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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0481.PDF
481FLIGHT, 15 April1955 Lysander final assembly. WINGS FROM THE WEST . . . established, reliable vehicle is the paramount need. The life ofthis design may, in fact, be further extended, and its usefulness increased, by adoption of a later S-55-type rotor head, permittinga greater range of e.g. movement. A modified and lighter cabin has been schemed for use in conjunction with the new head, andthis would accommodate the pilot and one extra passenger side by side in the front seats, with three more passengers on thebench-type seat, as at present. For the S-55, a long and useful life is foreseen, and already oneor other of the standard variants of this type is able to meet the requirements for numerous military and civil duties, includinganti-submarine work, aerial mine-sweeping and passenger and cargo transport. During next year a prototype 'will fly with anAlvis Leonides Major engine; and for special duties where twin engines are called for, with ability to fly on one (or where high-altitude and tropical work is in view) a version of the S-55 with Twin Turmo power is planned. The Turmos—basically Turbo-mecas—are under development singly and in coupled form by Blackburn and General Aircraft at Brough. At low altitudes,and for tBe same load, the Twin Turmo machine is expected to have a slightly smaller payload than the Leonides Major version. Final negotiations for the licensing of the S-56 by Westlandshave recently taken place, and a general interest in the aircraft has already been indicated by B.E.A. If, in fact, a Westland-built version is developed in this country, it will probably be powered with British gas turbines of the Eland or R.B.109 type.Either of these units would confer a fine single-engine perform- ance, and it would be normal to cruise on one engine with the k.A.F. Lysanden dropping supplies in 1940. other shut down. Some slight addition to, or re-arrangementof, the mechanical drive system would probably be necessary in order to ensure an immediate and positive start of the secondengine from the rotor in the event of the first one failing. Although at first glance it would appear that the fuselage of theS-56 would allow of stretch to increase accommodation, this might, in fact, prove to be quite a complicated matter; thus, evenwith powerful gas turbine engines, the first civil S-56 would probably accommodate no more than 30/32 passengers. AnyWestland-built machine of this type is unlikely to be seen in this country before the end of 1958.Should the even larger S-58 design be taken up, this might, in anglicized form, be powered by Rolls-Royce Darts. For con-venience, a shaft-drive might have to be taken from the rear of the engine, but this conversion should not be the major under-taking which might be supposed. Westlands, however, are not wedded to Sikorsky designs only,and, when circumstances demand, are fully prepared to embark on purely Westland conceptions to meet particular specifica-tions. In the meantime, there is obviously a tremendous advantage in not having to bear development costs on the scaleof those habitually accepted in the U.S.A. Certainly the Westland design-office will approach whatevertasks may lie ahead with the imagination which has distinguished the company's products over forty years, and which has latelybeen brought to bear on the problem of jet deflection, entailing the adaptation of a special Nene-engined Gloster Meteor. We turn now to a more detailed review of the entire family ofWestland aircraft, wherein many hitherto unpublished facts have found a place. Lett, Whirlwinds and Lysanders are in production side by side. The adjoining picture shows one of the two k.A.F. Whirlwind squadrons. Below, a portion of the Dragonfly production line, and (right) Dragonflies in the Queen's Coronation Review of the Fleet of June 1953.
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