Sycamore
Bristol Aeroplane Company · United Kingdom · first flew 1947 · helicopter
The Bristol Type 171 Sycamore was the first British-designed helicopter to enter production and RAF service, first flying on 27 July 1947. Designed under Austrian pioneer Raoul Hafner, it opened the RAF's helicopter era.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 14.07 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Rounded, egg-shaped cabin with car-style doors and a glazed nose
- Four-blade wooden main rotor driven by a buried Alvis Leonides radial piston engine
- Tapering tail boom with a high-set tail rotor and fixed wheeled undercarriage
Look for a portly, rounded cabin tapering into a slim boom, a four-blade rotor turning unusually slowly, and fixed wheels rather than skids. The piston engine is buried amidships, giving a clean nose with generous glazing.
Specifications
- The Sycamore has a length of 14.07 m (46 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.81 m (49 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 204 km/h (127 mph).
- Typical crew: 1-2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Hafner's team at Bristol began work in 1944, and the Sycamore became the first helicopter awarded a British civil certificate of airworthiness in 1949. Around 180 were built at Filton and Weston-super-Mare before production ended in 1959.
Variants
The main production marks were the Sycamore HR12 and HR13 for RAF trials and rescue, the definitive HR14 with dual controls, and the HC11 for army cooperation. Civil Mk 3 and 4 aircraft flew with operators including British European Airways, and Germany's Bundeswehr was a major export customer.
Where you'll see it
RAF Sycamores flew search and rescue around the British coast and carried out casualty evacuation and jungle supply drops in Malaya, plus operations in Cyprus and Aden. Retired in 1972, examples are preserved at the RAF Museum and Aerospace Bristol, and one still flies with The Flying Bulls.
Related aircraft
- Bristol Type 171 Sycamore
- Bristol Type 171 Sycamore Mk 1
- Bristol 170 Freighter
- Bristol Brabazon
- Kaman K-225
- Kamov Ka-8 Irkutyanin
- McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry
- Sikorsky HOS-1
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.