The Westland Wessex was a British-built turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky S-58. One of the main changes from Sikorsky’s S-58 was the replacement of the piston-engine powerplant with a turboshaft engine.
The Wessex was initially produced for the Royal Navy (RN) and later for the Royal Air Force (RAF); a limited number of civilian aircraft were also produced, as well as some export sales. The Wessex operated as an anti-submarine warfare and utility helicopter; it is perhaps best recognised for its use as a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter. The type entered operational service in 1961, and had a service life in excess of 40 years before being retired in Britain.
This one, actually an S-58, came all the way from Germany to UK for the filming of “Man from UNCLE”. The owner was a little nervous about the washable paint so as a confidence booster we painted Dans car in the same scheme, what became known as the Combat Volvo! It’s the only one left flying in Europe (the helicopter, not the car), if you’d like to talk about using it then give us a call!
