Westland WS-55 Whirlwind Series 2

Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1954 · helicopter

The Westland WS-55 Whirlwind Series 2 was a licence-built development of the Sikorsky S-55, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial piston engine and offering improved payload over the Series 1.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.46 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single main rotor with tail rotor
Piston-engined utility helicopter
Bulbous nose with large bubble canopy

Identified by its large oval-section cabin with the radial engine mounted in the nose below the rotor mast, slab-sided fuselage, and fixed quadricycle undercarriage.

Specifications

The Westland WS-55 Whirlwind Series 2 has a length of 13.46 m (44 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.15 m (53 ft).
Its maximum speed is 169 km/h (105 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

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

History

Westland Aircraft acquired a licence from Sikorsky to produce the S-55 in the early 1950s, progressively refining the design through several series. The Series 2 used a more powerful piston engine and saw service with the Royal Navy and RAF in search-and-rescue and utility roles throughout the 1950s.

Variants

The Whirlwind family progressed through Series 1, 2, and 3 piston variants before the definitive Series 3 turbine conversion; the HAR.10 turbine variant became the best-known RAF mark.

Where you'll see it

The WS-55 Series 2 served with the Royal Navy and RAF in the UK and overseas, performing search-and-rescue, casualty evacuation, and liaison duties before turbine-engined marks took over.

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