Westland WS-51 Dragonfly

Westland Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1948 · helicopter

The Westland WS-51 Dragonfly was a British licence-built version of the Sikorsky S-51 helicopter, one of the first truly practical helicopters to see widespread military and civil service. It played a key role in establishing rotary-wing aviation in the United Kingdom.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, rotary
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	17.54 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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

Spot it by:

Licence-built Sikorsky S-51
Bubble canopy nose section
Early British military and civil helicopter

A single-rotor helicopter with an enclosed pod-and-boom fuselage, a large glazed cockpit section, and fixed quadricycle undercarriage; closely resembles the Sikorsky S-51.

Specifications

The Westland WS-51 Dragonfly has a length of 17.54 m (58 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.94 m (49 ft).
Its maximum speed is 166 km/h (103 mph).
Typical crew: 1-2, plus up to 3 passengers.

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

History

Westland acquired a licence from Sikorsky in 1946 and flew the first British-built example in 1948. The aircraft served with the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, and several civil operators, and was among the earliest helicopters used in search-and-rescue roles by the RAF.

Variants

Variants included the HR.1 and HR.3 for the Royal Navy and the HC.2 for the RAF; civil versions were also produced and exported.

Where you'll see it

Served with the Royal Navy and RAF from the late 1940s into the 1950s, and was exported to Burma, Ceylon, Italy, and Thailand among others.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 4,893 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.