Westland is a British aircraft manufacturer in Yeovil in Somerset, England. From the First World War to 1955 the company Flugzeuge produced. After 1945 Westland with production and development of helicopters began.

Firm history

In the First World War 1915 - 1918

Westland aircraft was created 1935 as an independent company. Up to then it was part of Petters Ltd. The exempt private company created by Ernest and Percy Petter produced up to the First World War engines for the agriculture and industry. With beginning of the First World War the British government asked to change the industry over their production to war-important goods (above all weapons and ammunition). Petter Ltd. reacted and in a meeting with the admiralty agreed one on the building of airplanes. After the successful building of water airplanes Short type 184 and type 166 got the company the order to the building of Sopwith Strutters. In the year 1916 an order was added over the building of DH 4 and DH 9 from De Havilland, in whose consequence Westland became the prime contractor for the building De Havilland DH 9A. Up to the end of the First World War Westland had manufactured 1,100 airplanes and as important British aviation enterprise had been established.

Between the wars 1918 - 1939

After end of the First World War Westland began with the development of passenger airlines like the sedan and the dreimotorige Wessex. Besides the production of the DH 9A to 1927 kept running. From it Westland Wapiti followed, which formed the backbone of the Royal Airforce in the Near East and India. 563 units were built by it. With to modified Wapiti of the Westland Houston PV3 1933 the first overflight/flyover over the Mount Everest succeeded. Two years later the company became Westland aircraft Ltd. based. In the time between the wars Westland experimented with unusual aircraft like the Pterodactyl, a single-seat with rear propulsion (first flight 1928) and the Gyrokoptern CL-20 (first flight 1935) and CL-29. In the year 1936 a prototype Westland Lysander developed by William Petter flew for the first time. This airplane had amazing short start and landing characteristics (STOL), by which it became in the Second World War in the context of secret missions of the SAS the legend. Were built altogether for 1,652 pieces (225 of it in Canada). With the approaching of the Second World War the demand developed after a long-distance hunter. Westland developed thereupon the twin-engine Whirlwind, which was equipped with four 20 mm of cannons in the fuselage nose. Of it altogether 116 piece manufacture.

In the Second World War 1939 - 1945

With beginning of the Second World War and the case of France the air war to England and it shifted began the air battle around England. Thus also no need at long-distance hunters existed more and Westland built supernavy Spitfire after supernavy the work in Southampton by bombs had been destroyed. From the Spitfire developed Westland the carrier supported Seafire. Up to the end of the war more than 2,000 Spitfire/Seafire were built. To the most important new developments during the war belonged twin-engine Westland Welkin, which flew 1942 for the first time. The Welkin was German reconnaissance planes flying highly the answer to and had a pressurized cabin. The development of pressurized cabins led to the establishment of the subsidiary company normal air.

After the Second World War 1945 - 1986

The end of the Second World War means at the same time the beginning of a new era with Westland. The company began with the production and development of helicopters. In the year 1946 Westland met an agreement with Sikorsky to the building of helicopters under license. At the same time the maiden flight of the last type of aircraft the Westlands Wyvern took place. She was a carrier supported long-distance hunter with coaxial propellers moving in opposite directions. The first helicopter built by Westland was a manufacture under licence of the Sikorsky S-51, the Dragonfly. Their first flight was 1948 and the distribution to the Royal Navy began 1953. Further partially clearly modified and further developed buildings of licenses like the Whirlwind, Wessex and Sea King followed. In the year 1955 the era of the aircraft construction ended with Westland. Up to this time more than 6,000 airplanes had left a resounding. One now exclusively concentrated on helicopters.

Between 1958 and 1961 the British aircraft industry changed fundamentally. In 50 "´er the years more than 20 enterprises existed in competition stood among themselves in Great Britain. On pressure of the British government the airplane manufacturers united to the British aircraft corporation and Hawker Siddeley Group. Westland took over the helicopter departments of Bristol, Fairey and Saunders Roe and formed out of it 1961 Westland Helicopters Limited. At this time Westland had already two own helicopters, which develop Westland Scout and Westland Wasp.

Westland began 20 into the late 60"´er years. Century a close co-operation with the French manufacturer This co-operation was consequence of a demand of the Royal Army after new helicopter models. was responsible for the development of the types Gazelle, Puma and Westland for the type Lynx.Die Lynx was a large success in the development small ship-launched helicopter and led to the development of the larger W30 for the civilian market.

Into the 80"´er years 20. Century fell Westland into a crisis. Despite support by the government the company became more unprofitabler. That led to the search for new investors. Westland aimed at a closer connection with Sikorsky, the British Secretary of Defense at that time favored however a European solution. Thereupon Sikorsky threatened 1985 with the door, and the following cabinet crisis became known as a Westland affair. The Secretary of Defense Michael Heseltine stepped thereupon in January 1986 back, and the conflict was settled to favour by Sikorsky. In the same year set up the pilots Eggington and Clews with Westland a Lynx the speed world record for helicopters with 400,87 km/h.

1986 - Today

In this time Westland on the search for support for the development of a successor for the Sea King had taken up an agreement with the Italian manufacturer Agusta. The two companies created the Joint venture EH Industries and developed the EH-101, a multi-purpose helicopter for navy, army and civilian aviation. The first flight took place on 9 October 1987 and 1991 ordered the Royal Navy 44 Merlin TC Mk 1 antisubmarine chase helicopter. Since 1987 the British company had become GKN (before times Guest, Keen and Nettlefolds) by share buying up a principal shareholder of Westland. The other principal shareholder was United Technologies, the nut/mother company of Sikorsky. By assumption of the portions of UTC attained GKN 1994 the stock majority and Westland 1995 in GKN Westland Helicopters were renamed. In the consequence Westland received the addition of the Royal Airforce for the supply of the Merlin HC Mk of 3 support helicopter and the supply of WAH-64 Apache for the Royal Army air Corps.Mit of the establishment of the joint venture AgustaWestland of the nut/mother enterprises GKN and Finnemecanica became AgustaWestland the second largest helicopter producer of the world.

See also

• List of the helicopters
• List of the types of aircraft

Literature

• Derek James: Westland aircraft since 1915, Putnam Aeronautical Books, o.O., March 2003, ISBN 0-85177-847-X
• John W R Taylor (Hrsg): Jane's universe the World's aircraft, Jane"´s pub.co., London December 1987, ISBN 0710608500
• Malcolm Pearce, Geoffrey Stewart: British Political History, 1867-2001. Democracy and Decline, Routledge, o.O., January 2002, ISBN 0415268702

Related links

• Homepage von Westland

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