Westland Wasp – Foton &; Video

Den Westland Wasp var en liten brittisk turbindriven antiubåtshelikopter från 1960-talet. Den producerades av Westland Helicopters och kom från samma P.531-program som british army Westland Scout, och baserades på den tidigare kolvmotorn Saunders-Roe Skeeter. Det uppfyllde kravet från Royal Navy på en helikopter som var tillräckligt liten för att landa på däcket på en fregatt och bära en användbar last av två 8-torpeder.

Källkod: Westland Wasp på 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.