Float-Fitted Whirlwind
The Westland Whirlwind helicopter was a British licence-built version of the US Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles. It was also exported to other countries. The helicopter was made in many variants using a variety of radial (piston) and turbine engines. Note the engine access doors are open - this seems to be a feature of all the Brunei Whirlwind images I hold, suggesting that removal of heat from the engine compartment was a problem...
Whirlwind helicopters fitted with turbine power served right up until the early 1980s, and a converted Whirlwind was in the Queen's Flight, although Queen Elizbeth II never flew in it.
This is a Westland Whirlwind SRS.3, serial no. WA/491, built in 1964. It is seen on an improvised landing pad somewhere in Brunei. It was being operated by the Angkatan Tenara Udara Diraja Brunei (Royal Brunei Air Force), perhaps trialling the fitted floats in field conditions (see earlier and later photos in this album).
This was a PR photo and is scanned from a print retained by the RAF pilot on secondment. I do not have an exact site for this photo, so the map location is entirely arbitrary.
Float-Fitted Whirlwind
The Westland Whirlwind helicopter was a British licence-built version of the US Sikorsky S-55/H-19 Chickasaw. It primarily served with the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm in anti-submarine and search and rescue roles. It was also exported to other countries. The helicopter was made in many variants using a variety of radial (piston) and turbine engines. Note the engine access doors are open - this seems to be a feature of all the Brunei Whirlwind images I hold, suggesting that removal of heat from the engine compartment was a problem...
Whirlwind helicopters fitted with turbine power served right up until the early 1980s, and a converted Whirlwind was in the Queen's Flight, although Queen Elizbeth II never flew in it.
This is a Westland Whirlwind SRS.3, serial no. WA/491, built in 1964. It is seen on an improvised landing pad somewhere in Brunei. It was being operated by the Angkatan Tenara Udara Diraja Brunei (Royal Brunei Air Force), perhaps trialling the fitted floats in field conditions (see earlier and later photos in this album).
This was a PR photo and is scanned from a print retained by the RAF pilot on secondment. I do not have an exact site for this photo, so the map location is entirely arbitrary.