Aviation News - February 2016 UK

SEA KING

SALUTE

Tim Ripley

looks at the

Westland Sea

King in UK

military service.

32 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft February 2016

W

estland’s Sea King helicopter

must be one of the few aircraft

to warrant the tag ‘iconic’.

The helicopter has been at

the centre of almost every British military

operation since the  rst example entered

service in 1969. However, variants are being

retired and the end is in sight for the famous

Sea King in UK military service.

Britain’s Sea Kings look super cially similar

to the original Sikorsky SH-3s that  rst  ew in

the US in 1959. The Royal Navy immediately

saw the potential of the new design but

wanted several improvements, centred on

replacing the American General Electric

T58 engines with two Rolls-Royce Gnomes,

as well as a whole host of UK-supplied

avionics and other components. The result

was a more powerful, capable and effective

helicopter.

The Royal Navy eventually ordered just

over 150 new-build Sea King helicopters

during the 1960s and 1970s, with the  rst

variants entering service in 1969. The Fleet

Air Arm was  rst interested in employing the

helicopter in the anti-submarine role, equipped

with a dipping sonar, sonar buoys and

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