Westland Scout AH.1

Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1960 · helicopter

The Westland Scout AH.1 was the British Army's principal light utility helicopter from the mid-1960s, derived from the Saunders-Roe P.531 and used for liaison, casualty evacuation, and light attack roles.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Single Rolls-Royce Nimbus turboshaft in fuselage spine
T — Tail	Conventional

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British Army light utility helicopter of the 1960s–80s
Single Rolls-Royce Nimbus turboshaft in fuselage spine
Skid undercarriage with four-blade semi-rigid main rotor

Distinguished from the later Lynx by its smaller size, skid undercarriage, and four-blade rotor; compared with the Wasp, it has a longer cabin and no folding rotor or flotation gear.

Specifications

The Westland Scout AH.1 has a length of 9.24 m (30 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9.83 m (32 ft).
Its maximum speed is 211 km/h (131 mph).
Typical crew: 1 pilot + 4 passengers or 2 stretchers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Scout evolved from the Saro P.531 prototype, entering British Army Air Corps service in 1963 and serving through the Falklands War of 1982, where Scouts fired SS.11 wire-guided missiles against Argentine forces.

Variants

The Scout AH.1 was the sole British Army variant; the naval equivalent was the Wasp HAS.1, optimised for anti-submarine torpedo delivery from frigates.

Where you'll see it

Served the British Army Air Corps from 1963 until retirement in 1994; the Falklands campaign was its most notable operational deployment.

Related aircraft

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