Classic British helicopters

Historic helos…

In the late 1980s I met a chap (I think he was the instructor for the USAF flying club at RAF Lakenheath) who had a turbine Whirlwind he’d take to airshows. Since a H-19 was the first helicopter I ever saw, I was thriled to get a chance to climb up the side and sit in the pilot’s seat.
I think he said his wife also had one.

Are they still out there?

There are a few historic helicopters over here, primatrily the light types…Bells & hillers. There is also a group in California that flys the sole airworthy H-21 “Flying Banana”. There are also a few S-58s (both turbine and piston) still working as external lift aircraft, as well as a couple of H-19s.

Also an group of ex-Army aviators maintains a great flying collection of fixed wing and helicopters used by the USA in the 50’s 60s….Birddog, Caribou, Huey, Hueycobra, OH-6, H-13, H-23, etc. Pity they aren’t better known.

Wow…………. 😮
I never realised there were any Sycamore’s still airworthy.

It’s a real shame so few helo’s from this generation are not still flying.

Piston powered egg-beater’s make a great sound….. 😀

There is a Skeeter which appears occasionally at fly-ins.

When I was a boy, we used to have a Westland Wigeon flying over our farm quite often late afternoons on the shuttle between Boscombe Down and Yeovil. I also remember the Belvedere. Shame there aren’t any of them still flying!

(Apologies to anybody here offended by such egg-beating utensils….. :p )

I found this whilst searching for other Bristol products on Airliners.net, still no joy posting pictures, but here is the link,

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/706683/M/

..I had never heard of this machine before, you have to admit that for a helicopter is is rather smart! Not being an expert on these things I am guessing the Sycamore is a piston powered machine?

Are there any other airworthy examples of classic British helicopters flying as warbirds (war-beaters?). I have seen some nice displays by little Wasps at Culdrose and Old Warden, just curious as to what else there is out there..

That machine was featured in the Dicovery Wings series on Classic British aircraft (it is based in Switzerland) and the guy who owns it has a couple more that he wants to make airworthy (and also the only pilot current on them at present, so it said). From memory, it is powered by an Alvis Leonides radial mounted vertically. It superseded the Dragonfly in the early 50’s. Great machine like many designs from the 50’s IMHO. There used to be a Whirlwind on the circuit, but not sure if it is still around. Kennet Aviation have a Wasp as you say.