British helicopter on film

[ysi_maniac]

In the film 'Eye of the needle' (beautiful Kate Neligan ) you can see a british helicopter supposedly before Overlord. Is this anachronic?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_the_Needle_(film)

[zenrat]

I've read the book.  Not seen the movie.

[scooter]

I've read the book.  Not seen the movie.

Same here

[jcf]

The British received their first Sikorsky YR-4 in September of 1943. They took part in operational trials for shipboard use with the US from the 23rd of November on. The testing was in three phases, for Phase 3. In January 1944 one US and one RAF R-4 were embarked on the SS Daghestan in a convoy to the UK. During the 16 day crossing test flights were only possible on three days. On 16 January 1944 30 minute flights were made by Lt. Stewart Graham USCG and F/L Jack Cable RAF.
Both concluded that operations were feasible but that it would require a more powerful machine to carry out mid-ocean convoy missions. Twelve British pilots arrived in Brooklyn in January 1944 for training and in May the Royal Navy flying school was set up in Brooklyn and would remain there until the British pilots and their R-4s were sent to Britain in March 1945.

So, yes a British R-4 in the timeline of the film isn't actually anachronistic but the use in the film is in the realm of What If.

[Weaver]

What model of helicopter appears in the film? This seems to be one that IMPDb has missed.

[sandiego89]

What model of helicopter appears in the film? This seems to be one that IMPDb has missed.

a few internet boards say it was Westland Widgeon (development of the Dragonfly) G-ANLW with a false nose.  Still preserved at the Norfolk and Suffolk Museum. 

 

[jcf]

What model of helicopter appears in the film? This seems to be one that IMPDb has missed.

According to a thread on the Key Aero forum it was Series 2 WS-51 G-ANLW with a "nose job". No details on what that means.

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[PR19_Kit]

The Widgeon was a tarted up WS-51 Dragonfly with a WS-55 rotor, and the 'nose job' was the bulged nose add-on to an enlarged Dragonfly cockpit.

The film companies quite liked the Widgeon, even though they only made a dozen of them and they appeared in various TV and screen films.

[jcf]

The first flight of the S-48/R-5 was on 18 August 1943. The S-48 was the basis of the S-51/WS-51 Dragonfly. So it's theoretically possible to have an S-48/R-5 in the UK prior to Overlord.

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[jcf]

Mocking up an S-47/R-4 for a film would actually be pretty straightforward.

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If the budget and desire was there a dressed up Bell 47 could possibly be used to build a flying example.

[jcf]

The Widgeon was a tarted up WS-51 Dragonfly with a WS-55 rotor, and the 'nose job' was the bulged nose add-on to an enlarged Dragonfly cockpit.

The film companies quite liked the Widgeon, even though they only made a dozen of them and they appeared in various TV and screen films.

I wondered if that's what the guy on Key Aero meant by "nose job". 

[zenrat]

The first flight of the S-48/R-5 was on 18 August 1943. The S-48 was the basis of the S-51/WS-51 Dragonfly. So it's theoretically possible to have an S-48/R-5 in the UK prior to Overlord.

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I like the look of that.  "Taildragger" (yeah I know it isn't technically dragging) undercarriage arrangement gives it a different look.

[Weaver]

There's a series of kits in 1/72nd and 1/144th if anyone's interested (1/72nd by AMP?).