Westland WS-58 Wessex
The Westland Wessex was Britain’s turbine-powered development of the Sikorsky S-58, built for naval anti-submarine warfare, transport, and search-and-rescue. Its large nose housed the turboshaft engine, preserving a roomy cabin behind the cockpit. Wessexes served in crises from Borneo to the Falklands and became a familiar Royal Navy and Royal Air Force aircraft. The type’s nose engine and large rotor give it a distinctly different appearance from later British helicopters.
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Did you know?
The Wessex housed its turboshaft engine in a large nose, unlike later British helicopters, freeing the cabin behind the cockpit for cargo or troops.
Specifications
| Length | 17.1 m (56 ft) |
|---|---|
| Height | 4.1 m (13 ft) |
| Rotor diameter | 17.1 m (56 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 16 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Range | 400 NM (741 km) |
| Maximum speed | 125 kt (232 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 15,000 ft (4,572 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,558 ft/min (7.9 m/s) |
| Engines | 1x Napier Gazelle |
| Units built | 140 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Westland WS-58 Wessex starts as a Legendary catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you. The first catch of a legendary type pays a bonus of its own.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Westland, the WS-58 Wessex family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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