Westland Helicopters

2025-09-07T09:32:28Z

2A02:C7C:88A6:1900:28F8:CB6A:ED4D:BA9B: /* Helicopters */

{{Short description|UK aerospace company, 1961–2000}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Westland Helicopters
|logo = Westland logo.jpg
|logo_size = 200px
|fate = Merged with [[Agusta]]
|predecessor = [[Westland Aircraft]] <br> [[Bristol Aeroplane Company]] <br> [[Fairey Aviation Company]] <br> [[Saunders-Roe]]
|successor = [[AgustaWestland]]
|foundation = 1961
|defunct = 2000
|location = [[Yeovil]], [[Somerset]], [[United Kingdom]]
|industry = [[Aircraft industry|Aircraft]]
|key_people =
|products = Rotary-wing aircraft
|num_employees =
|parent = [[GKN]]<br/>(1994–2000)
|subsid =
}}

'''Westland Helicopters''' was a British [[Aircraft industry|aircraft manufacturer]]. Originally [[Westland Aircraft]], the company focused on [[helicopter]]s 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]].<ref>{{cite web|title=GKN confirms Westland sale talks|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/3733361.stm|work=BBC News|date=20 May 2004}}</ref> In 2016, AgustaWestland merged into [[Leonardo S.p.A.|Leonardo]], where it became the company's helicopters division under the Leonardo Helicopters brand.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2016-05-05/agustawestland-rebranded-again-now-leonardo-helicopters |title= AgustaWestland Rebranded Again, Now Leonardo Helicopters |author= Mark Huber |date= 5 May 2016 |work= AIN}}</ref><ref>[https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/product-services/elicotteri_helicopters Leonardo – Helicopters]</ref>

==History==

===Origins===
[[File:Westlandsyeovil.jpg|alt=Red brick factory buildings seen across roads and traffic light controlled junction.|thumb|Entrance to AgustaWestland's works in [[Yeovil]], England]]

Westland Aircraft was founded in 1935 when [[Petters Limited]] split its aircraft manufacturing from its aircraft engine concerns. During the Second World War the company produced military aircraft including the [[Westland Lysander|Lysander]], the [[Westland Whirlwind (fixed wing)|Whirlwind]] and the [[Westland Welkin|Welkin]].

After the war, the company began to build helicopters under a licensing agreement with [[Sikorsky Aircraft|Sikorsky]]. From the mid-1950s the company came to increasingly concentrate on helicopters, eventually to the exclusion of other types. Production started with the [[Sikorsky S-51]], which became the [[Westland Dragonfly]], flying for the first time in 1948 and entering service with the [[Royal Navy]] and [[Royal Air Force]] in 1953. Westland developed an improved version, the [[Westland Widgeon (helicopter)|Widgeon]], which was not a great success. Success with the Dragonfly was repeated with the [[Sikorsky S-55]] which became the [[Westland Whirlwind (helicopter)|Whirlwind]], and a re-engined [[turboshaft]] powered [[Sikorsky S-58]] as the [[Westland Wessex|Wessex]].

===1960s===
The chairmanship of [[Eric Mensforth]] from 1953 to 1968 marked the start of the transition, which was aided by the government when in 1959–1961 they forced the merger of the 20 or so aviation firms into three groups. [[British Aircraft Corporation]] and [[Hawker Siddeley Group]] took over fixed-wing designs, while the helicopter divisions of [[Bristol Aeroplane Company|Bristol]], [[Fairey Aviation Company|Fairey]] and [[Saunders-Roe]] (with their [[hovercraft]]) were merged with Westland to form Westland Helicopters in 1961.

[[File:heli.scout.2.750pix.jpg|thumb|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 ([[Westland Sea King|Sea King]]) and [[Bell Helicopter|Bell]] ([[Bell H-13 Sioux|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 (United Kingdom)|Army Air Corps]] and [[Fleet Air Arm]] respectively.

In the late 1960s, the company began a collaboration with [[Aérospatiale]] to manufacture three new helicopters, the [[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 [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] and led to the resignation of Defence Secretary [[Michael Heseltine]] in January 1986 over the fate of Britain's sole helicopter manufacturer. The split, which became known as the [[Westland affair]], was over whether to push the company into a European deal or accept the US company's offer. Eventually, the link with Sikorsky was accepted.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.whl.co.uk/page4.html|title=AGUSTAWESTLAND - Westland History -|website=history.whl.co.uk}}</ref> This saw both Sikorsky and Fiat acquire minority shareholdings in Westland.<ref name='ind'>{{cite news |last=Betts |first=Paul |date=1994-02-09 |title=Swoop for a tempting morsel: GKN's bid for Westland comes as the helicopter industry undergoes restructuring |work=Financial Times }}</ref> In 1988 [[GKN]] bought a 22% share of Westland from [[Hanson plc]] and Fiat.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harrison|first=Michael|date=4 October 1988 |title=GKN plots new course: Michael Harrison on the strategy of Westland's latest shareholder |work=The Independent }}</ref>

In 1984, Westland proposed the WG 44 light [[attack helicopter]] based on the Lynx dynamics, incorporating [[low observable]] technologies derived from its SUPERVISOR and PHOENIX [[unmanned aircraft system|UAS]] projects experience in 1977–1983.<ref name='RAS16jan2018'/>
In 1987, in parallel with the [[Agusta A129]] supported by Westland, [[Fokker]], [[Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm|MBB]] and [[Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA|CASA]], its WG 47 development was completed as a confidential private venture with a [[facet]]ed fuselage, [[Weapons bay|internal weapons]] and twin canted [[tail rotor]]s.<ref name='RAS16jan2018'/>
A side-exiting [[infrared]] suppressor integrated the exhausts and its [[tandem]] cockpit with the pilot in front had transparencies angled outward to eliminate [[Reflection (physics)|optical glint]].<ref name=RAS16jan2018/>
This presaged the US Army [[Boeing–Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche]], rolled out in 1995 and cancelled in 2004, while the fuselage shaping was retained for the [[NH90]].<ref name='RAS16jan2018'>{{cite news |url= https://www.aerosociety.com/news/exclusive-1980s-uk-secret-stealth-attack-helicopter-project-revealed/ |title= 1980s UK secret stealth attack helicopter project revealed |author= Jeremy Graham |date= 16 January 2018 |publisher= Royal Aeronautical Society}}</ref>

===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 [[Boeing AH-64 Apache]] attack helicopters, designated the [[Westland WAH-64|WAH-64]] and entering full operational service in 2005.

[[File:westland apache wah-64d longbow zj206 arp.jpg|thumb|[[Army Air Corps (United Kingdom)|UK Army Air Corps]] Westland [[Westland WAH-64 Apache|Apache WAH-64D Longbow]] displays at a UK airshow]]

In April 1994, Westland became a wholly owned subsidiary of GKN.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burt |first=Tim |date=20 April 1994 |title=GKN lifts Westland stake to 91% |work=Financial Times }}</ref> In 2000 GKN and Finmeccanica agreed to merge their Westland and [[Agusta]] helicopter subsidiaries into a joint venture, [[Agusta Westland]]. GKN contributed Westland, its 50% share in its [[EH Industries]] (EHI) joint venture with Finmeccanica, the GKN aerospace transmissions business, and a 50% share in Aviation Training International. Finmeccanica contributed Agusta, including its transmissions and structures business, its share of EHI, its share of [[NHIndustries|NH Industries]], and its share of [[Bell Helicopter Textron]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Kelly |first=Emma |date=1 August 2000 |title=AGUSTA AND WESTLAND FINALLY TIE THE KNOT ON MERGER DEAL |work=Flight International }}</ref>

On 26 May 2004, GKN confirmed that it had agreed to sell its share of AgustaWestland to Finmeccanica for £1.06 billion.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3932173.stm|title=GKN sells its stake in Westland|access-date=18 September 2012|work=BBC News|date=28 July 2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2004/jul/28/themilitary.money|title=GKN sells AgustaWestland stake|access-date=18 September 2012|work=The Guardian|date=28 July 2004}}</ref> The sale was approved by the British government in October 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3720826.stm|title=AgustaWestland sale to go ahead|access-date=18 September 2012|work=BBC News|date=6 October 2004}}</ref>

The former Westland site at the now unused airfield in [[Weston-super-Mare]] houses [[The Helicopter Museum (Weston)|The Helicopter Museum]] featuring a number of examples of Westland aircraft.

==Products==

===Helicopters===
[[File:westland.wasp.750pix.jpg|thumb|Privately owned ex-military Westland Wasp HAS.1.]]
[[File:rn black cats cotswoldairshow 2010 arp.jpg|thumb|[[Westland Lynx]] helicopters of the [[Black Cats (Royal Navy)|Royal Navy Black Cats]] display team]]
[[File:Sea King HAR3 XZ585 at RIAT 2010 arp.jpg|thumb|[[RAF]] [[Westland Sea King]] ]]

* WS-51 - [[Westland Dragonfly]]
* WS-55 - [[Westland Whirlwind (helicopter)|Westland Whirlwind]]
* [[Westland Widgeon (helicopter)|Westland Widgeon]]
* WG-58 - [[Westland Wessex]]
* [[Westland Westminster]] (1958) – prototype stage only
* [[Westland Scout]]
* [[Westland Wasp]]
* [[Westland Sioux]]
* WS-61 - [[Westland Sea King]]
* [[Westland Puma]]
* [[Westland Gazelle]]
* WG.13 - [[Westland Lynx]]
* WG.30 - [[Westland 30]]
* [[AgustaWestland AW101|EHI EH101]]
* [[AgustaWestland Apache|Westland WAH-64 Apache]]
* [[Bristol Belvedere]]
* [[Fairey Rotodyne]]

===Hovercraft===
* [[British Hovercraft Corporation AP1-88|GKN Westland AP1-88]]

===Rockets and missiles===
* [[Black Arrow]]

===Precision gears===
*[[Airship Industries Skyship 500]] - transmission system

===Unmanned aerial vehicles===
* Westland Mote
* [[Westland Wisp]]
* Westland Wideye

==See also==
*[[Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
* James, Derek N. ''Westland: A History''. Gloucestershire UK: Tempus Publishing Ltd, 2002. {{ISBN|0-7524-2772-5}}.
* Mondey, David. ''Westland (Planemakers 2)''. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. {{ISBN|0-7106-0134-4}}.
* James, Derek N. 'Westland Aircraft since 1915'. London: Putnam, 1991. {{ISBN|0-85177-847-X}}

==External links==
* [http://www.uk.leonardocompany.com/ (Leonardo web site)]
* [http://www.bartiesworld.co.uk/hovercraft/saunders.htm The hovercraft of the Westlands Aircraft Group (including Saunders-Roe and British Hovercraft Corporation)]
* Westland at Helis.com : [http://www.helis.com/timeline/westland.php timeline] and [http://www.helis.com/database/go/westland.php database section]
{{AgustaWestland aircraft}}
{{Westland aircraft}}
{{Aerospace industry in the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Westland Helicopters| ]]
[[Category:AgustaWestland|.]]
[[Category:Defunct helicopter manufacturers]]
[[Category:Helicopter manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Companies based in Yeovil]]
[[Category:British companies established in 1961]]
[[Category:Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1961]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies disestablished in 2000]]
[[Category:1961 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2000 disestablishments in England]]

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Westland Helicopters