The Westland Westminster and its derivatives

[Wardukw]

Yeah, she's a big lass, only about 1/2 metre shorter than a CH-53. It's hard to get a sense of scale with the Westminster for some reason. This photo borrowed from Secret Projects just about does it, the blokes stood close give a good idea of just how big it is.

Those pics Thorvic chucked up show that beautiful off well and that's really pushing me away from the full covered or completely built chopper and more towards the skeletal version...still tho. ...it's a bloody big helicopter.

Helps if I actually attach the photo... 

You cannot view this attachment.

It's going to be one hell of a build not only for it's size  ,,which ya can clearly see in that pic ,,it's also the framing .
I'll probably have to draw some sort of plan to get some sort of idea for the layout....there's gonna be tubes all over the place 😬
Also figure out the dia of said tubes 1.5mm might be good 👍

[Mossie]

In those photos of the camouflaged example at the Helicopter Museum she appears to have a couple of suitcases in the forward exposed compartment.......or is it just me ?

Are those gloves and a picnic hamper above them? 

Gondor

That's exactly what they are, yes.

That version is the civil variant, so makes sense, However what doesn't is it being in camo.  I can only guess Westland were trying to interest the RAF in a passenger version and the model got repainted at some time?

[scooter]

In those photos of the camouflaged example at the Helicopter Museum she appears to have a couple of suitcases in the forward exposed compartment.......or is it just me ?

Are those gloves and a picnic hamper above them? 

Gondor

That's exactly what they are, yes.

That version is the civil variant, so makes sense, However what doesn't is it being in camo.  I can only guess Westland were trying to interest the RAF in a passenger version and the model got repainted at some time?

Or it's the crew's "box nasty" (box lunch) from the Mess sitting next to NBC-grade gloves for refueling?

[jcf]

And after all the shennanigens with the Westminster and the Rotodyne, what did they end up with in RAF service?

The Belvedere!     

The Rotodyne and Belvedere programs
were continued because both were being
funded by the services. Who, rather stupidly, hadn't been willing to fund the
Westminster. Westland backed the wrong
horse by choosing the Rotodyne over the
Westminster, especially as it was becoming
clear that nobody really wanted Rotodyne
as built, they wanted more, thus Rotodyne
Z. Which wasn't going to be ready for a
very long time. Westminster would have
leveraged Westland's experience and its
connections with Sikorsky. It would have
been a direct competitor for the Boeing-Vertol 107/CH-46 and, to some extent the CH-47. Rather than being in competition with the S-65/H-53, the companies could have done a market split like they did with the Sea King. Thus Germany buys the Westminster instead of the S-65, or perhaps the "S-65" is a development of the Westminster.
As to Belvedere, the less said the better.

[jcf]

A couple of minor notes, it would not have been named "Wabash" in USMC service, all Sikorsky helicopters used by the USN, USMC and USCG have the word "Sea" in the name. They don't use the Native American tribe naming convention of the US Army.

GE started development of the T58 turbo-shaft in 1953 with the explicit intent of it being a helicopter engine. In 1955, at the request of the USN, Sikorsky set aside an S-58/HSS-1 for conversion to T58 power. The conversion work was completed in 1957. The two T58 engines were mounted side-by-side in the nose. It worked but it wasn't enough of an improvement to be put into production. It did, however, give impetus to the development of the successor to the S-58. The project that what became the S-61/Sea King.
Sikorsky was also working on the S-60 Skycrane which led to the S-64/CH-54, which in turn led to the S-65/CH-53. The timing was perfect for Westland and Sikorsky to work together on getting the Westminster into production.

HSS-1F T58 testbedYou cannot view this attachment.

[Scotaidh]

Is it me or can ya see similar lines to the Mil 26 HALO  ...strangely I can with the nose and overall lines .

"Form follows function" ... one of the oldest engineering laws there is. 

[NARSES2]

In those photos of the camouflaged example at the Helicopter Museum she appears to have a couple of suitcases in the forward exposed compartment.......or is it just me ?

That version is the civil variant, so makes sense, However what doesn't is it being in camo.  I can only guess Westland were trying to interest the RAF in a passenger version and the model got repainted at some time?

Cheers Mossie 

Looking at the photos those wheels are huge.

[PR19_Kit]

As to Belvedere, the less said the better.

Precisely my point..............