Westland Wasp – nuotraukos ir vaizdo įrašas

2007 Vestlando vapsva buvo nedidelis 1960-ųjų britų turbina varomas, laivo priešpovandeninis sraigtasparnis. Pagamintas "Westland Helicopters", jis buvo iš tos pačios P.531 programos, kaip ir Britų armijos "Westland Scout", ir buvo pagrįstas ankstesniu stūmokliniu varikliu varomu "Saunders-Roe Skeeter". Jis atitiko Karališkojo karinio jūrų laivyno reikalavimą, kad sraigtasparnis būtų pakankamai mažas, kad galėtų nusileisti ant fregatos denio ir vežti naudingą dviejų torpedų apkrovą.

Šaltinis: Vestlando vapsva "Wiki"

The Westland Wasp was a small helicopter designed for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions on board naval ships. It was developed by Westland Helicopters in the 1960s, based on the earlier Saro P.531 prototype and the Saunders-Roe Skeeter helicopter. The Wasp had a distinctive four-wheeled undercarriage that allowed it to land and take off from small and moving decks. It also had a negative pitch capability that enabled it to stick to the deck until secured by lashings. The Wasp could carry two torpedoes or missiles under its fuselage, or various depth charges under its wings. It had a single Bristol Siddeley Nimbus turboshaft engine that gave it a maximum speed of 193 km/h and a range of 490 km. The Wasp entered service with the Royal Navy in 1963, and was also exported to several other countries, including Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand and South Africa. The Wasp saw combat action in several conflicts, most notably in the Falklands War in 1982, when it damaged the Argentine submarine ARA Santa Fe with AS-12 missiles. The Wasp was retired from service in 2008 by the Royal Malaysian Navy, the last operator of the type.