Westland Helicopters

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Westland Helicopters
GKN
(1994–2000)

Westland Helicopters was a British

aircraft manufacturer. Originally Westland Aircraft, the company focused on helicopters
after the Second World War. It was amalgamated with several other British firms in 1960 and 1961.

In 2000, it merged with Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta to form AgustaWestland.[1] In 2016, AgustaWestland merged into Leonardo, where it became the company's helicopters division under the Leonardo Helicopters brand.[2][3]

History

Origins

Red brick factory buildings seen across roads and traffic light controlled junction.
Entrance to AgustaWestland's works in Yeovil, England

Westland Aircraft was founded in 1935 when

Whirlwind and the Welkin
.

After the war, the company began to build helicopters under a licensing agreement with

Sikorsky S-58 as the Wessex
.

1960s

The chairmanship of

Hawker Siddeley Group took over fixed-wing designs, while the helicopter divisions of Bristol, Fairey and Saunders-Roe (with their hovercraft
) were merged with Westland to form Westland Helicopters in 1961.

Privately owned ex-military Westland Scout AH.1 (XV134)

Westland inherited the

Saro Skeeter helicopter, a development of the Cierva W.14 Skeeter and the Fairey Rotodyne compound gyroplane design. They continued to develop the latter, terminating their own Westland Westminster
large transport design.

The company continued to produce other aircraft under licence from Sikorsky (

Bell (Sioux). They also produced their own designs: the Westland Scout and its naval variant the Westland Wasp from the P.531, which found favour with the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm
respectively.

In the late 1960s, the company began a collaboration with

Aérospatiale Puma, Aérospatiale Gazelle and Westland Lynx
, with the last being a Westland design.

1970s

Through Saunders-Roe, Westland became first a part owner then, from 1970, the sole owner of the British Hovercraft Corporation, subsequently trading as Westland Aerospace. Most designs were Saunders-Roe or Saunders-Roe derivatives.

For many years Westland owned the main London heliport at Battersea.

1980s

The company gradually fell into unprofitability. Sikorsky approached with a bail-out deal in 1985 that split the

Hanson plc and Fiat.[6]

In 1984, Westland proposed the WG 44 light

UAS projects experience in 1977–1983.[7]
In 1987, in parallel with the
internal weapons and twin canted tail rotors.[7]
A side-exiting infrared suppressor integrated the exhausts and its tandem cockpit with the pilot in front had transparencies angled outward to eliminate optical glint.[7] This presaged the US Army
NH90.[7]

1990s

In the 1990s, the company returned to profitability and grew as a result of several major contracts from the UK Ministry of Defence for EH101 Merlin helicopters and for 67 licence-built

WAH-64
and entering full operational service in 2005.

Apache WAH-64D Longbow
displays at a UK airshow

In April 1994, Westland became a wholly owned subsidiary of GKN.

Bell Helicopter Textron.[9]

On 26 May 2004, GKN confirmed that it had agreed to sell its share of AgustaWestland to Finmeccanica for £1.06 billion.[10][11] The sale was approved by the British government in October 2004.[12]

The former Westland site at the now unused airfield in

The Helicopter Museum
featuring a number of examples of Westland aircraft.

Products

Helicopters

Privately owned ex-military Westland Wasp HAS.1.
Royal Navy Black Cats
display team
RAF Westland Sea King

Hovercraft

Rockets and missiles

Precision gears

Unmanned aerial vehicles

See also

References

  1. ^ "GKN confirms Westland sale talks". BBC News. 20 May 2004.
  2. ^ Mark Huber (5 May 2016). "AgustaWestland Rebranded Again, Now Leonardo Helicopters". AIN.
  3. ^ Leonardo – Helicopters
  4. ^ "AGUSTAWESTLAND - Westland History -". history.whl.co.uk.
  5. ^ Betts, Paul (9 February 1994). "Swoop for a tempting morsel: GKN's bid for Westland comes as the helicopter industry undergoes restructuring". Financial Times.
  6. ^ Harrison, Michael (4 October 1988). "GKN plots new course: Michael Harrison on the strategy of Westland's latest shareholder". The Independent.
  7. ^ a b c d Jeremy Graham (16 January 2018). "1980s UK secret stealth attack helicopter project revealed". Royal Aeronautical Society.
  8. ^ Burt, Tim (20 April 1994). "GKN lifts Westland stake to 91%". Financial Times.
  9. ^ Kelly, Emma (1 August 2000). "AGUSTA AND WESTLAND FINALLY TIE THE KNOT ON MERGER DEAL". Flight International.
  10. ^ "GKN sells its stake in Westland". BBC News. 28 July 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  11. ^ "GKN sells AgustaWestland stake". The Guardian. 28 July 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  12. ^ "AgustaWestland sale to go ahead". BBC News. 6 October 2004. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Westland_Helicopters&oldid=1214358147"