popped over to the local paintball park at Rednal airfield near Oswestry. they just took delivery yesterday of XT480. the engines out and the rotors are due to be removed or tied back abit better. the right leg of the undercart looks bent but all in all she looks in good nick. .
whilst i was there another chap rolled up in a car and we all got chatting. apparently he`s (plus 3 other guys) just purchased an ex navy sub for a quarter af a million. we asked what he`s gona do with it and he said “haven`t a clue” lol.
i will load some pics later, the internetworld seem to have blocked the cable ways at the mo
By: TonyT - 5th October 2011 at 12:45
Hello Folks,
Seeing this has prompted me to ask the question but does anyone know of a Wessex/Whirlwind that may be looking for a good home???
Anything considered but ideally, a complete airframe would be good!
If you dont ask ……..
Have you considered asking the owners of all the Wessex that were sold in NZ, they also have some in the UK.
By: Big Barf - 5th October 2011 at 12:40
Hello Folks,
Seeing this has prompted me to ask the question but does anyone know of a Wessex/Whirlwind that may be looking for a good home???
Anything considered but ideally, a complete airframe would be good!
If you dont ask ……..
If you have a looked on Demobbed, there appears to be three Wessex at Badgers Mount in good condition and a Whirlwind at Orton, that could seriously do with a new home. Hope that helps.
http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=1184
http://www.demobbed.org.uk/image_view.php?a=20914&s=xr458.jpg
By: XM172 - 4th October 2011 at 17:49
Looking out for a Wessex/Whilwind
Hello Folks,
Seeing this has prompted me to ask the question but does anyone know of a Wessex/Whirlwind that may be looking for a good home???
Anything considered but ideally, a complete airframe would be good!
If you dont ask ……..
By: Whirlwind 2BA - 26th September 2011 at 23:24
This helicopter has an important piece of history attached to it. It was the only Wessex to be involved in the rescue of the casualties from RFA Sir Galahad when she was bombed by the Argies in Bluff Cove in the Falklands War of Apr-Jun 1982. The Welsh Guards suffered many casualties, both dead and wounded and this would have been much worse if not for the phenomenal flying of the Sea Kings and this one Wessex. Newspaper reports (found online) state that the new owner intends to honour this part of the helicopter’s history with some form of display when it is opened as a ‘cafe’. I hope that becomes a reality.
By: TonyT - 25th September 2011 at 17:37
Yeah, don’t forget the Wessex would have fallen over long before that, the Chinook was strapped down to demonstrate it 😀
By: pistonrob - 25th September 2011 at 09:53
crikey! the back end crumples like cardboard on the second video. thankfully it didn`t happen to us to that extent..thanks for posting
By: TonyT - 25th September 2011 at 02:18
Sounds like Ground resonance, only cure is to lift it off….
This is what happens if yoyu do not lift off….
By: pistonrob - 24th September 2011 at 19:23
[QUOTE=’568 crew;1804826]I was told that the aircraft was to be restored.
And i work at the Aeropark![/QUOTE]
no chance of that. it may get a wash now n then but i will keep an eye over that way from now on..
i almost became an accident statistic in one of these many moons ago when i was an air cadet acting as ballast with a few mates for the trainee heli pilots at RAF Shawbury sometime in the 1980`s…. we were sat in the back all strapped in ready for lift off into a night flying exercise for an hour or two..
the engine was wound up up but all of a sudden the Wessex started rocking violently from side to side and the next second our collective heads were thrust into our laps and the Air Loady was forced on the floor as we shot off into the night sky..
apparently the instructor took control at the last second. we had reached a point where flying speed was almost achieved and the undercart had the weight lifted of it but we were still on the ground “but in a crosswind”.
a most dangerous situation as the Air Loady explained later through a helmet surrounding a rather ashened face
happy carefree days lol
By: David Burke - 24th September 2011 at 19:10
Doesnt look like it!
By: '568 crew - 24th September 2011 at 18:33
I was told that the aircraft was to be restored.
And i work at the Aeropark!
By: buzzer - 24th September 2011 at 08:22
very nice catch.. looks in better knick than most that end up the same way:(
the right leg of the undercart looks bent
don’t think its bent mate.. just no oil/gas left in the strut, and its therefore just compressed;) easy enough fix to amke it sit right:D
By: TonyT - 24th September 2011 at 08:04
Nooo she was almost complete and used to be at the aeropark…… makes you want to cry when you seem some of the ones in museums that have sod all left in them 🙁
Ex Wessex engineer.
By: XF828 - 23rd September 2011 at 22:15
Used to go into work every day past this old girl. Such a shame that she seems to be doomed to be a nomadic airframe slowly losing more and more bits as she travels around from owner to owner, as she was in excellent condition on the gate at Fleetlands.
By: pistonrob - 23rd September 2011 at 21:55
the guy that owns her seems to have respect for her but i dare say that in time it will come under paintball attack. its very exposed to vandels unfortunately also.
the plan is to use her to house younger kids to eat their butties in, who are taking part in laser quest shootemmeuppy type stuff.
expensive use of £5000 if you ask me
By: Seafuryfan - 23rd September 2011 at 21:49
Nice pictures, thanks for posting. Image 19: my previous workplace. I wonder what the box is on the left hand side? (Bits box?) She looks in pretty good condition externally.
By: danjama - 23rd September 2011 at 21:21
What are they going to do with it?
By: pistonrob - 23rd September 2011 at 19:49
HERE WE GO
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September 23, 2011 at 7:37 pm