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westland wessex hc.2

in united kingdom royal air force


   

   

Qty: 72     1963 to 2003    


History of this Model in this Organisation:

The RAF ordered the Wessex HC.2 in Aug 1961 and used the HC.2 - 71 production airframes which could carry a 4000lb (1800 kg) slung load and 1 pre-production prototype. The first Wessex HC.2 was delivered in Feb 1963 and after trials, 18 Squadron used the first operational Wessex HC.2 on 9 Feb 1964. 72 Squadron replaced its Belvedere HC.1s with the Wessex HC.2 in Aug 1964, 78 Squadron re-equipped in 1965, followed by 240 Operational Conversion Unit in Jul 1967, 28 Squadron in Feb 1972, 103 Squadron in Nov 1972 and 84 Squadron in Mar 1982.

Units with this Model in this Organisation:

YearsUnitsbold : Current Base of the Unit
1992/9760(r) squadron RAF Shawbury
RAF Benson
1982/0384 squadronCY RAF Akrotiri
CY Nicosia (Lefkosia)
1982/83202 squadronBrawdy
RAF Coltishall
RAF Boulmer
RAF Lossiemouth
Thorney Island
1980/82wessex training flightRAF Benson
1974/9722 squadron AAC Wattisham
RAF St. Mawgan
RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
RAF Leconfield
RAF Leuchars
Kent International / Manston
Brawdy
Thorney Island
RAF Coltishall
RMB Chivenor
RAF St. Mawgan
RAF Valley
1972/9728 (ac) squadronHK Kai Tak
HK Sek Kong
HK Kai Tak
1972/75103 squadronSG Tengah Air Base
1971/81240 operational conversion unitRAF Odiham
1971air training squadronRAF Odiham
1967/71helicopter operational conversion flightRAF Odiham
1967/71wessex (sar) flightBH RAF Muharraq
1965/7178 squadronAE RAF Sharjah
YE Khormaksar / Aden International
1964/0272 squadronRAF Aldergrove
RAF Benson
Kent International / Manston
RAF Odiham
1964/8018 squadronDE Gütersloh
Acklington
DE Gütersloh
RAF Odiham
1964/67short range conversion unitRAF Odiham
1963/98sar training unit (sartu) RAF Valley
1963/972 ftsRAF Shawbury
RAF Tern Hill
1963/64wessex intensive flying trials unitRAF Odiham

Roles of this Model in this Organisation:

Roles
tactical support




Construction Numbers of this Model in this Organisation:

C/NBuiltIn this OrganisationIn other Org
    wa122 1963     XR497: dd 28 feb 1963. SAR duty at RAF Valley with 202 Sq by 1977. 22 Sq by Aug 1979 still by Sep 1986, 72 Sq/F by Mar 1998 still Sep 1999, wfu and sold to Uruguay AF.
uruguay air force 076: ex RAF XR497. dd 20 Jun 2002, in service with EA5 by Sep 2002.
    wa130 1963     XR505: First flew 1 Oct 1963, delivered 18 Oct 1963 . SRCU/N by 1964, 18 Sq/BS by 1976, 2FTS/WA and named Aries by Dec 1983 still with 2FTS Sep 1992. wfu and stored at RAF Shawbury.
uruguay naval air service 081: To Uruguay Jan 1998. Delivered 20 Feb 1998.
    wa131 1963     XR506: ff 30 Oct 1963, dd 23 Dec 1963. 18 Sq/H by Jun 1968 still by Feb 1970, 72 Sq/AV by Sep 1974, 72 Sq/V by May 1984 still Feb 1999, to 9343M GI 1 SoTT RAF Cosford, to DARA Shawbury by Mar 2000.
    wa134 1963     XR509: ff 13 Dec 1963, dd 6 Jan 1964 . 18 Sq/N by Apr 1965 still Jun 1968. w/o 16 Oct 1981, to 8752M, scrapped Dec 1992.
    wa135 1963     XR510: ff 19 Dec 1963, dd 6 Jan 1964. HOCF/BZ by Sep 1970, w/o 12 Nov 1970 with HOCF as /BZ, in mid air collision with XT679/BU at RAF Odiham.
    wa139 1964     XR517: ff 22 Jan 1964, dd 3 Feb 1964. /G by Jun 1968. 72 Sq/AN by Sep 1972 still Sep 1978, 72 Sq/N by May 1984 still 1987, to DARA Fleetlands 11 Feb 1997. Sold.
    wa143 1963     XR521: First flew 16 Apr 1964 as HC.2, delivered 30 Apr 1964. Eventually to 2 FTS, wfu and stored at RAF Shawbury.
uruguay naval air service 082: To Uruguay Jan 1998. Delivered 20 Feb 1998.
    wa144 1964     XR522: ff 22 Apr 1964, dd 1 May 1964 . 78 Sq/O by 1965, HOCF/BW by Sep 1970, 84 Sq A Flt/Spades by May 1984, 28Sq/I by 1987, 28Sq/A by Sep 1996. Sold 1997.
    wa148 1964     XR526: ff 24 Aug 1964, dd 23 Sep 1964. w/o 27 May 1970 with 72 Sq, to RAF Odiham as 8147M, RAE Farnborough, G.I. Sherborne, Yeovil.  Sold.
    wa195 1965     XS676: First flew 15 Feb 1965 as HC.2, delivered 24 Mar 1965. Eventually to 2 FTS, wfu and stored at RAF Shawbury.
uruguay naval air service 083: To Uruguay Jan 1998. Delivered 20 Feb 1998.
uruguay naval air service 083: w/o march01 crash at sea during a rescue
    wa198 1965     XS679: First flew 28 Apr 1965 as HC.2, delivered 5 May 1965. Eventually to 2 FTS/WG, wfu and stored at RAF Shawbury.
uruguay naval air service 084: To Uruguay Jan 1998. Delivered 20 Feb 1998.
    wa528 1966     XT601:
    XT601: ff 13 Mar 1966, dd 18 Jun 1966, Wessex SAR Flt. Muharraq by Dec 1967, 72 Sq/AH by Jul 1977 still Sep 1978, to 22 Sq A Flt by Sep 1983, to 22 Sq C Flt by Sep 1996, to 9277M G.I. Odiham (composite with XS498).
    wa530 1966     XT603: First flew 10 Jun 1966 as HC.2, delivered 29 Jun 1966. Eventually to 2 FTS, wfu and stored at RAF Shawbury.
uruguay naval air service 085: To Uruguay Jan 1998. Delivered 20 Feb 1998.
    wa531 1966     XT604: ff 7 Jul 1966, dd 2 Aug 1966 to RAF. Wessex HAR.2  78Sq, Muharraq SAR Flt, 78 Sq, 103 Sq. 22 Sq A Flt by May 1984, SARTU by Jul 1993. Last flew 1995 with 9000+ hours (thanks M Lindsey). To DARA Fleetlands by Jan 1999. Sold Mar 2000.
No Org. defined XT604: To Air & Ground Aviation (Staffordshire). Acquired by M Lindsey 2002 and moved to East Midlands Aeropark by Jun 2003. Still there Oct 2004.
    wa547 1967     XT679: ff 8 Mar 1967, dd 31 Mar 1967. w/o 12 Nov 1970 with HOCF as /BU, mid air collision with XR510 HOCF/BZ at Odiham.
    wa623 1968     XV728: f/f 25 Apr 1968, d/d 10 May 1968 to RAF. To 18 Sq, to CFS, to 2FTS by 1981, to 72 Sq/A by 1983 still 1987 (named Argonaut). Last flight to DARA Fleetlands 20 Feb 1997, clocking up 12,031 flying hours, sold Jun 1998 to Newark Air Museum.
newark air museum XV728: Sold Jun 1998 from DARA Fleetlands to Newark Air Museum and arrived by road 18 Aug 1998 for preservation, still there Jun 2005.





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