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Development of the Westland Wasp / Scout family was the first general purpose light helicopter project that was completely British. Initiated by SARO in Nov 1957, the aim was to develop an improved airframe based on its earlier Skeeter helicopter, with a more modern design in general, but specifically for the powerplant. The result was the SARO P.531; two prototypes both powered by a 400shp Turbomeca Turmo 603 derated to 325 shp, had flown by Autumn 1958 from Eastleigh. Several Skeeter components were used in their construction, including the tailboom, short-legged undercarriage and rotor blades (the P.531 having a 4-blade assembly). In 1959, Westland acquired SARO (and Bristol Rotorcraft) and took development an important stage further by completing two more P.531/2 prototypes at Eastleigh with double the power and various other changes including a skid undercarriage. From these few airframes a successful and long-lived line of light helicopters was born.  The P.531 O/N version was also known by SARO as the H.AS/194D during its shipboard trials.
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| C/N | Version | Built | History | s2/5267  | | 1958 |  G-APNU : P.531 O/N built at Eastleigh, ff 20 Jul 1958. 1st prototype, with 400shp Turbomeca Turmo 603 derated to 325 shp. To UK Royal Navy for trials.
XN333 : d/d 20 Oct 1959 as 2nd trials airframe, w/o 19 Jul 1961, to G.I. Airframe A2519.
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| s2/5268 | | 1958 | G-APNV : P.531-1 built at Eastleigh, ff 30 Sep 1958. 2nd prototype, also with 400shp Turbomeca Turmo 603 derated to 325 shp. To UK Royal Navy for trials.
XN332 : dd into RN service 2 Oct 1959 as 1st trials airframe. /759 to A2579, (wfu 1964 ?). Stored RNAS Yeovilton by Aug 1978. Arrived FAA Museum (Yeovilton) 16 Nov 1998, to the Cobham Hall site by Sep 2002.
XN332 : Spent it service life with 700 Sq and 771 Sq between 1959 and 1963. It moved to RNEC Manadon (HMS Thunderer) as a ground instruction (GI) airframe, until it was sent to RNAS Yeovilton in 1971.
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| s2/5270 | | 1958 | XN334 : P.531 O/N built at Eastleigh, to UK Royal Navy for trials.
XN334 : Delivered into RN service 6 Oct 1959 as 3rd trials airframe. To Lee-on-Solent as G.I. Airframe A2525. Stored at RNAS Yeovilton by Aug 1978. (Short spell at The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare around 1983 ?) Arrived FAA Museum (Yeovilton) 22 Nov 1999. To its Cobham Hall storage site by Sep 2002.
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| s2/5311 | | 1959 | G-APVL : P.531-2 as second tranche of prototype, with 1050shp Bristol Siddeley Nimbus engine derated to 635shp. ff 9 Aug 1959. To UK Army Air Corps for trials.
XP166 : Reworked from P.531-2 to pre-production version of Scout AH.1 as XP166 during 1960. For further information, see under Westland Scout.
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| s2/5312 | | 1959 | G-APVM : P.531-2 built at Eastleigh as second tranche of prototype, with de Havilland Gnome H.1000 turbine derated to 685shp. ff 3 May 1960. Converted to pre-production Scout AH.1 at Hayes in 1960.
XR493 : Reworked from P.531-2 to pre-production version Scout AH.1 at Hayes during 1960. For further information, see under Westland Scout.
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| s2/8444 | | 1961 | XR436 : P.531-2 built at Hayes, for evaluation by Indian Government. ff Feb 1962. Indian interest waned and airframe diverted for modifications to pre-production Scout AH.1 at Hayes in 1962.
XR436 : Reworked from P.531-2 to pre-production version Scout AH.1 at Hayes during 1962. For further information, see under Westland Scout.
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6 C/N found.
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