Saro Skeeter

infobox Aircraft
name = Skeeter
type = Helicopter
manufacturer = Saunders-Roe



caption = Saro Skeeter W-14
designer =
first flight = 8 October 1948 (Cierva W.14)
introduced = October 1956
retired =
status =
primary user = Army Air Corps
more users = Royal Air Force German Army German Navy
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Saro Skeeter was a two-seat training and scout helicopter produced by Saunders-Roe ("Saro") of Cowes and Southampton, in the United Kingdom. The Skeeter has the distinction of being the first helicopter to be used by the British Army Air Corps.

Design and development

Initially designed around 1948 by the Cierva Autogiro Company, the Skeeter did not enter service until 1957. This long development period ensured that it was outdated before it even entered service. Plagued by ground resonance problems due to underpowered 145 hp engines, it was not until Saro, which had taken over Cierva in 1951, had put in a 200 hp Gypsy Major engine that any significant orders were procured, in 1956.

Operational history

The British Army ordered 64 Skeeter 6's to be designated as the Skeeter AOP.12 (Air Observation Platform), and the Skeeter finally entered service in October 1956. With the merger of the helicopter activities of the British Bristol Aeroplane Company, Fairey and Saro with Westland Aircraft in 1960, plans to develop a turbine powered version were abandoned. Although this knowledge was used in the development of the Westland Scout and Westland Wasp through the P.531 which was based on the Skeeter airframe.

Variants

;Cierva W.14 Skeeter 1:Original design, first flown on 8 October 1948, powered by a Jameson 106 hp FF-1 engine. It had a triangular cross section to its tail boom. Only one was built.;Skeeter 2:First flew in 1949. Powered by 145 hp Gipsy engine. Suffered badly from ground resonance and eventually shook itself apart. This version had a circular-section tail boom, as did all future versions. Only one was built.;Skeeter 3:Started to show some progress, powered by 180 hp Blackburn engines. Two were produced. No orders were placed by the British Army.;Skeeter 4:Version for the Royal Navy, was rejected. Similar to Skeeter 2 and 3. Only one was produced.;Skeeter 5:Similar to other earlier Skeeters. Only one was produced.;Skeeter 6:Only three prototypes were procured.;;Skeeter AOP.10:Three evaluation aircraft were built for the British Army Air Corps.;;Skeeter T.11:One dual-control trainer was built for the British Army Air Corps.;Skeeter 7:Had Gypsy 215 hp engine. This was the most successful Skeeter. 64 were built and acquired by the British Army Air Corps.;;Skeeter AOP.12:Air Observation Platform helicopter for the British Army Air Corps.;;Skeeter T.13:Training version for the RAF. The Skeeter T.13s were used to train army helicopter instructors.;Skeeter Series 8:Commercial version, with Gypsy 215 hp engine. Orders for it never materialised. Three were built.;Skeeter Mk.50:German Army Aviators Corps designation for the Skeeter 7. 11 were ordered and exported.;Skeeter Mk.51:German Navy designation for the Skeeter 7. Four were ordered and exported.

Operators

;GER
*German Army
*German Navy;UK
*Army Air Corps
*Royal Air Force;POR
*Portuguese Air Force

urvivors

There is one remaining flying example of the Skeeter though a number are held by British museums.

pecifications (Skeeter 6)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= copter
jet or prop?= prop
ref=Fact|date=April 2008
crew= Two
capacity=
length main= 28 ft 5 in
length alt= 8.66 m
span main= 32 ft
span alt= 9.76 m
height main= 10 ft 2 in
height alt= 3.10 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 1,607 lb
empty weight alt= 730 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 2,202 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 1,000 kg
more general=
engine (prop)=de Havilland Gipsy Major
type of prop= 4-cylinder aircooled inverted engine
number of props=1
power main= 200 hp
power alt= 149 kW
power original=
max speed main= 93 kn
max speed alt= 107 mph, 173 km/h
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 210 NM
range alt= 240 mi, 389 km
ceiling main=
ceiling alt=
climb rate main= 365 ft/min
climb rate alt= 111 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
sequence=
lists=
* List of helicopters
see also=
* Saunders-Roe P.531

References

External links

* [http://www.helis.com/database/go/saunders_roe_skeeter.php Helis database]
* [http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/west_skeeter-r.html Avia Russian website (in English)]
* [http://www.britishaircraft.co.uk/aircraftpage.php?ID=127 British Aircraft Directory]
* [http://skeeterheritage.co.uk Skeeter Heritage]