Westland Sea King HC.4 Commando
Westland Helicopters · United Kingdom · first flew 1973 · helicopter
The Sea King HC.4 Commando is the Royal Navy's assault transport variant, stripped of anti-submarine equipment and fitted for troop carrying, with fixed rather than retractable undercarriage.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, rotary |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Olive drab or sand-grey camouflage, no anti-submarine sonar housing beneath fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Olive drab or sand-grey camouflage, no anti-submarine sonar housing beneath fuselage
- Fixed undercarriage (non-retractable sponsons removed) giving cleaner underside than HAS variant
- Larger side cargo door and no rescue hoist — configured for troop assault and utility lift
Distinguished from the HAS.1 by absence of sonar pod and retractable sponsons; from the HAR.3 by camouflage finish, larger cabin door, and no rescue hoist. The fixed undercarriage gives it a cleaner fuselage underside than the sonar-equipped HAS variants.
Specifications
- The Westland Sea King HC.4 Commando has a length of 22.15 m (73 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 18.9 m (62 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 208 km/h (129 mph).
- Typical crew: 2 pilots + 1 aircrewman + up to 28 troops.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Westland developed the Commando as an export variant first, with Egypt and Qatar as early customers; the Royal Navy adopted the HC.4 to replace the Wessex in the Commando Helicopter role from 1979. The type served with 845, 846, 848 and 847 NAS, deploying to the Falklands in 1982 and subsequently to the Balkans, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Variants
The export Commando Mk.2 and Mk.2B served several Middle Eastern air forces; the Royal Navy HC.4 is unique in the fixed undercarriage and Royal Navy fit. All RAF HC.4 aircraft were retired by 2016 with AW101 Merlin taking over the troop-lift role.
Where you'll see it
845 and 846 Naval Air Squadrons flew the HC.4 from RNAS Yeovilton, deploying aboard assault ships HMS Ocean and Albion throughout the 2000s until retirement as the Merlin HC.4 entered service.
Related aircraft
- Westland WG.13 (Lynx)
- Westland Lynx HAS.3
- Westland Lynx AH1
- Westland Sea King
- Kamov Ka-27 Helix
- Mi-24D (Hind-D)
- Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King
- Aérospatiale AS350 Écureuil
AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.