Westland Westminster

Infobox Aircraft
name=Westminster


caption=
type=Heavy-lift helicopter
manufacturer=Westland Aircraft
designer=
first flight=15 June 1958
introduced=
retired=
status=Cancelled project
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=2
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Westland Westminster was a British helicopter of the 1950s from Westland Aircraft. A large cargo design, it was powered by two turboshaft engines driving a single, five-bladed rotor. Initially unclad, the all-metal airframe was later enclosed in a fabric covering. Designed and built as a private venture without government assistance it was cancelled when Westland took over rival helicopter producers and their more advanced projects.

Development

The Westminster was the first tangible result of efforts that Westland had been making throughout the 1950s to produce a gas-turbine-powered heavy-lift helicopter. Projects ranged up to the remarkable W.90, a 450-seat troopship with three Sapphire turbojets mounted on its rotor-tips.cite book
url=
title=Westland Aircraft since 1915
last=James
first=Derek
date=
accessdate=
work=
publisher=Putnam]

In 1954, Westland investigated licenced manufacture of the Sikorsky S-56 for the civil market with turboshaft power. The company sought Ministry of Supply support for the proposal but this was not forthcoming. In June 1958, Westland obtained an extension to their licence agreement with Sikorsky to cover the main-rotor, gearbox, tail-rotor, transmission and control systems of the S-56. Faced with continuing government indifference, Westland decided to press ahead with a private-venture design for a heavy-lift transport, built around the S-56 systems but powered by a pair of Napier Eland turboshafts. At the time, Westland was heavily committed to development of the Wessex and the Westminster project had to be run on a shoestring.

Two variants were initially envisioned: a 40-seat, short-range civil transport and a flying crane with a 15,000 lb capacity. In March 1956, Westland decided to build the first prototype as a flying test rig with a tubular steel space frame in place of the main fuselage; cockpit power-train and undercarriage attached to this. With economy a priority, off-the-shelf components were used as far as possible, with donors such as the Westland Whirlwind helicopter and the Bristol Freighter aeroplane. This prototype was completed in February 1958; after the usual static and systems testing, engine runs and nearly 20 hours of "tied-down" engine testing, the first flight took place on 15 June. Flight testing showed up significant vibration. As a result, a number of changes in the design of the second prototype, including replacement of the main-rotor with the six-blade unit from the Sikorsky S-64. Once the statutory ten hours had been flown, this first Westminster was registered G-APLE and work started on constructing the second prototype.

Around this time, the Admiralty began to feel that the Westminster project was delaying development of the Wessex. Although this was mere fancy, it boded ill for the larger aircraft.. For the moment, work continued; G-APLE's space frame was covered with a streamlined shell of wood covered with Terylene fabric and the rotor was replaced with an experimental six-blade unit.

The second prototype flew on 4 September 1959, being registered G-APTX, and flight testing continued but the British helicopter industry was in a state of flux; the entire industry was being consolidated under Westland with the company's purchase of the helicopter divisions of Saunders-Roe, Bristol and Fairey. In the process, Westland acquired two potential rivals to the Westminster: the Bristol 194 and Fairey Rotodyne (a gyrodyne design). Rationalisation was necessary and since the Rotodyne was already flying and government funded, work on the Westminster ceased in September 1960.

The two aircraft were broken up; the components supplied by Sikorsky were stripped out and shipped back to the USA to avoid paying import duty and the airframes were sold as scrap.

pecifications (Westminster)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= copter
jet or prop?= prop

ref=Westland Aircraft since 1915cite book
url=
title=Westland Aircraft since 1915
last=James
first=Derek
date=
accessdate=
work=
publisher=Putnam]
crew=2 (+2 observers projected)
capacity=(Projected: 40 passengers
length main=89 ft 10 in
length alt= 27.4 m [http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/west_westminster.php] Accessed 30 March 2007]
span main= 72 ft
span alt= 21.95 m
height main= 21 ft 1 in
height alt=6.43
area main= 4,069 ft²
area alt=378.2
airfoil=
empty weight main=22,322 lb
empty weight alt= 10,125 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 32,922 lb
max takeoff weight alt=14,965 kg
more general=

engine (prop)=Napier Eland E220
type of prop=turboshaft
number of props=2
power main= 2,920 hp
power alt=2,178 kW
power original=

max speed main= 135 knots
max speed alt= 155 mph
cruise speed main= 100 knots
cruise speed alt= 115 mph
cruise speed more=, 130 knots estimated for production model
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 104 nm
range alt= 120 mi
range more=estimated for production model
ceiling main=
ceiling alt= 2,750 m
climb rate main= 1,750 ft/min
climb rate alt=8.9 m/s
climb rate more=, in production 2,000 ft/min (10.2 m/s) projected
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=

avionics=

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft= * CH-37 Mojave

sequence=
lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.whl.co.uk/history_westminster.cfm Westland]