Westland WG.13 (Lynx)

Westland Helicopters · United Kingdom · first flew 1971 · helicopter

The Westland WG.13, developed under the Anglo-French helicopter programme and named the Lynx upon entering service, became one of the fastest production helicopters in the world and a versatile naval and battlefield utility type for the British and French armed forces.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	2 × turboshaft, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Skid or wheeled undercarriage with a boxy fuselage and low-set horizontal tail
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Four-blade semi-rigid rotor with distinctive rectangular blades
Twin Rolls-Royce Gem turboshafts in a flat dorsal fairing flanking the rotor mast
Skid or wheeled undercarriage with a boxy fuselage and low-set horizontal tail

The Lynx's four-blade semi-rigid rotor head with its prominent rotor head fairing is the most distinctive feature — the blades are notably wide-chord and rectangular. Twin engines in a flat dorsal installation, a relatively boxy fuselage, and the low-slung horizontal stabiliser distinguish it from the Aérospatiale Puma or AS332. The wheeled undercarriage on naval variants is a further identifier.

Specifications

The Westland WG.13 (Lynx) has a length of 15.16 m (50 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Its maximum speed is 324 km/h (201 mph).
Typical crew: 2 (military versions).

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

History

Westland and Aérospatiale agreed under the 1967 Anglo-French helicopter deal that Westland would lead development of what became the WG.13 Lynx. The prototype first flew on 21 March 1971 at Yeovil. The Lynx AH.1 entered British Army Air Corps service in 1977 and the HAS.2 entered Royal Navy service for anti-submarine and anti-surface roles. A modified Lynx set an absolute helicopter world speed record of 400.87 km/h in 1986.

Variants

Army variants (AH.1 through AH.9) serve as battlefield utility transports; naval variants (HAS.2, HMA.8, Super Lynx 300) carry torpedoes, Sea Skua missiles, and dipping sonar. The Lynx Wildcat (AW159) is a substantially redesigned successor sharing the Lynx name but little else.

Where you'll see it

The Lynx served with the British Army and Royal Navy for over four decades, seeing action in the Falklands, Gulf War, and numerous post-Cold War operations. Export customers include Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Brazil, and South Korea among others.

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