Help to ID RAF helicopter

I would opt for HAR2, as I suggested. I just checked in Thetford’s AC of the RAF, where there is a photo of HAR2 XJ430 with an apparently white underside to the, presumably, yellow colour overall elsewhere.

Laurence

Forgot to mention number on tail boom is XJ430

Whirlwind HAR.2 I would say, but could also be HAR.4.
Colour scheme looks different as it has a light main colour (guessing again, at yellow) with what appears to be white underside.

An early (ie piston engined) Whirlwind. Maybe HAR2

Laurence

Tis A Westland Whirlwind, not sure what mark though

I had the dubious pleasure of being “wet-winched” into sister ship Whirlwind XJ435 from the sea off Valley in 1961, while at OUAS Summer Camp. Just for practice. Quite frightening as you had to put your own strop on, and I was not sure I had done mine properly. Then slowly up into, it seemed, the engine bay. But all went well in the end, except that we had to do it all again to be sure we knew what to do.
The importance of this training was driven home to me when 10 days later I had an engine failure on take-off, and had the choice of landing in the sea, or very fast back on the runway. I chose the runway, but the sea looked very tempting, even in a Chipmunk

Laurence

The edition I have: Owen Thetford, Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1958. He quotes XJ430 as being with 22 Squadron. the ASR unit. Air Ministry Photo, but no location. It looks as if that photo may have been the same time, or about the same time, as yours. Where did yours come from?

Laurence

Thanks for your help. These are a few from one of my late father’s reel of 35mm photos. There are about 25 shots on this reel taken from a sailing boat. I may be incorrect in assuming they were taken down on the Solent. He was an expert swimmer and I remember him once saying that it was a strange feeling being dumped overboard at sea, waiting to be rescued by the helicopter! Appears to be a rescue demonstration for ATC cadets, some of whom are visible in the other shots.

regards

I don’t want to flog this one too much, but there is a photo of XJ430 in its HAR10 avatar at Keswick:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11300266@N04/page7/
(scroll down a bit)

Laurence

It does look like a press demo of sorts, I was wondering if it was the occasion where one dropped out of the sky in front of the press on an RAF launch, but that was ‘434.

And ukserials.com gives it as first flight 20.1.55, c/n WA46, converted to HAR10 (Gnome turbine engine) and broken up at Manston 1990.

Laurence

The edition I have: Owen Thetford, Aircraft of the Royal Air Force, 1958. He quotes XJ430 as being with 22 Squadron. the ASR unit. Air Ministry Photo, but no location. It looks as if that photo may have been the same time, or about the same time, as yours. Where did yours come from?

Laurence

Thanks all – much appreciated!

I would opt for HAR2, as I suggested. I just checked in Thetford’s AC of the RAF, where there is a photo of HAR2 XJ430 with an apparently white underside to the, presumably, yellow colour overall elsewhere.

Laurence

Laurence – I’m not familiar with Thetford’s book, does it give any dates, locations, sqdns etc.?

Regards

OK, I just saw that we now have the serial XJ430, so it IS the HAR2 in Thetford’s book!

Laurence