms, and was also where my father did part of his National Service, working on Sycamores!
Westland Wasp HAS.1 829 Sqn FAA,
HMS RHYL Fishery Protection/Cod War 1978.
This is the Airfix kit with the very nice Airwaves conversion set and Model Art Decals. My first ever flight was in a Wasp, during my initial term at BRNC Dartmouth in 1980. Strapped in to the rather uncomfortable rear bench seat, we took off, flew around a bit, autorotated down to just above the ground (leaving our stomachs behind), then we were winched up and down to the ground. Fantastic!
Link to Wasp & Scout Reference Pictures (warning -
The Royal Navy pioneered the use of small ASW helicopters from Frigates with the
Westland Wasp, a navalised version of the Army's Scout helicopter, built by the former
Fairey Aviation division of Westland. A number of landing gear types were trialled,
including skids and suction pads, before settling on four small castored wheels on
spindly outriggers, rather like the legs of an insect in flight. Wasps seldom flew
with their front cabin doors fitted, as pilots valued the ability to exit the aircraft
quickly if it ditched! Later in its career, it sprouted distinctive flotation bags
above the doors, which only added to its wasp-
This particular aircraft flew fishery protection patrols from HMS RHYL just after the second Cod War between the UK and Iceland, and carries the international Fishery Protection pennant on its side.
Generally a popular and effective aircraft, if woefully lacking in range payload,
and safety, the Wasp served the RN well as its primary front line ASW asset from
1964 until 1988. Wasps were capable of carrying a number of weapons types, including
French SS11 and AS12 anti-
AS12 armed Wasps from HM Ships PLYMOUTH and ENDURANCE struck and immobilised the Argentine submarine Santa Fe during the 1982 Falklands War.
Westland HAS.22 Whirlwind. Flag Officer Naval Aviation "Admiral's Barge"
781 Sqn FAA, RNAS Lee on Solent, 1961.
Although the HAS.22 was mor epowerful than the HAR.21. It rmeianed woefully short of power reserve in the ASW role. With the arrival of the HAS.7, a number of aircraft were converted to the VIP transport role.
Airfix, OOB. From the days when we had lots of real Aircraft Carriers and aircraft dedicated to VIPTAX. Gopping colour (by RN Tradition, Admirals write in green ink, thus Admiral's helos are green .......????).
HMS PROTECTOR Antarctic Survey 1956
The ten early HAR.1 Whirlwinds built by Westlands were based on the HO4S US Navy
variant, with power provided by a 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-
Nevertheless, they were well suited to the Antarctic Patrol role, embarked in the
Ice Patrol Ship HMS PROTECTOR during the late 1950s and early 1960s and painted in
a non-
Italeri with scratch conversion and Rotorcraft/home made decals.
The italeri H-
HMS ARK ROYAL SAR /Ships Flight 1956
The Whirlwind HAR.3 introduced the more powerful 700 hp Wright Cyclone engine.
Twenty five HAR.3s were built, replacing the Westland Dragonfly in the SAR role ashore
and afloat. Despite the uprated engine, they were still badly underpowered with
a limited load capacity in all but very cold weather and were replaced by more powerful,
torpedo armed HAS.7 aircraft from 1957 onward, with the last HAR.3s leaving front-
The aircraft depicted by this model is XG572 / 971, a HAR.3 used as HMS ARK ROYAL's Plane Guard / SAR aircraft. Delivered in 1955, it was written off after an accident in 1961 near RNAS Culdrose, when the tail struck the ground and became detached.
Airfix with Model Alliance decals and scratch detail improvements. Link to build page
40 Commando Air Troop, Royal Marines, Sembawang, Singapore, 1968
The Bell Model 147 H.13 Sioux first flew in 1947, seeing service with the US Army
in Korea and Vietnam (subsequently featuring in the well known MASH TV series) and
in 1965 Westland began licence production of a variant for British Army and Royal
Marines use. RM Sioux initially served with Commando Air Troops in the far east,
seeing action during the so-
Italeri with scratch conversion and home made decals.
Sikorsky R-
RNAS Portland 1945.
MPM -
So far as I know this is the only 1/72 injected R-
The R-
Limited in the ASW role by their small payload, precluding a useful weapons load,
the RN’s R-
Sikorsky HAS.21 Whirlwind.
848 Sqn FAA, RNAS Sembawang / RAF Tengah, 1953.
The Whirlwind continued Westland's successful alliance with Sikorsky, partly funded by the US Govt's MDAP programme to assist NATO allies. The first HAR.21 and HAS.22 variants were US built airframes and saw active service in Malaya and as the RN’s first ASW helicopter squadrons.
With these early variants powered by Pratt & Whitney Wasp (HAR.1/21) or Wright Cyclone (HAR.3/HAS.22) piston engines, Westland substituted the British Alvis Leonides engine to produce the ASW torpedo armed HAS.7, which replaced the Fairey Gannet from the late 1950s.
A final naval variant (the HAR.9) was converted from HAS.7s for SAR and Ice Patrol duties, Fitted with a single Rolls Royce Gnome turbine engine, it remained in RN service until 1977.
Airfix with minor modifications and my own decals. Link to build page