Westland Scout
| Scout | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Role | Helicopter |
| Manufacturer | Westland Helicopters |
| First flight | 29 August 1960 |
| Status | Retired from active service |
| Primary users |
British Army Royal Australian Navy Royal Jordanian Air Force South African Air Force |
| Produced | 1960–1968 |
| Number built | About 150 |
| Developed from | Saro P.531 |
| Variants | Westland Wasp |
The Westland Scout was a light helicopter developed by Westland Helicopters. Developed from the Saro P.531, it served as a land-based general purpose military helicopter, sharing a common ancestor and numerous components with the naval-orientated Westland Wasp helicopter. The type's primary operator was the Army Air Corps of the British Army, who operated it in several conflict zones including Northern Ireland and the Falklands War. It was progressively replaced in British service by the Westland Gazelle reconnaissance helicopter, and the larger Westland Lynx battlefield utility helicopter.
Both the Scout and the Wasp were developed from the Saunders-Roe P.531, itself a development of the Saunders-Roe Skeeter. With the acquisition of Saunders Roe, Westland took over the P.531 project, which became the prototype for the Scout (originally called Sprite) and the Wasp. The initial UK Ministry of Defence(MoD) development contract was for a 5 to 6 seat general purpose helicopter.
The first version that met both RN and Army requirement, the P.531-2, flew on 9 August 1959 with a Bristol Siddeley Nimbus engine. A de Havilland Gnome engine-equipped version was also trialled, starting 3 May 1960. The production Scout AH.1 used a Rolls-Royce Nimbus engine (RR having acquired Bristol Siddeley by then). The engine was rated at 1,050 shp (780 kW), but the torque was limited to 685 shp (511 kW). Extensive theoretical design and practical testing was carried out to provide an undercarriage that was tolerant to ground resonance. The first Army Scout AH Mk 1 flew on 4 August 1960, a powered-controls version followed in March 1961 and deliveries started in early 1963. Following trials ranging from Canada to Nairobi, the airframe was released for operations between -26C and ISA+30C.
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