Helicopter Westland Whirlwind HAR.4 Serial wa 20 Register XD163 used by Royal Air Force RAF. Built 1954 Converted to Whirlwind HAR.10. Aircraft history and location
Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 Westland Whirlwind HAR.4, WA20, f/f: 15Jul54 del Royal Air Force as XD163, 13Aug54 conv HAR.10, Feb64 xfer 2 FTS as X, 1966 wfu 1979 to 8645M, [ntu] pres Weston-super-Mare. 2FTS
Originally built in 1954 at Yeovil, Somerset as a 12-seat transport helicopter. XD163 is of particular significance as it was not only converted from an earlier mark of Whirlwind, but was in fact in its earlier life the first Whirlwind delivered to the Royal Air Force and was the first Whirlwind Mk.4. It first flew in April 1954 and operated with the Far East air force. In 1962 it was delivered to Westlands factory for conversion to Mk.10 standard, powered by a Rolls Royce Gnome turboshaft engine. As the 36th production conversion Mk.10, XD163 first flew in February 1964 and allocated to 2FTS at the Central Flying School helicopter wing Ternhill in 1966. It remained there until 1979 when it was retired and placed in storage at RNAY Wroughton. The aircraft was subsequently transferred to the museum in April 1991. 2FTS
