Westland Widgeon

Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1955 · helicopter

The Westland Widgeon was a British light utility helicopter developed by Westland Aircraft as a refined development of the licence-built Sikorsky S-51 Dragonfly, featuring an improved fuselage and piston engine.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Distinctive rounded Sikorsky-derived fuselage with British modifications
T — Tail	Conventional

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British five-seat light helicopter developed from the Sikorsky S-51
De Havilland Gipsy Queen piston engine
Distinctive rounded Sikorsky-derived fuselage with British modifications

A compact piston helicopter with a rounded fuselage derived from the S-51 but with a more enclosed cabin and revised cowling; tail rotor on a tapering tail boom.

Specifications

The Westland Widgeon has a length of 12.5 m (41 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.6 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 169 km/h (105 mph).
Typical crew: 1 pilot + 4 passengers.

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

History

Westland, which held licences to produce Sikorsky designs in Britain, developed the Widgeon in the early 1950s as a civil and military light helicopter. It first flew in 1955 and offered improved accommodation over the S-51 it evolved from.

Variants

A small number were built; the Widgeon represented a transitional design between Westland's Sikorsky-licence piston helicopters and its later turbine types such as the Scout and Wasp.

Where you'll see it

Used by civil operators and evaluated by the British military; small numbers served in the UK and were exported to Jordan and other customers.

Related aircraft

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