westland w30

[bacofoil]

Thought the rotorheads out there might enjoy these pics of a Westland W30 model I picked up a couple of years ago and restored.
What if the RAF had replaced the Wessex and Puma with the TT-330 version of this chopper? Any thoughts or memories?

[B777LR]

Thats very nice! Sure looks ugly...

What if the RAF had replaced the Wessex and Puma with the TT-330 version of this chopper? Any thoughts or memories?

1. Airfix would have done a kit!
2. It would be fitted with BERP rotors.
3. It would be falling apart like the Pumas are today.
4. It would be hopelessly underpowered in Iraq. (Even the Lynx today are strugling!)

[Martin H]

The kid from denmark isnt far wrong, the few that were sold were way to under powered for such a promising aircraft. One did spend some time in over all nato green for some publicty shots of British troops de bussing from it (dated late 1980's considering the squadies were lugging SLR's)

[John Howling Mouse]

Do you have any "before" pics of this model?  And where'd ya get the tripod stand?  Did it come with the original desktop model?  Looks like the absolutely perfect accessory for helo models.

[bacofoil]

Sorry didnt take any before photos,wish I had now!
The stand came with the model and I payed a tenner for  the thing 2 years ago.

[B777LR]

Found this:

[Nick]

I have a lot more like that picture on my camera, having just been to the Helicopter Museum yesterday!
When I get them up on Photobucket I'll share them. They have at least 5 of these machines on site as Westland donated them rather than scrap them, Sadly 2 are in the kiddies playground....

The WG30 and TT300 designs were basically Lynx on steroids, using the moving parts of the Lynx with bigger engines in a larger airframe capable of carrying 40 troops or 17 seated passengers in comfort.
Problems were the high costs in 1979, high fuel usage, low range, and lack of power. They built 40 and all were out of service by 1995. Pan-Am flew at least one on a JFK-New York City centre shuttle service.

Nick

[Martin H]

Ah yes the helo museum at weston super mud.

one of the few larger museums ive yet to visit

The WG 30 deserved better, a brave effort to break into the middle sized market, but in typical brit style it was under powered and the home armed forces didnt want it.

[Mossie]

Here's a link to all the WG-30 photo's listed on Airliners.net.  There's a few of the handful of WG30-100's that were built, including some in Pan Am colours, as well as the -200 & TT300 prototypes with increased power.  There's the Nato Green example Martin mentioned & a black/green camoflaged TT300.  Oh, & not to mention a pic of a very seventies interior!

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?aircraft_genericsearch=&airlinesearch=&countrysearch=&specialsearch=&daterange=&keywords=Westland+WG-30&range=&sort_order=year&page_limit=30&thumbnails=&calccount=1259154&truecount=false&engine_version=6.0

[Nick]

As promised here are some of the pics I took at the Helicopter Museum. These are just the WG30 pics, the rest may appear in a different thread.

Model in 1/24 scale

Playground bird


Westland WG30-100. The executive interior just rocks!





Westland WG30-300 TT300

[bacofoil]

Thanks for the hugh response,didnt expect that!!
I used to work at RAE Farnborough and can remember watching the W30 shut down with massive clouds of blue smoke coming from the exhaust.Apparently oil sepege.
Inspires confidence!!!
Now while were talking Westland,any opions etc on the P-277 ?

[B777LR]

I have a lot more like that picture on my camera, having just been to the Helicopter Museum yesterday!
When I get them up on Photobucket I'll share them. They have at least 5 of these machines on site as Westland donated them rather than scrap them, Sadly 2 are in the kiddies playground....

The WG30 and TT300 designs were basically Lynx on steroids, using the moving parts of the Lynx with bigger engines in a larger airframe capable of carrying 40 troops or 17 seated passengers in comfort.
Problems were the high costs in 1979, high fuel usage, low range, and lack of power. They built 40 and all were out of service by 1995. Pan-Am flew at least one on a JFK-New York City centre shuttle service.

Nick

Some south american airline bought a bunch of them (five i think) one or two years ago, planning on flying them in the mountains with tourists. They all got shipped there in peices, but they havent been touched since. The airline must have gone belly up due to increased fuel prices.

[Nick]

So now we're talking Westland and attack helicopters.........

How about these for starters?

A mid-1980s proposal for using the basic Lynx system for an attack helo..



Future Lynx 2009