Westland Westmorland
Westland Aircraft/Helicopters took two stabs at a direct replacement for its licensed Sikorsky S-58, the Wessex. The more ambitious was the 'clean-sheet' WG.4 project with two 1,200 shp Rolls-Royce Gnome turboshaft engines (licensed GE CT58s). The more modest WG.8 was a direct development of the WS-58 Wessex airframe.
In its initial configuration, the WG.8 was to be powered by a single Napier Gazelle NGa.13 turbine (for commonality with the Wessex HAS 1). This proposal elicited lukewarm interest from the Royal Navy and none at all from the British Army or RAF. The latter were leaning toward twin-turbine helicopters which prompted a re-think of the WG.8 project.
The prototype Wessex was actually an imported Sikorsky S-58 re-engined with a Gazelle turboshaft. Westland decided to rebuild this airframe as a private venture, the WS.58N. The 'N' suffix was not for Napier, but rather for the Nimbus -- two of these licenced Turbomeca Turmo turbines to be used. The Nimbus was already in use in the Saro/Westland Scout (Sea Scout, later Wasp for the RN and British Army Scout AH Mk.1).
To create the WS.58N demonstrator, the cockpit and nose section of the S-58 was removed. The twin Bristol Siddeley Nimbus Mk.104 turboshafts were mounted more-or-less in the former cockpit area and directly in front of a slightly modified gearbox. A new nose was grafted on (at the old firewall) placing the new cockpit further forward. In form, this new nose section resembled that of another Private Venture project, the WG.6 Westminster.
Giving the civil registration G-APLE, the prototype conversion was flown in July 1961. The WG.8N was redesignated as WS-59 and re-named the Westland Westmorland. The Royal Navy was impressed enough to order a trial batch of Westmorland HAS Mk.1 anti-submarine warfare aircraft which superceded the Wessex HAS1s.
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This story continues ... but I doubt that I get it done for the GB ;p
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