Westland Scout
Encyclopedia
The Westland Scout was a general purpose military light helicopter
developed by Westland Helicopters
. It was closely related to the Westland Wasp
naval helicopter.
The P.531 was developed with the 635 shp Bristol Siddeley Nimbus and the 685 shp de Havilland Gnome H.1000 engine, which flew from 3 May 1960.
The production Scout AH.1 used a 1050 shp Rolls-Royce
(RR having acquired Bristol Siddeley by then) Nimbus 101 engine, torque limited to 685 shp, and achieved its first flight on 29 August 1960. The Nimbus power ratings were 1050 shp for five minutes, 685 shp for one hour and 650 shp could be maintained up to 7000 ft (2,133.6 m) at 30 degrees Celsius.
The Scout has a rigid tubular skid undercarriage with two oleos connecting the rear cross-tube to the fuel tank rear bulkhead. Despite appearances the oleos act in tension, not compression, damping the reflex action to prevent the aircraft bouncing when landing. Energy absorption on landing is mainly through the two cross-tubes. Additional rigidity is given to the undercarriage through diagonal struts connecting the rear cross tube to the main fuselage longitudinal webs. These struts also help stiffen the airframe vertically and laterally, and are fitted with quick release pins to allow access to the fuselage access panels. The rear cross-tube is anchored centrally and the front cross-tube is fixed to the two main fuselage longitudinal webs. The port skid also acted as a storage tube for the long HF aerial, the skid was accessed via a screw-fixed cap at the rear. The vertical spigot at the front of each skid is used to mount ballast weights to alter the aircraft's centre of gravity
.
Behind the two front seats was a three-seat bench, although this could be replaced with a four-seat bench when fitted with modified rear doors (see main photograph). It was used for general light work including observation, liaison, training, and search and rescue. When fitted as a light attack helicopter it carried either two, skid-mounted, forward-firing machine gun (L8A1 GPMG) packs or a single pintle mounted machine gun in the rear cabin. The pintle mount was available in both port and staboard mountings. The gun-packs, which were both aimed at a pre-set convergence angle, carried 200 rounds of ammunition and were mounted on a tubular spar that was fixed between the front and rear undercarriage legs. In the anti-tank role it could carry four guided missiles (the Nord SS.11). The sighting unit was the AF.120, the result of a joint venture between Avimo and Ferranti and had x2.5 and x10 magnification. The APX Bezu sight unit was also evaluated but rejected, although it was adopted for use on the Westland Wasp. Additional testing and trials were carried out with the Hawkswing
(initially known as Airstrike Swingfire
) missile. Initial firings were carried out in early 1972, to test the system for the Westland Lynx
, the associated AF.530 sight was subsequntly trialled in 1974. The Hawkswing system was cancelled in 1975 due to its manual control system (MCLOS
) compared to the semi-automatic (SACLOS
) system utilised by its rivals HOT
and TOW
. In the casualty evacuation role (CASEVAC), the Scout could carry two stretchers internally or two on externally mounted pods, the co-pilots seat could also be reversed to allow an attendant to face the casualties.
Although the general design of the aircraft was robust, with an airframe fatigue life of 7200 hours, the cockpit ergonomics were less than perfect. An example of this was the cabin heater switch being mounted next to the fuel cock. Unfortunately this led to the loss of at least four aircraft when the pilot misadvertantly closed the fuel cock instead of switching off the cabin heater, causing the engine to shut down. The autorotational qualities of the Scout have also been described by some pilots as 'startling'. In service trials and testing were carried out by the AAC's Development Wing at Middle Wallop, Hampshire. A wide variety of weapons and equipment were evaluated, although many were never adopted. Amongst these were the 7.62mm General Electric Minigun
and the two inch rocket pod. The rocket pods were mounted either side of the central fuselage section on the multi-spar weapon booms and both smooth tube and fin-stabilised rockets were tested, although the accuracy was described as 'indifferent'. Studies were also carried out for a pintle mounted M2 Browning machine gun in place of the standard 7.62 GPMG, and the French AME.621 20mm cannon. Another was the installation of a Bendix R.100 lightweight weather and ground-mapping radar
, which had a range of eight and forty miles. This was mounted behind the fibreglass nose access panel along with a small viewing screen in the cockpit. The radar antenna was moved further forward later in the development and a small, pronounced nose cone was fitted onto the panel.
During the development of the WG.13 Westland Lynx
, two Scouts were used as testbeds and fitted with full-scale, semi-rigid Lynx main rotor heads, despite the fact that the WG.13 rotor diameter was greater by around three metres . The first test flight was achieved 31 August 1970. A prototype MBB BO 105 also used a Scout main rotor head and blades during the development phase, unfortunately this aircraft was destroyed due to ground resonance during its initial trials.
About 150 Scouts were built through 1968, primarily at the Fairey Aviation Division factory at Hayes
.
The Scout AH Mk 1 was operated by the Army Air Corps on general light work, including observation and liaison. Like the Wasp, the Scout could be fitted out with different role equipment including flotation gear and a Lucas, air-driven hoist which had a lift capacity of 600 lb (272.2 kg). In the light attack role it was capable of carrying one pintle machine gun in the rear cabin (it is possible to carry two pintle mounted GPMGs in the cabin, although this would, unsurprisingly, be somewhat cramped) or two forward-firing 7.62mm L7 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) fixed to the undercarriage skid. These GPMG combinations were sometimes used in unison to great effect.
The forward firing GPMGs were electrically operated, being fired by the pilot and aimed using a rudimentary system of drawing a small cross on the windscreen with a chinagraph pencil. In sandy conditions these weapons could jam, which necessitated one of the free crew to lean out of the cockpit door and 'boot' the offending weapon in hope of clearing it. This procedure was not strictly in accordance with the flight reference cards. The L7A1 pintle mounted weapon was operated by a door gunner.
In the anti-tank role four SS.11
ATGWs were carried, these could be carried in conjunction with the pintle mounted GPMG. During the Falklands campaign the SS.11 achieved some success, being used to attack Argentine positions 14 June 1982. For night time reconnaissance the Scout could carry four 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) parachute flares mounted on special carriers. In addition, two smaller parachute flares could be carried to allow emergency landings at night. These were fitted on the starboard rear fuselage on a special attachment point. About 150 Scout helicopters were acquired for the Army Air Corps and were operated by them up until 1994.
The way British Military Aviation has been established has meant that the Royal Marines
have never actually “owned” their own aircraft. The larger Whirlwind, Wessex
and Sea King
helicopters have been “Royal Navy
” Helicopters and, like today’s Lynx AH Mk 7, the Scout AH Mk 1s operated by 3 Commando Brigade
Air Squadron (3 CBAS) were British Army helicopters on loan. 3 CBAS flew the Scout from 1979 through to 1982, when the Scout was replaced by the Westland Lynx, and the squadron was eventually renumbered as 847 Naval Air Squadron.
The Scout saw operational service in Borneo, Aden
, Oman, Rhodesia, Northern Ireland and then in the South Atlantic.
The territorial army (aac) formed 666sqn with a number of scouts in the late 1980s.
XR599 set off for a 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) night flight from Lundu to Kuching, the mission being to transport a local communist suspect to the Sarawak capital for interrogation. At 23:00 hrs the aircraft was posted as missing and a search and rescue mission was mounted. Although the aircraft and the remains of the pilot, the escort rifleman and the suspect were never found, a fisherman later dredged up small parts of the aircraft wreckage. On 23 September a local newspaper, The Strait Times, printed a story speculating that the Scout had been hi-jacked by the prisoner who had somehow managed to capture his escort’s weapon and then ordered the pilot to either fly out to sea or over the jungle towards the Indonesian border until they ran out of fuel. Tragedy struck a second time on 25 September when an RAF Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 of 225 Sqn, searching over jungle for XR599, crashed killing the five crew.
, Lt Col Anthony Farrar-Hockley
, used a Scout to reconnoitre the Wadi Dhubsan area, Radfan. The aircraft was hit by enemy fire, the pilot made an emergency landing and the aircraft was subsequently recovered. Three Scouts were written off during the campaign, the first, XR634, was through pilot error whilst landing, 16 May 1966. Although initially repairable this aircraft was subsequently damaged beyond economic repair when it was dropped by the RAF Westland Wessex sent to recover it. The second aircraft, XT635, flew into a hillside during a night patrol at Jebal, 5 May 1967, killing the two crew and the two passengers. The third aircraft, XT641, was destroyed on the ground in an incident where the pilot, and his F.O. intelligence officer passenger were captured and shot dead by the NLF after landing in a wadi bed whilst on a flight from Ataq to Mayfa’ah on 3 September 1967. The NLF then set fire to and destroyed the aircraft. Dropping recovered aircraft from helicopters is not the preserve of the Royal Air Force. On 1 August 1968, Westland Sioux XT123 crashed at Sharjah, Oman, and was subsequently written off when it was dropped by the Westland Scout that was attempting the recovery.
Lt David John Ralls, RCT
, was awarded the DFC for counter-attacking a large group of enemy which had previously attacked an army road repair party on the road to Habilayn. Lt Ralls attack, on 30 May 1967, utilised both the forward-firing and pintle mounted weapons, forcing the enemy to retreat. Despite his aircraft being hit a number of times, he then directed three Hawker Hunter
airstrikes onto the target.
, and when 5 Infantry Brigade landed they were joined by another three Scouts from 656 Squadron. During the Falklands conflict the Scout was engaged in CASEVAC, re-supply and Special Forces insertion roles. One aircraft, XT629, was one of two Scouts of B Flight 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, that was attacked by two FMA IA 58 Pucará
s (the only Argentine air-to-air victory in the war) of Grupo 3 near Camilla Creek House, North of Goose Green. XT629 was hit by cannon fire and crashed, killing the pilot and severing the leg of the crewman, who was thrown clear of the wreckage on impact. The second Scout evaded the Pucarás and later returned to the site to CASEVAC the survivor. Another Scout, XR628, of 656 Sqn AAC, suffered a main rotor gearbox failure whilst in a low hover over MacPhee Pond, 8 June 1982. XR628 had taken cover as two pairs of A-4 Skyhawks from Grupo 5 approached, these aircraft later attacked the RFA LSLs Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Bluff Cove. Once the threat had passed and the pilot began to climb away, the main gearbox failed at the main input drive and the aircraft made a forced landing at the lakeside in around four feet of water. The two crew were picked up another 656 Sqn Scout piloted by Capt J G Greenhalgh later that day. The aircraft was eventually recovered and airlifted to Fitzroy by Seaking on 11 June, but was subsequently written off on its return to the UK. Following research at the National Archive, Kew, it has been determined that XR628 was the same aircraft that was shot down, 26 May 1964, carrying 3 Para CO Lt Col Farrar-Hockley.
Scouts armed with SS.11 anti-tank missiles were used to great effect during the Falklands campaign. On 14 Jun 1982, an Argentine 105 mm Pack Howitzer battery dug in to the West of Stanley Racecourse was firing at the Scots Guards as they approached Mount Tumbledown. As the guns were out of range of the Milan
ATGWs of nearby 2 Para, their 2IC, Major Chris Keeble, contacted Capt J G Greenhalgh of 656 Sqn AAC on the radio and requested a HELARM using SS.11 missiles to attack on them. As he was engaged in ammunition re-supply, his Scout was not fitted with missile booms. This was in order to reduce weight and increase the aircraft lift capability. Capt Greenhalgh then returned to Estancia House, where his aircraft was refuelled, fitted out, and armed with four missiles in 20 minutes with the rotors still turning. An ‘O’ group was then held with the crews of two Scouts of 3 CBAS and Capt Greenhalgh took off on a reconnaissance mission, while the other aircraft were fitted out and readied. Within 20 minutes he had located the target and carried out a detailed recce of the area. He fired two missiles at the enemy positions and then returned to a pre-arranged RV to meet up and guide in the other two Scouts. The three aircraft, positioned 100 metres apart, then fired a total of ten missiles (nine missiles hit, one failed) from the ridge overlooking the Argentine positions 3000m away and succeeded in hitting the howitzers, nearby bunkers, an ammunition dump and the command post. The Argentine troops returned mortar fire, a round landing directly in front of Capt Greenhalgh’s Scout.
Because of the specialist nature of operations in Northern Ireland, a particularly important piece of role equipment was introduced in the form of the 'Nightsun' 3.5 million candle power searchlight. Operations at night were greatly enhanced with the introduction of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), although these missions could still be hazardous. This was evident on the night of 2 December 1978, when the pilot of XW614, 659 Sqn, became disorientated during a sortie and crashed into Lough Ross, killing the two crew. XW614 was the last of five Scouts written off during operations in the Province.
Two Scout helicopters were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in April 1963 and were operated by the 723 Naval Air Squadron, with the aircraft being rotated aboard the hydrographic survey ship HMAS Moresby
. The RAN Scouts proved the practicalities of operating helicopters from small ships for the RAN, and the RAN operated these helicopters up until 1973, when they were replaced by Bell 206B-1 Kiowas. The RAN experience with the Scouts aboard HMAS Moresby illustrated the need for a higher-level maintenance regime as a result of operating the helicopters in areas with high concentrations of abrasive coral sand encountered around the Australian coastline and the detrimental effect that it had on the rotor blades, airframe and engine components. Despite the additional effort to maintain the helicopters, the Scouts were considered to be superior to the seaplanes and flying boats that had previously been used in this role. One of the Scouts ditched in Wewak Harbour whilst taking off from HMAS Moresby, April 1967, although it was subsequently recovered the aircraft was written off.
Saunders-Roe P.531-2 Mk.1
Scout AH.1
South Africa
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
developed by Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters
Westland Helicopters was a British aerospace company. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters after the Second World War. It merged with several other British firms in 1961...
. It was closely related to the Westland Wasp
Westland Wasp
The Westland Wasp was a British small first-generation, gas-turbine powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. Produced by Westland Helicopters, it came from the same P.531 programme as the British Army Westland Scout, and was based on the earlier piston-engined Saunders-Roe Skeeter...
naval helicopter.
Design and development
Both the Scout and the Wasp were developed from the Saunders-Roe P.531, itself a development of the Saunders-Roe Skeeter. With the acquisition of Saunders Roe, Westland took over the P.531 project, which became the prototype for the Scout (originally called Sprite) and the Wasp.The P.531 was developed with the 635 shp Bristol Siddeley Nimbus and the 685 shp de Havilland Gnome H.1000 engine, which flew from 3 May 1960.
The production Scout AH.1 used a 1050 shp Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
(RR having acquired Bristol Siddeley by then) Nimbus 101 engine, torque limited to 685 shp, and achieved its first flight on 29 August 1960. The Nimbus power ratings were 1050 shp for five minutes, 685 shp for one hour and 650 shp could be maintained up to 7000 ft (2,133.6 m) at 30 degrees Celsius.
The Scout has a rigid tubular skid undercarriage with two oleos connecting the rear cross-tube to the fuel tank rear bulkhead. Despite appearances the oleos act in tension, not compression, damping the reflex action to prevent the aircraft bouncing when landing. Energy absorption on landing is mainly through the two cross-tubes. Additional rigidity is given to the undercarriage through diagonal struts connecting the rear cross tube to the main fuselage longitudinal webs. These struts also help stiffen the airframe vertically and laterally, and are fitted with quick release pins to allow access to the fuselage access panels. The rear cross-tube is anchored centrally and the front cross-tube is fixed to the two main fuselage longitudinal webs. The port skid also acted as a storage tube for the long HF aerial, the skid was accessed via a screw-fixed cap at the rear. The vertical spigot at the front of each skid is used to mount ballast weights to alter the aircraft's centre of gravity
Center of gravity of an aircraft
The center-of-gravity is the point at which an aircraft would balance if it were possible to suspend it at that point. It is the mass center of the aircraft, or the theoretical point at which the entire weight of the aircraft is assumed to be concentrated. Its distance from the reference datum is...
.
Behind the two front seats was a three-seat bench, although this could be replaced with a four-seat bench when fitted with modified rear doors (see main photograph). It was used for general light work including observation, liaison, training, and search and rescue. When fitted as a light attack helicopter it carried either two, skid-mounted, forward-firing machine gun (L8A1 GPMG) packs or a single pintle mounted machine gun in the rear cabin. The pintle mount was available in both port and staboard mountings. The gun-packs, which were both aimed at a pre-set convergence angle, carried 200 rounds of ammunition and were mounted on a tubular spar that was fixed between the front and rear undercarriage legs. In the anti-tank role it could carry four guided missiles (the Nord SS.11). The sighting unit was the AF.120, the result of a joint venture between Avimo and Ferranti and had x2.5 and x10 magnification. The APX Bezu sight unit was also evaluated but rejected, although it was adopted for use on the Westland Wasp. Additional testing and trials were carried out with the Hawkswing
Swingfire
Swingfire was a British wire-guided anti-tank missile developed in the 1960s and produced from 1966 until 1993.-Development:Swingfire was developed by Fairey Engineering Ltd and the British Aircraft Corporation. It replaced the Vickers Vigilant missile in British service...
(initially known as Airstrike Swingfire
Swingfire
Swingfire was a British wire-guided anti-tank missile developed in the 1960s and produced from 1966 until 1993.-Development:Swingfire was developed by Fairey Engineering Ltd and the British Aircraft Corporation. It replaced the Vickers Vigilant missile in British service...
) missile. Initial firings were carried out in early 1972, to test the system for the Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
, the associated AF.530 sight was subsequntly trialled in 1974. The Hawkswing system was cancelled in 1975 due to its manual control system (MCLOS
MCLOS
MCLOS is a first-generation method for guiding guided missiles.With an MCLOS missile, the operator must track the missile and the target simultaneously and guide the missile to the target. Typically the missile is steered with a joystick, and its path is observed through a periscope-type...
) compared to the semi-automatic (SACLOS
SACLOS
SACLOS is an acronym for Semi-Automatic Command to Line of Sight, a second-generation method of missile guidance. In SACLOS, the operator has to continually point a sighting device at the target while the missile is in flight...
) system utilised by its rivals HOT
Euromissile HOT
The HOT is a second-generation long-range anti-tank missile system developed originally as an effort to meet a joint German-French Army requirement, by the then German firm Bolkow and the French firm Nord, to replace the older SS.11 wire guided...
and TOW
BGM-71 TOW
The BGM-71 TOW is an anti-tank missile. "BGM" is a weapon classification that stands for "Multiple Environment , Surface-Attack , Missile ". "TOW" is an acronym that stands for "Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire command data link, guided missile"...
. In the casualty evacuation role (CASEVAC), the Scout could carry two stretchers internally or two on externally mounted pods, the co-pilots seat could also be reversed to allow an attendant to face the casualties.
Although the general design of the aircraft was robust, with an airframe fatigue life of 7200 hours, the cockpit ergonomics were less than perfect. An example of this was the cabin heater switch being mounted next to the fuel cock. Unfortunately this led to the loss of at least four aircraft when the pilot misadvertantly closed the fuel cock instead of switching off the cabin heater, causing the engine to shut down. The autorotational qualities of the Scout have also been described by some pilots as 'startling'. In service trials and testing were carried out by the AAC's Development Wing at Middle Wallop, Hampshire. A wide variety of weapons and equipment were evaluated, although many were never adopted. Amongst these were the 7.62mm General Electric Minigun
Minigun
The Minigun is a 7.62 mm, multi-barrel heavy machine gun with a high rate of fire , employing Gatling-style rotating barrels with an external power source...
and the two inch rocket pod. The rocket pods were mounted either side of the central fuselage section on the multi-spar weapon booms and both smooth tube and fin-stabilised rockets were tested, although the accuracy was described as 'indifferent'. Studies were also carried out for a pintle mounted M2 Browning machine gun in place of the standard 7.62 GPMG, and the French AME.621 20mm cannon. Another was the installation of a Bendix R.100 lightweight weather and ground-mapping radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
, which had a range of eight and forty miles. This was mounted behind the fibreglass nose access panel along with a small viewing screen in the cockpit. The radar antenna was moved further forward later in the development and a small, pronounced nose cone was fitted onto the panel.
During the development of the WG.13 Westland Lynx
Westland Lynx
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
, two Scouts were used as testbeds and fitted with full-scale, semi-rigid Lynx main rotor heads, despite the fact that the WG.13 rotor diameter was greater by around three metres . The first test flight was achieved 31 August 1970. A prototype MBB BO 105 also used a Scout main rotor head and blades during the development phase, unfortunately this aircraft was destroyed due to ground resonance during its initial trials.
About 150 Scouts were built through 1968, primarily at the Fairey Aviation Division factory at Hayes
Hayes, Hillingdon
Hayes is a town in the London Borough of Hillingdon, West London. It is a suburban development situated west of Charing Cross. Hayes was developed in the late 19th and 20th centuries as an industrial locality to which residential districts were later added in order to house factory workers...
.
Operational history
The Scout formed the backbone of the Army Air Corps throughout the 1960s and well into the 1970s; the first Scout flew on 29 August 1960 and an initial order for 66 aircraft followed a month after its first flight. Engine problems delayed the introduction of the Scout until 1963, and as an interim measure the Army Air Corps received a small number of Allouette II helicopters. Although the aircraft's entry into service was delayed, the Scout still had a number of teething troubles when it was introduced. One of the earliest losses was XR596, which crashed into the jungle near Kluang airfield in Southern Malaya, 16 July 1964, following a fuel pump failure. The two crew died in the incident. Engine failures were responsible for the loss of at least eleven military and civilian registered aircraft. The engine life of the Nimbus during the early part of its service was notoriously low, with four to six flying hours being the norm. A competition was allegedly held, with a prize to the first unit that could achieve an engine life of twenty-five flying hours. Operational experience and development work steadily improved the reliability of the Nimbus and by 1964 engine life had improved to two/three engine changes per 1,000 flying hours.The Scout AH Mk 1 was operated by the Army Air Corps on general light work, including observation and liaison. Like the Wasp, the Scout could be fitted out with different role equipment including flotation gear and a Lucas, air-driven hoist which had a lift capacity of 600 lb (272.2 kg). In the light attack role it was capable of carrying one pintle machine gun in the rear cabin (it is possible to carry two pintle mounted GPMGs in the cabin, although this would, unsurprisingly, be somewhat cramped) or two forward-firing 7.62mm L7 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) fixed to the undercarriage skid. These GPMG combinations were sometimes used in unison to great effect.
The forward firing GPMGs were electrically operated, being fired by the pilot and aimed using a rudimentary system of drawing a small cross on the windscreen with a chinagraph pencil. In sandy conditions these weapons could jam, which necessitated one of the free crew to lean out of the cockpit door and 'boot' the offending weapon in hope of clearing it. This procedure was not strictly in accordance with the flight reference cards. The L7A1 pintle mounted weapon was operated by a door gunner.
In the anti-tank role four SS.11
SS.11
SS.11 is the designation of the Nord Aviation MCLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile. In American service the missile was designated the AGM-22. The missile entered service with the French Army in 1956. Production of the SS.11 ceased some time in the 1980s but in 1978 168,450 missiles had been produced...
ATGWs were carried, these could be carried in conjunction with the pintle mounted GPMG. During the Falklands campaign the SS.11 achieved some success, being used to attack Argentine positions 14 June 1982. For night time reconnaissance the Scout could carry four 4.5 inches (114.3 mm) parachute flares mounted on special carriers. In addition, two smaller parachute flares could be carried to allow emergency landings at night. These were fitted on the starboard rear fuselage on a special attachment point. About 150 Scout helicopters were acquired for the Army Air Corps and were operated by them up until 1994.
The way British Military Aviation has been established has meant that the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
have never actually “owned” their own aircraft. The larger Whirlwind, Wessex
Westland Wessex
The Westland Wessex is a British turbine-powered version of the Sikorsky S-58 "Choctaw", developed under license by Westland Aircraft , initially for the Royal Navy, and later for the Royal Air Force...
and Sea King
Westland Sea King
The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-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...
helicopters have been “Royal Navy
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
” Helicopters and, like today’s Lynx AH Mk 7, the Scout AH Mk 1s operated by 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
Air Squadron (3 CBAS) were British Army helicopters on loan. 3 CBAS flew the Scout from 1979 through to 1982, when the Scout was replaced by the Westland Lynx, and the squadron was eventually renumbered as 847 Naval Air Squadron.
The Scout saw operational service in Borneo, Aden
Aden Emergency
The Aden Emergency was an insurgency against the British crown forces in the British controlled territories of South Arabia which now form part of the Yemen. Partly inspired by Nasser's pan Arab nationalism, it began on 10 December 1963 with the throwing of a grenade at a gathering of British...
, Oman, Rhodesia, Northern Ireland and then in the South Atlantic.
The territorial army (aac) formed 666sqn with a number of scouts in the late 1980s.
Borneo
Mystery still surrounds a Scout that went missing 20 September 1965.XR599 set off for a 40 nautical miles (74.1 km) night flight from Lundu to Kuching, the mission being to transport a local communist suspect to the Sarawak capital for interrogation. At 23:00 hrs the aircraft was posted as missing and a search and rescue mission was mounted. Although the aircraft and the remains of the pilot, the escort rifleman and the suspect were never found, a fisherman later dredged up small parts of the aircraft wreckage. On 23 September a local newspaper, The Strait Times, printed a story speculating that the Scout had been hi-jacked by the prisoner who had somehow managed to capture his escort’s weapon and then ordered the pilot to either fly out to sea or over the jungle towards the Indonesian border until they ran out of fuel. Tragedy struck a second time on 25 September when an RAF Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 of 225 Sqn, searching over jungle for XR599, crashed killing the five crew.
Aden and Radfan
In Aden and Radfan a number of Scouts were shot down, although these usually resulted in a forced landing and the aircraft were recovered, repaired and returned to service. A example of this occurred 26 May 1964 when the CO of 3 Para3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
The 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade....
, Lt Col Anthony Farrar-Hockley
Anthony Farrar-Hockley
General Sir Anthony Heritage Farrar-Hockley GBE, KCB, DSO & Bar, MC , affectionately known as 'Farrar the Para' , was a British soldier and a military historian who distinguished himself in a number of British conflicts...
, used a Scout to reconnoitre the Wadi Dhubsan area, Radfan. The aircraft was hit by enemy fire, the pilot made an emergency landing and the aircraft was subsequently recovered. Three Scouts were written off during the campaign, the first, XR634, was through pilot error whilst landing, 16 May 1966. Although initially repairable this aircraft was subsequently damaged beyond economic repair when it was dropped by the RAF Westland Wessex sent to recover it. The second aircraft, XT635, flew into a hillside during a night patrol at Jebal, 5 May 1967, killing the two crew and the two passengers. The third aircraft, XT641, was destroyed on the ground in an incident where the pilot, and his F.O. intelligence officer passenger were captured and shot dead by the NLF after landing in a wadi bed whilst on a flight from Ataq to Mayfa’ah on 3 September 1967. The NLF then set fire to and destroyed the aircraft. Dropping recovered aircraft from helicopters is not the preserve of the Royal Air Force. On 1 August 1968, Westland Sioux XT123 crashed at Sharjah, Oman, and was subsequently written off when it was dropped by the Westland Scout that was attempting the recovery.
Lt David John Ralls, RCT
Royal Corps of Transport
The Royal Corps of Transport was a British Army Corps formed in 1965 from the transport elements of the Royal Army Service Corps and the movement control element of the Royal Engineers . The depot was Buller Barracks in Aldershot...
, was awarded the DFC for counter-attacking a large group of enemy which had previously attacked an army road repair party on the road to Habilayn. Lt Ralls attack, on 30 May 1967, utilised both the forward-firing and pintle mounted weapons, forcing the enemy to retreat. Despite his aircraft being hit a number of times, he then directed three Hawker Hunter
Hawker Hunter
The Hawker Hunter is a subsonic British jet aircraft developed in the 1950s. The single-seat Hunter entered service as a manoeuvrable fighter aircraft, and later operated in fighter-bomber and reconnaissance roles in numerous conflicts. Two-seat variants remained in use for training and secondary...
airstrikes onto the target.
Falklands War
At the start of “Operation Corporate” six Scouts from 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron were operating alongside three machines from No. 656 Squadron AACNo. 656 Squadron AAC
656 Squadron is a unit of the British Army Air Corps. It was chosen as one of the AAC new Apache Squadrons and in April 2004 started its conversion to role. The first phase of this completed in October 2004...
, and when 5 Infantry Brigade landed they were joined by another three Scouts from 656 Squadron. During the Falklands conflict the Scout was engaged in CASEVAC, re-supply and Special Forces insertion roles. One aircraft, XT629, was one of two Scouts of B Flight 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, that was attacked by two FMA IA 58 Pucará
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency aircraft. It is a low-wing two-turboprop-engined all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones.-Development:...
s (the only Argentine air-to-air victory in the war) of Grupo 3 near Camilla Creek House, North of Goose Green. XT629 was hit by cannon fire and crashed, killing the pilot and severing the leg of the crewman, who was thrown clear of the wreckage on impact. The second Scout evaded the Pucarás and later returned to the site to CASEVAC the survivor. Another Scout, XR628, of 656 Sqn AAC, suffered a main rotor gearbox failure whilst in a low hover over MacPhee Pond, 8 June 1982. XR628 had taken cover as two pairs of A-4 Skyhawks from Grupo 5 approached, these aircraft later attacked the RFA LSLs Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram at Bluff Cove. Once the threat had passed and the pilot began to climb away, the main gearbox failed at the main input drive and the aircraft made a forced landing at the lakeside in around four feet of water. The two crew were picked up another 656 Sqn Scout piloted by Capt J G Greenhalgh later that day. The aircraft was eventually recovered and airlifted to Fitzroy by Seaking on 11 June, but was subsequently written off on its return to the UK. Following research at the National Archive, Kew, it has been determined that XR628 was the same aircraft that was shot down, 26 May 1964, carrying 3 Para CO Lt Col Farrar-Hockley.
Scouts armed with SS.11 anti-tank missiles were used to great effect during the Falklands campaign. On 14 Jun 1982, an Argentine 105 mm Pack Howitzer battery dug in to the West of Stanley Racecourse was firing at the Scots Guards as they approached Mount Tumbledown. As the guns were out of range of the Milan
MILAN
MILAN " is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the...
ATGWs of nearby 2 Para, their 2IC, Major Chris Keeble, contacted Capt J G Greenhalgh of 656 Sqn AAC on the radio and requested a HELARM using SS.11 missiles to attack on them. As he was engaged in ammunition re-supply, his Scout was not fitted with missile booms. This was in order to reduce weight and increase the aircraft lift capability. Capt Greenhalgh then returned to Estancia House, where his aircraft was refuelled, fitted out, and armed with four missiles in 20 minutes with the rotors still turning. An ‘O’ group was then held with the crews of two Scouts of 3 CBAS and Capt Greenhalgh took off on a reconnaissance mission, while the other aircraft were fitted out and readied. Within 20 minutes he had located the target and carried out a detailed recce of the area. He fired two missiles at the enemy positions and then returned to a pre-arranged RV to meet up and guide in the other two Scouts. The three aircraft, positioned 100 metres apart, then fired a total of ten missiles (nine missiles hit, one failed) from the ridge overlooking the Argentine positions 3000m away and succeeded in hitting the howitzers, nearby bunkers, an ammunition dump and the command post. The Argentine troops returned mortar fire, a round landing directly in front of Capt Greenhalgh’s Scout.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland the Scout pioneered the use of the Heli-Tele aerial surveillance system, having a gyro-stabilised Marconi unit shoe-horned into the rear cabin. The Heli-Tele unit weighed some 700 lb (317.5 kg), although later developments reduced this significantly. The aircraft was also used for mounting Eagle patrols. In this role the rear cabin doors and seats were removed and four troops sat in the rear cabin with their feet resting on the skids. Operating with two aircraft in unison, this allowed an eight man patrol to be quickly inserted into an area and mount snap Vehicle Check Points (VCPs) if necessary. Up until 1973, the standard tail rotor colour scheme for the Scout were bands of red and white. On 14 September 1973 a soldier died during training at Gosford Castle, Armagh, after coming into contact with the tail rotor blades whilst the aircraft was on the ground. Following this accident the tail rotor blade colour scheme was changed to the distinctive black and white bands.Because of the specialist nature of operations in Northern Ireland, a particularly important piece of role equipment was introduced in the form of the 'Nightsun' 3.5 million candle power searchlight. Operations at night were greatly enhanced with the introduction of Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), although these missions could still be hazardous. This was evident on the night of 2 December 1978, when the pilot of XW614, 659 Sqn, became disorientated during a sortie and crashed into Lough Ross, killing the two crew. XW614 was the last of five Scouts written off during operations in the Province.
Exports
Unlike its naval counterpart, the Scout did not achieve the same export success as the Wasp, with the Royal Jordanian Air Force acquiring three helicopters, two were operated in Uganda, and Bahrain had two helicopters which were operated by the Bahrain Public Security Force in police service roles. The Scout never received civilian air worthiness certification which prevented it from being sold to civilian operators, the design being utilised purely for army use from the outset. All current operators require an 'Experimental' certificate to fly them.Two Scout helicopters were acquired by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in April 1963 and were operated by the 723 Naval Air Squadron, with the aircraft being rotated aboard the hydrographic survey ship HMAS Moresby
HMAS Moresby (1963)
HMAS Moresby, named for the explorer Captain John Moresby, was a hydrographic survey ship of the Royal Australian Navy . Serving in the RAN from 1964 to 1999, Moresby was then sold into civilian service...
. The RAN Scouts proved the practicalities of operating helicopters from small ships for the RAN, and the RAN operated these helicopters up until 1973, when they were replaced by Bell 206B-1 Kiowas. The RAN experience with the Scouts aboard HMAS Moresby illustrated the need for a higher-level maintenance regime as a result of operating the helicopters in areas with high concentrations of abrasive coral sand encountered around the Australian coastline and the detrimental effect that it had on the rotor blades, airframe and engine components. Despite the additional effort to maintain the helicopters, the Scouts were considered to be superior to the seaplanes and flying boats that had previously been used in this role. One of the Scouts ditched in Wewak Harbour whilst taking off from HMAS Moresby, April 1967, although it was subsequently recovered the aircraft was written off.
Survivors
Although the operational flying days are behind them, there are still Scouts in the air; mainly in the UK; at the present time there are six Scouts remaining on the UK Civil Register along with the Army Air Corps Historic Flights aircraft. Outside the UK, the last of six Scouts that were taken down to New Zealand has been withdrawn from use, leaving ZS-HAS flying in South Africa.Military
- XP188 19 May 1961 Saunders Roe The pilot attempted a forced landing on a small grass area in a caravan park at Shoreham, Sussex following engine failure. However the aircraft landed on two caravans and struck a third. The pilot was uninjured and there were no civilian casualties
- XP851 10 May 1963: While serving with 651 Sqn, aircraft suffered an engine failure during winching trials at Yeovil, Somerset. It force landed into a field adjacent to the airfield and rolled upside down. The pilot was uninjured but the aircraft was later deemed to be damaged beyond repair.
- XP892 17 November 1964: While serving with 3 Flt, Cyprus, the aircraft crash landed at Ktima landing pad, following a tail rotor failure at 40 feet (12.2 m). The main rotor subsequently struck the cockpit injuring both crew.
- XP889 23 February 1965: While serving with AAC Centre, the aircraft crashed and rolled onto its side following an engine failure during take off, at Sidbury Hill near Everleigh, Wiltshire. The pilot had made a precautionary landing to re-select radio channels. The engine failure was caused by a blocked fuel pipe.
- XP854 23 March 1965: While serving with 18 Flt, Oberhausen, West Germany, the engine failed due to blocked oil filters. During the subsequent autorotation the pilot pulled up the collective lever early to avoid houses, causing the loss of main rotor speed, resulting in a heavy landing. Of the three crew the pilot was slightly injured. The aircraft was initially sent to Westlands for repair but was declared a write off. Airframe allocated to ground instruction at Middle Wallop (TAD043).
- XR638 3 January 1966: While serving with 21 Flt, UK, the aircraft encountered engine problems caused by the inadvertent closure of the fuel cock in mistake for the heater control, during a delivery flight from Wroughton to Middle Wallop. The aircraft subsequently lost height and crashed tail first at Marlborough, Wiltshire. It then caught fire and burnt out killing the two crew.
- XT621 14 January 1966: While serving with 665 Sqn, West Malaysia, the pilot became disorientated during a landing in 'brown out' conditions at night. The aircraft rolled to starboard, crashed onto its side and overturned, injuring one of the three crew on board.
- XT619 10 March 1966: While serving with 2 Flt, UK, the aircraft was carrying a soldier in a stretcher pod as part of a casevac scenario, during Exercise ‘Baker’s Dozen, Stanford PTA, Norfolk . The pilot inadvertently shut off the fuel cock instead of the cabin heater. The pilot reopened the fuel cock, but during the subsequent attempted emergency landing, the main rotors struck a tree and the aircraft crashed in a ploughed field near Thetford. The two crew and the soldier were injured.
- XR633 7 September 1966: While serving with 4 Wing, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and ditched in the Straits of Malacca, Malaysia. The airframe was subsequently sold to a private owner in Suffolk.
- XP895 11 November 1966: While serving with 21 Flt, the aircraft crash-landed into a ploughed field at Overton, Hampshire following engine failure at 700 feet (213.4 m). Although the aircraft was written off, the two crew were uninjured.
- XR598 20 March 1967: While serving with 11 Flt, Bakalalan, Borneo, the pilot was unable to control a yaw to the right while on approach. The aircraft struck a tree breaking off the tail rotor and damaging the main rotor. The aircraft crashed injuring two of the four occupants.
- XV120 6 June 1967: While serving with 10 Flt, the aircraft crashed into the ground at the corner of Long Cross housing estate at Felton near Bristol Airport, just before 9 am, killing the pilot, Capt Norman Wallace, 28, and the two other occupants, Brigadier George Butler, 49, and L/Cpl John Carr, 19.
- XT625 30 January 1968: While serving with 11 Flt, Malaysia, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and force landed into the jungle near Gerik, ten miles (16 km) from Butterworth, Malaysia, killing Cpl Christopher Galloway REME, and injuring the other two occupants.
- XT615 2 February 1968: While serving with 13 Flt, Oman, the aircraft suffered an engine failure at 900 feet (274.3 m), near Sharjah. During the subsequent autorotation and landing, the port skid touched down first on sloping soft ground, causing the aircraft to bounce and land on its starboard side. Two of the four occupants were injured.
- XT622 23 April 1968: While serving with 7 Flt, Malaysia, suffered an engine failure on approach to Kangar Kahang, Johore State, injuring two of the four occupants in the subsequent heavy landing.
- XR640 14 May 1969: While serving with 6 Flt, the aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision during take-off at Chattendon Barracks, Rochester, Kent. The pilot of the Scout, and the two occupants of the Sioux, XT802 of 3 RTR Air Sqn, were killed. L/Cpl Sindall and Spr Pedley Royal Engineers were awarded the BEM for gallantry in attempting to rescue the occupants.
- XV125 16 December 1969: While serving with 651 Sqn, Germany, the aircraft suffered a tail rotor blade failure during a test flight and subsequently suffered a heavey landing near Verden. The three occupants were unhurt.
- XP896 20 November 1973: While serving with 663 Sqn, Northern Ireland, the aircraft suffered an engine failure during take off from Armagh. During the subsequent forced landing it struck a recovery vehicle in a vehicle park, injuring the five crew.
- XR636 12 April 1974: While serving with 664 Sqn, Northern Ireland, the aircraft flew into rising ground at Rich Hill near Portadown, County Armagh, killing the pilot, WO2 David Christopher Rowat.
- XR631 19 June 1974: While serving with 652 Sqn, Germany, the aircraft crashed and caught fire following a wire strike at Vogelsang, during a photographic sortie. The four crew subsequently escaped without injury.
- XV133 9 January 1976: While serving with 662 Sqn, Northern Ireland, the aircraft crashed near Crossmaglen, Armagh, after the pilot became disorientated flying into low cloud at night. Both the pilot, WO2 Brian Anthony Jackson, and the passenger, Cpl Arthur Kenneth Ford Royal Signals, were killed.
- XV132 10 April 1978: While serving with 655 Sqn, Northern Ireland, the aircraft crashed into Lough Neagh after flying into a snow storm. Both the pilot, Capt Michael James Kett Royal Artillery, and the passenger, a 17 year old cadet, were killed.
- XP904 12 May 1978: While serving with 654 Sqn, Germany, the aircraft crashed into trees and caught fire at Lemgo, near Lippstadt. The aircraft was in a near vertical descent with virtually no rotor speed, killing the two crewmen. The possible cause was the inadvertent closure of the fuel cock in mistake for the heater control.
- XR604 8 February 1979: While serving with 7 Regt, prior to take off from Hereford, Herefordshire, the pilot inadvertently operated the fuel shut off cock instead of the cabin heater. The engine failed at 800 feet (243.8 m) and the aircraft overturned during the subsequent forced landing in a school playing field. The pilot was slightly injured.
- XR601 26 August 1979: While serving in BATUS, Suffield, Canada, following an engine failure during a hover at 50 feet (15.2 m), the main rotor severed the tailboom in the subsequent heavy landing. One of the two crew was badly injured. The airframe was allocated to ground instruction at SEAE, Arborfield, England and then to Whittington Barracks for display.
- XP890 6 October 1981: While serving with ARWF, Middle Wallop, Hants, the aircraft was badly damaged when it was landed on by a Bristow Helicopters Ltd Westland Bell 47G-4, registration G-AXKT, which was written off. The Scout was stripped for spares in 1987.
- XT647 28 September 1982: While serving with A&AEE, Boscombe Down, Wiltshire, control was lost during take off due to misalignment of the pilot valve in the starboard cyclic control system. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed on impact. The two crew escaped injury.
- XP901 18 January 1983: While serving with 660 Sqn, Hong Kong, the aircraft was badly damaged and written off in a heavy engine off landing at Sek Kong. The two crewmen were slightly injured.
- XP906 12 March 1985: While serving with 660 Sqn, Hong Kong, the aircraft rolled over on take off from Crest Hill, Sheung Shui, after loss of main rotor rpm, killing Maj Richard Balkwill, Royal Artillery, and injuring three others. The airframe was subsequently disposed of on the Sek Kong fire dump.
- XP909 19 February 1991: While serving with 658 Sqn, at the Yakama range, Washington, USA, the aircraft ran out of fuel. During the subsequent heavy landing at the bottom of a canyon, it bounced and came to rest 70 feet (21.3 m) up the side of the canyon. Both crew were severely injured.
Civilian
- G-BXRL 16 October 1999: Pilot inadvertently reduced power and mis-interpreted an engine failure. The aircraft (ex-AAC XT630) descended and landed in a water-filled quarry. The three occupants received minor injuries.
- G-BZBD 23 August 2000: Pilot felt an increase in cyclic control forces and mis-interpreted a hydraulic failure. After switching off the hydraulic system the aircraft (ex-AAC XT632) manoeuvred violently and impacted the ground.
- G-BYNZ 24 September 2000: Pilot carried out an emergency landing due to deteriorating weather conditions. As he descended in a right-hand, descending spiral, the aircraft (ex-AAC XW281) struck the ground tail first and rolled onto its port side. The aircraft was written off.
- G-BXSL 19 November 2001: Following an in-flight engine failure, the aircraft (ex-AAC XW799) impacted the ground and rolled over. The subsequent report found the most likely cause of the engine failure to be fuel contamination. None of the two occupants were hurt.
Popular culture
- The Scout featured in the 1982 film, Who Dares WinsWho Dares Wins (film)Who Dares Wins is a 1982 British film starring Lewis Collins, Judy Davis, Richard Widmark and Edward Woodward, directed by Ian Sharp. The title is the motto of the elite Special Air Service ....
, starring Lewis CollinsLewis CollinsLewis Collins is an English actor best known for his tough-guy role as Bodie in The Professionals. He was educated at Bidston Primary and Grange School in Birkenhead. He started out as a ladies' hairdresser before playing drums and guitar in pop groups. He had a number of other jobs before...
. Some of the flying scenes caused consternation for co-star Maurice RoëvesMaurice RoëvesMaurice Roëves is a British actor, born in Sunderland, County Durham on 19 March 1937.His television roles include Danger UXB , The Nightmare Man , the 1984 Doctor Who serial The Caves of Androzani, Days of our Lives , Tutti Frutti , Rab C...
, due to his chronic fear of heights. The aircraft were provided and flown by No. 656 Squadron AACNo. 656 Squadron AAC656 Squadron is a unit of the British Army Air Corps. It was chosen as one of the AAC new Apache Squadrons and in April 2004 started its conversion to role. The first phase of this completed in October 2004...
. - A 'wrecked' Scout featured on a beach scene in a 2008 Royal Marine recruitment film. The 45 second advert was filmed in Brunei and featured Malay actors posing as terrorists. The film, which cost £1million, was later withdrawn due to the inference that Malaysians could be involved with terrorism.
- The hulk of a Scout is featured on the Channel 4 series, 'Scrapheap Challenge'.
Variants
Saunders-Roe P.531- Prototype.
Saunders-Roe P.531-2 Mk.1
- Pre-production aircraft.
Scout AH.1
- Five/six-seat light utility helicopter for the British Army
Military operators
- Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian NavyThe Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
- Fleet Air Arm (RAN)Fleet Air Arm (RAN)The Fleet Air Arm , known formally as the Australian Navy Aviation Group, is the division of the Royal Australian Navy responsible for the operation of aircraft. The FAA was founded in 1947 following the purchase of two aircraft carriers from the Royal Navy...
operated 2 helicopters in 723 Squadron RAN723 Squadron RAN723 Squadron is a Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron.-History:723 Squadron was first commissioned into the RAN on 7 April 1952 and was equipped with one Dakota, one Wirraway, one Sea Otter and two Sea Fury aircraft...
.
- Fleet Air Arm (RAN)
- Royal Jordanian Air ForceRoyal Jordanian Air ForceThe Royal Jordanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces.-Early days:...
operated 3 helicopters.
South Africa
- South African Air ForceSouth African Air ForceThe South African Air Force is the air force of South Africa, with headquarters in Pretoria. It is the world's second oldest independent air force, and its motto is Per Aspera Ad Astra...
- British ArmyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Air Corps - Royal MarinesRoyal MarinesThe Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
Law enforcement operators
- Bahrain State Police operated 2 helicopters.
- Uganda Police ForceUganda Police ForceThe Uganda Police Force is the national police force of Uganda. The head of the Force is called the Inspector General of Police . The current IGP is Major General Edward Kale Kayihura. He is a soldier of the UPDF....
Air Wing - operated 2 helicopters.
Specifications (Scout)
See also
External links
- http://www.photoboxgallery.com/DaveBillinge/collection?album_id=104369438
- http://radfanhunters.co.uk/RichardGB.htm
- http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=957
- http://westlandscout.com/default.aspx
- http://www.656squadron.org/recFalklandsOther.html
- http://www.656squadron.org/recFalklandsWar.html
- http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19650923.2.4.aspx