Westland Wasp Helicopter

Fly Navy Heritage Trust's (also known and branded as 'Navy Wings'), Westland Wasp HAS Mk.1, XT420, G-CBUI, leaving The Shuttleworth Collection's Old Warden airfield for an airshow commitment at Clacton, via a stop at Duxford Airfield, on Friday 25 August 2023.
Westland Wasp XT420 in service (registered as G-CBUI when she transitioned to civilian ownership) is painted as 422 of HMS Aurora Flight. She was built in 1964 and at various times served with 706 Naval Air Squadron (training) and the following ships flights of 829 Naval Air Squadron: HMS Nubian, HMS Hecate, HMS Aurora, HMS Ajax.
XT420 also served with HMS Hecla (Falklands) with red crosses painted on, in the casualty evacuation role. She was disposed of by the Royal Navy in April 1994.
The Westland Wasp is a small 1960s British turbine powered, shipboard anti-submarine helicopter. Produced by Westland Helicopters, it came from the same P.531 programme as the British Army Westland Scout, and is based on the earlier piston-engined Saunders-Roe Skeeter. It fulfilled the requirement of the Royal Navy for a helicopter small enough to land on the deck of a frigate and carry a useful load of two homing torpedoes.
The Wasp seriously damaged the ARA Santa Fe submarine in 1982 during the Falklands war.
The Wasp HAS.1 was introduced to Royal Navy service in the small ships role in 1964, after an intensive period of trials by 700(W) IFTU between June 1963 and March 1964. It served in this primary role with 829 Naval Air Squadron, but also in training units to supply crews for the front line with 706 NAS between 1965 and 1967 and in 703 NAS between 1972 and 1981. Single airframes also served for light liaison duties in the Commando Assault squadrons, 845 NAS and 848 NAS until 1973. Although effective as a submarine killer, it was best deployed paired with a Wessex HAS.3 submarine hunter. In the late 1970s, the Westland Lynx started to replace the Wasp.
On 25 April 1982 the Argentinian submarine ARA Santa Fe was spotted by a Wessex helicopter from HMS Antrim. The Wessex and a Westland Lynx HAS.2 from HMS Brilliant then attacked it with depth charges, a Mk 46 torpedo, and also strafed it with GPMG. A Wasp launched from HMS Plymouth and two Wasps launched from HMS Endurance fired AS.12 anti-ship missiles at the submarine, scoring hits. Santa Fe was damaged badly enough to prevent her from submerging. The crew abandoned the submarine at the jetty on South Georgia and surrendered to the British forces, thus becoming the first casualty of the sea war, as well as the first direct engagement by the Royal Navy Task Force.
The last Wasp was finally withdrawn from Royal Navy service in 1988 when the last of the Type 12 Rothesay-class frigates was decommissioned.
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[@ginger_grizzly]

Excellent, absolutely love seeing Wasps and Scouts flying, they always look so purposeful.

[@Callsign_Chandler]

Brilliant video, I’ve flown the Wasp and they are brilliant. I know that pilot too…before the wasp he was often at the controls of a Sea king. 👏🏻😎🚁📸

[@gregmctevia5087]

Beautiful chopper. Pretty decent piloting skills as well. Loved it.

[@HighFlight]

Thanks. These and the Westland Scout and other historic helicopters are always good to see!

[@mothmagic1]

Ah the flying oil rig. Like the Scout you didn't dare stop the rotor with a blade directly above the jet pipe or you'd fry the blade.

[@paulshirley6383]

Westland Wasp Helicopter HAS Mk.1, XT420, G-CBUI,
High Flight love louis shirley

[@krugtech]

it sounds just like my dodge caravan, probably because it has a nimbus 105 in back.