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WESTLAND
LYNX WORLD SPEED RECORD HELICOPTER & RESEARCH TESTBED FACTS HISTORY SPECIFICATIONS
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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia
The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose
twin-engined military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at
its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil
and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield
and naval variants. The Lynx went into operational usage in 1977 and was later
adopted by the armed forces of over a dozen nations, primarily serving in the
battlefield utility, anti-armour, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare
roles.
The Lynx is a fully aerobatic helicopter with the
ability to perform loops and rolls.[2] In 1986, a specially modified Lynx set
the current F¨¦d¨¦ration A¨¦ronautique Internationale's official airspeed record
for helicopters (category excludes compound helicopters) at 400.87 km/h (249.09
mph),[3][4] which remains unbroken as of 2019.
Several land and naval variants of the Lynx have
been produced along with some major derivatives. The Westland 30 was produced
as a civil utility helicopter; it was not a commercial success and only a small
number were built during the 1980s. In the 21st century, a modernised variant
of the Lynx was designed as a multi-role combat helicopter, designated as the
AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat; the Wildcat is intended to replace existing Lynx
helicopters. The Lynx remains in production by AgustaWestland, the successor to
Westland Helicopters.
The initial design, then known as the Westland
WG.13, was started in the mid-1960s as a replacement for the Westland Scout and
Wasp, and a more advanced alternative to the UH-1 Iroquois. The design was to
be powered by a pair of Bristol Siddeley BS.360 turboshaft engines.[6] As part
of the Anglo-French helicopter agreement signed in February 1967, French
company Sud Aviation (later A¨¦rospatiale) had a 30 per cent share of production
work, Westland performing the remainder.[7][8] It was intended that France
would procure the Lynx for its Navy and a heavily modified armed reconnaissance
variant for the French Army,[9] with the United Kingdom in return buying
A¨¦rospatiale Gazelle and Puma for its armed forces. In October 1969, the French
Army cancelled its requirement for the Lynx,[7] so development of the armed
variant was terminated at an early stage.
The first Lynx prototype took its maiden flight on
21 March 1971.[8][10] In 1972, a Lynx broke the world speed record over 15 and
25 km by flying at 321.74 km/h (199.9 mph) and set a new 100 km closed circuit
record shortly afterwards, flying at 318.504 km/h (197.9 mph)[11]; both of
these records were set by L. Roy Moxam OBE, Westland's Deputy Chief Test Pilot
(later Chief Test Pilot). In 1986, the former company demonstrator Lynx,
registered G-LYNX, was specially modified with Gem 60 engines and British
Experimental Rotor Programme (BERP) rotor blades.[12] On 11 August 1986 the
helicopter was piloted by Trevor Egginton when it set an absolute speed record
for helicopters over a 15 and 25 km course by reaching 400.87 kilometres per
hour (216.45 kn; 249.09 mph);[3][13] an official record with the FAI it still
holds.[3][14] At this speed, its lift-to-drag ratio was 2,[15] and its BERP
blade tips reached a speed of Mach 0.97.
The British Army ordered over 100 Lynx helicopters
under the designation of Lynx AH.1 (Army Helicopter Mark 1) to perform several
roles, such as transport, armed escort, anti-tank warfare (with eight TOW
missiles), reconnaissance and evacuation missions.[17] Deliveries of production
helicopters began in 1977. An improved Lynx AH.1 with Gem 41-1 or Gem 42
engines and an uprated transmission was referred to as the Lynx AH.5; only five
were built for evaluation. The AH.5 led to the Lynx AH.7, which added a new
tail rotor derived from the Westland 30, a reinforced airframe, improved
avionics and defensive aids.
The initial naval variant of the Lynx, known as
the Lynx HAS.2 in British service, or Lynx Mk.2(FN) in French service, differed
from the Lynx AH.1 in being equipped with a tricycle undercarriage and a deck
restraint system, folding main rotor blades, an emergency flotation system and
a nose-mounted radar. An improved Lynx for the Royal Navy, the Lynx HAS.3, had
Gem 42-1 Mark 204 engines, an uprated transmission, a new flotation system and
an Orange Crop ESM system. The Lynx HAS.3 also received various other updates in
service. A similar upgrade to the French Lynx was known as the Lynx Mk.4(FN).
The Lynx is a multi-purpose twin-engine
battlefield helicopter, of which specialised versions have been developed for
both sea and land-based warfare. A distinguishing feature between early and
later aircraft is the undercarriage: early Army versions of the Lynx were
equipped with skids, while the Naval and later models have been outfitted with
wheels, a requirement for easy ground handling on the deck of a warship. Early
versions of the Lynx were powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Gem turboshaft
engines and had a four-blade rotor, mounted on a rigid titanium monobloc rotor
head[28] of the kind pioneered by the MBB BO105 a few years earlier. The
innovative blade design comprised a honeycomb sandwich structure made out of
composite material.[17][29] For shipboard stowage, both the rotor blades and
tail can be folded. Lag dampers were incorporated but these are not required in
flight (owing to the rigidity of the monobloc rotor head).[28] In flight, the
main rotor is kept at a constant speed, simplifying aircraft control;[30] the
rotor also features a vibration absorption system.
The Lynx is an agile helicopter, capable of
performing loops and rolls, and of attaining high speeds. The agility of the
type led to its use as an aerial display aircraft, having been operated by the
Blue Eagles and Black Cats helicopter display teams.[32][33] The efficiency of
the main rotor, as well as the overall top speed of the Lynx, was substantially
improved with the adoption of BERP rotor blade technology.[24][34][N 1] During
the 1990s, the hot-and-high performance of the type was considerably boosted in
the later Super Lynx 200 series, at which point the type's Gem engines were
replaced with the newer LHTEC T800 turboshaft engine with associated FADEC
system;[36] the Lynx can also maintain a good level of performance under
moderate icing conditions.[31] The FADEC controls eliminated the requirement
for a throttle or manual speed selection switches, further simplifying flight
control. Later aircraft feature automatic stabilisation equipment; functions
such as auto-hover are installed on some Lynx.
Various avionics and on-board systems are
integrated on the Lynx in order to perform differing mission profiles. Several
operators have equipped their Lynx with BAE Systems' Seaspray surveillance
radar to provide for a surface search capability, which is used in maritime
patrol, search and rescue, and other mission profiles.[38] British Army models
are equipped with a Marconi Elliot automatic flight control system capable of
performing automatic three axes stabilisation.[17] The integration of both
avionics and weapons systems is customised for each Lynx batch to customer
specifications and requirements.[39] Most of the installed sensors and avionics
are typically integrated with the aircraft's avionics management system (AMS),
from where they can be managed by either pilot;[36] sensors such the optional
nose-mounted FLIR can be set up to directly cue the weapon systems. Functions
such as navigation and communications are also tied into the AMS, with
information from these systems displayed to the pilots on interchangeable
integrated display units in the cockpit.[24][40] The Lynx is considerably
easier to service and maintain than the AgustaWestland Apache.
The Lynx features a two-man cockpit for a pilot
and observer sitting side-by-side; the British Army typically operates their
fleet with a three-man crew, a door gunner being the third member. The cabin,
located behind the cockpit, is accessed through a pair of large sliding doors
on each side of the fuselage; it can accommodate up to ten equipped troops,
depending upon seating configuration.[26] An alternative configuration houses
radio equipment in the cabin area when the aircraft is being used in the
airborne command post role; the cabin can also be used to house additional fuel
tanks for conducting long distance missions and ferry trips.[citation needed]
The Lynx can perform a wide variety of mission types, including anti-submarine
and anti-surface warfare, vessel replenishment, search and rescue, airborne
reconnaissance, armed attack, casualty evacuation and troop transport;
according to AgustaWestland, a Lynx can be converted from one mission-type to
another within the space of 40 minutes.
Typical combat equipment includes stabilised
roof-mounted sensors, onboard countermeasures and door guns; when being used in
the anti-tank role, the Lynx is typically armed with BGM-71 TOW missiles;
missiles such as the Sea Skua have been used in the maritime anti-surface
role.[26] Additional armaments that have been interchangeably used include
rockets, 20 mm cannons, torpedoes, and depth charges.[43] Those Lynx built for
export have been typically outfitted with armaments and equipment customised
for the end-user, such as the Mokopa air-to-surface missile used on Algeria's
Lynx fleet, eight of which can be carried;[44] studies into equipping the
AGM-114 Hellfire have been performed, and air-to-air missiles could also
reportedly be adopted if the capability is sought by operators.[45] Equipped
armaments can be managed and controlled inflight through the onboard stores
management system.[40] In order to counteract battlefield threats such as
infrared-guided missiles, various defensive aid subsystems can be optionally
installed, including warning receivers and countermeasures.
Many of the Lynx's components had been derived
from earlier Westland helicopters such as the Scout and Wasp. The Lynx has been
substantially upgraded since entering service in the 1970s; improvements made
to in-service aircraft have typically included strengthened airframes, new
avionics and engines, improved rotor blades, and additional surveillance and
communications systems.[24][43] Various subsystems from overseas suppliers have
been incorporated into some Lynx variants; during a South Korean procurement,
hulls produced in the United Kingdom were equipped with Korean-built systems,
such as ISTAR, electro-optical, electronic warfare, fire-control systems, flight
control actuators,[48] and undercarriages.[49] A glass cockpit was adopted on
the Super Lynx 300, featuring fully integrated flight and mission display
systems, a variety of integrated display units including head-up displays, and
dual controls; AgustaWestland has commented that the new cockpit reduces
aircrew workload and increases aircraft effectiveness. The head-up display
installed could be replaced by a helmet-mounted sight system on customer
demand.
The Lynx AH.1 entered service with the British
Army¡äs Army Air Corps (AAC) in 1979, followed by the Lynx HAS.2 with the Fleet
Air Arm (FAA) in 1981. The FAA fleet was upgraded to Lynx HAS.3 standard during
the 1980s, and again to HMA.8 standard in the 1990s. Most Army aircraft were
upgraded to Lynx AH.7 and the later AH.9/AH.9A standards as utility
helicopters; they have also served with 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron (3
CBAS) of the Royal Marines and later, the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) of
the FAA, operating as reconnaissance and attack/utility helicopters to support
the Royal Marines. During the Cold War, it was envisioned that Army Lynxes
would be paired with Westland Gazelle helicopters to counter Soviet armoured
vehicles.[50] Lynx HAS.3 and HMA.8 variants operate as anti-submarine warfare
and maritime attack helicopters armed with Sting Ray torpedoes, Sea Skua
anti-ship missiles and depth charges, from Royal Navy warships. Navy Lynx have
been critical to maritime patrol operations, including non-military operations
such as counter-narcotics missions.
The Lynx HAS.2 ASW variant participated in combat
operations during the Falklands War in 1982. A combination of Lynx and Westland
Sea King helicopters were used to maintain continuous anti-submarine patrols in
order to protect the British task force offshore from the Falkland Islands. On
3 May, a Lynx conducted the first combat-firing of a Sea Skua missile, firing
on the Argentinian patrol boat Alferez Sobral, inflicting considerable damage
to the vessel. This was the first use of sea-skimming missiles in the
conflict.[53] Although none were shot down in combat, a total of three were
lost aboard vessels that were struck by attacks from Argentine aircraft, these
vessels being HMS Coventry, HMS Ardent and SS Atlantic Conveyor.
On 14 May 1989, in the type's second fatal
accident, Lynx HAS3GM XZ244, attached to HMS Brilliant, crashed near Mombasa,
Kenya, while en route to the city's airport for a period of shore leave. A door
had detached when opened inflight and collided with the tail rotor, resulting
in the aircraft splitting in half and the death of all nine personnel on board.
As a result, door modifications and inflight opening restrictions were
introduced. As of 2004, it remained the deadliest Lynx crash.
The Navy's Lynx helicopters were among Britain's
contribution to the coalition against Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the 1991
Gulf War. During the Battle of Bubiyan, the biggest naval engagement of the
conflict, the Lynx and its Sea Skua missiles proved to be decisive, being
responsible for the majority of individual engagements with various Iraqi Navy
vessels.[56] By 2 February 1991, 25 Sea Skuas had been launched, out of these,
18 were confirmed as having hit their targets, and had succeeding in heavily
damaging a significant portion of Iraq's navy.[57][58] Navy Lynxes were
routinely used to deploy troops to oil platforms and into occupied Kuwait, as
well as to perform aerial reconnaissance across the Gulf.
The British Army also deployed 24 TOW-armed Lynxes
alongside an equal number of Westland Gazelle helicopters during the Gulf War.
They were assigned the mission of locating and attacking Iraqi tank
concentrations, and to support the advance of coalition ground forces into
Kuwait and Southern Iraq during the 100 hours war phase of the conflict. On 26
February 1991, a Lynx of 654 Squadron AAC destroyed two MTLB armoured personnel
carriers (APCs) and four T-55 tanks using TOW missiles: the engagement was the
first recorded use of the missile from a British helicopter.
On 19 March 1994, during The Troubles in Northern
Ireland, the IRA brought down Lynx AH.7 ZD275 of the AAC with an improvised
mortar, striking it while attempting to land at Crossmaglen Army base. The
pilot managed to crash land and the aircraft was destroyed, but all crew on
board survived. Author Toby Harnden described the incident as the IRA's most
successful operation against a helicopter.
Various British Lynxes were used during the NATO
intervention in the conflict between Serbia and Kosovo, later known as the
Kosovo War. They were frequently employed to supply NATO forces inside the
theatre, including those engaged in humanitarian operations.[63] In June 1999, the
type was employed to escort British ground forces being air-deployed into
Kosovo via Chinooks, during NATO's first phase of deployment.[64] For a number
of years, British Army Lynx and Gazelle helicopters were deployed within
Kosovo, performing reconnaissance and transport duties in support of NATO
peacekeeping forces.
In September 2000, Army Lynxes were used in Sierra
Leone to rescue several British soldiers during Operation Barras. In 2002, a
Lynx attached to HMS Richmond crashed 200 miles off the coast of Virginia.
In March 2003, the Lynx formed the bulk of the
deployed British rotary aviation battle group in the invasion of Iraq.
Participating aircraft were quickly outfitted with engine sand filters, armour,
heat dissipaters, modern secure radios and radar warning receivers.[67] In the
subsequent multi-national occupation force, a flight of either AAC or CHF Lynx
AH.7s were based at Basra International Airport under command of the Joint
Helicopter Force (Iraq) on a rotational basis.[68][69] In theatre, they would
escort infantry patrols, perform aerial reconnaissance, provide fire support
and act as airborne communications hubs. Problems in operating in the high
temperature environment were encountered, with the helicopters often operating
with no power reserve and thus without the ability to overshoot during
landings; these problems were belatedly overcome by the introduction of the
Lynx AH.9A.[70]
On 6 May 2006, Lynx AH.7 XZ6140 of the CHF, was
shot down by a man-portable surface-to-air missile over Basra, southern Iraq;
the first British helicopter and only the second British aircraft downed (the
first was an RAF Hercules) by enemy fire in the war. Among the five killed were
847 Naval Air Squadron's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Darren
Chapman; Wing Commander Coxen, who had been due to take command of the region's
British helicopter forces, and Flight Lieutenant Sarah-Jayne Mulvihill; Coxen
was the most senior British officer to die in the conflict and Mulvihill was
the first British servicewoman to die in action in 22 years. At the crash
scene, British troops reportedly encountered rioting Iraqi civilians and were
fired on by militia, while civilians were killed in the ensuing clashes. The
crash led to a review of the vulnerability of helicopter transports in southern
Iraq.
In 2006, the first Lynx AH.7 was deployed to
Helmand Province, Afghanistan; this variant would only be subsequently used
during winter months due to the performance limitations imposed during the high
summer temperatures.[75] The Lynx AH.9A later deployed was praised as having
been a substantial performance improvement.[76] On 26 April 2014, Lynx AH.9A ZF540
of the Army Air Corps crashed near Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan, killing
the three crew and two passengers on board. This was the first fatal accident
in the conflict involving a British military helicopter and the third largest
loss of life of British troops in a single incident in Afghanistan since 2001.
The Royal Navy retired its Lynx helicopters from
active service on 23 March 2017 with its official decommissioning. On 17 March,
a final flypast was conducted by four Royal Navy Westland Lynx HMA8 helicopters
from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset. The Army Air
Corps will retire the Lynx in 2018, with the disbandment of 657 Squadron AAC.
Germany
The first German Navy Lynx, a Sea Lynx Mk88 model,
was manufactured in 1981. A total of 19 were built.[81][82] In 1996, the German
Navy elected to purchase seven additional Super Lynx Mk88As; in 1998, the
decision was taken to upgrade the existing Mk88 fleet, by then numbering a
total of 17, to the improved Mk88A standard.[83] In the anti-surface role,
Germany's Lynx fleet were supplemented by several Westland Sea Kings, which
were upgraded with Sea Skua missiles in the 1990s.[84] In 2009, Germany was
studying a limited upgrade programme for their Super Lynx fleet which
reportedly included the replacement of the current anti-ship missile.[85] In
2013, the German defence ministry signed a contract with Selex ES to integrate
new electro-optical/infrared sensors onto the Super Lynx.
Since 2012, German Lynx have been deployed
routinely off the coast of Somalia to discourage and intervene against acts of
piracy as a part of the multinational Operation Atalanta.[86] In September
2014, 15 of the navy's 22-strong Sea Lynx Mk88A fleet were temporarily grounded
following the discovery of fuselage cracks on some aircraft. The German Defense
Ministry estimated that the Sea Lynx fleet will return to full strength in
early 2015.[87] In the long term, the German Navy is to retire the Super Lynx
in favour of a not yet decided successor.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) of South Korea
took delivery of the first batch of 12 Mk.99 Lynx helicopters in 1990; a second
batch of 13 Mk.99A Super Lynx helicopters began delivery in 1999.[88] The first
Lynx batch was later upgraded to the same standard as the second batch; the
changes included the adoption of a new radar, FLIR, and ESM systems.[89][90] In
2013, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration announced its
selection of the AW159 Wildcat; deliveries of eight aircraft are planned for
2015¨C16; these will be used for search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare and
surveillance missions.
In May 2009, a ROKN Lynx successfully protected a
North Korean freighter from being pursued by pirates off the coast of
Somalia.[92] In 2010, South Korea's Lynx fleet was temporarily grounded for
emergency inspections following the crashes of two aircraft within the same
week.[88] Shortly afterwards it was discovered that the ROKN's helicopters had
been victim of a maintenance scam, involving falsified documentation and faked
replacement of components; by 2011, 12 employees of two South Korean private
companies had been jailed, two ROKN officers were indicted, and several other
officers were to be remanded as a result.
Others
In 1979, the Lynx Mk.2(FN) entered service with
the French Naval Aviation of the French Navy, a total of 26 aircraft would be
procured.[94] Upon entering service, the French Lynx was more capable of performing
independent anti-submarine operations than its Royal Navy counterpart, a single
aircraft being capable of simultaneously being equipped for detection and
weapon delivery roles.[95] In February 2011, a French Lynx landed on the flight
deck of a FREMM multipurpose frigate for the first time as a part of qualifying
trials.[96] In addition to France's own Lynx fleet, French Navy vessels have
also hosted British Lynx helicopters, such as during an extended counter-piracy
deployment on board the La Fayette-class frigate Surcouf during 2012.
The Royal Netherlands Navy's (RNN) Naval Aviation
Service operated fleet of 24 Lynx for a total of 36 years, entering service in
1976 and phased out in 2012 after being extensively used. These performed
search and rescue, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare and special
forces support tasks while operating from the flight decks of most RNN vessels
during this period. In 1993, the RNN fleet were upgraded to a common Lynx
SH-14D standard.[98] In 1999, a design defect in the rotor-head used on some
Lynx aircraft was responsible for the loss of a Dutch aircraft in 1999; this
led to a number of Lynx worldwide to be temporarily grounded until retrofitted
with new titanium rotor-heads.[99] On 28 February 2011, a Dutch Lynx and three
navy personnel were captured by Libyan forces while performing an evacuation
mission inside the country.[100] On 19 September 2012, the RNN performed its
final operational Lynx flight.
The Portuguese Naval Aviation of the Portuguese Navy
exclusively operates the Super Lynx Mk.95.[101] In 1990, Portugal signed a
contract for a total of five Super Lynx, two of them being refurbished ex-Royal
Navy aircraft.[102] A total of two Lynx can be operated from the flight deck of
a single Vasco da Gama-class frigate; they typically accompany the vessels,
including during long distance deployments for anti-piracy operations off the
Horn of Africa.
In 1978, the Brazilian Navy became the first
foreign operator of the Lynx helicopter, having taken delivery of its first of
a batch of five that year. During the 1990s, the fleet was more than doubled by
the acquisition of a further batch of nine.[104] During overseas deployments
for multinational training exercises and United Nations operations, the Lynx
has been described as "eyes and the ears of the fleet".[105] In 2009,
Brazil deployed several Lynx in an effort to locate the missing Air France
Flight 447.[106] In 2014, a mid-life upgrade process was agreed for Brazil's
Lynx fleet, they shall receive LHTEC CTS800-4N engines, new avionics, satellite
navigation systems, countermeasures, and night vision-compatible cockpit
displays.
The Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) received its
six Lynx Mk 86 in 1981. 337 Squadron was reactivated at Bardufoss and declared
operational with Lynx in 1983. RNoAF operates the aircraft with the Norwegian
Coast Guard's Nordkapp-class offshore patrol vessels. In 2010, one Lynx reached
the end of its operational life and was withdrawn from service; a second
aircraft suffered a non-fatal crash in 1988 and was totally rebuilt by
Westland.[107] The Lynx was to have been progressively replaced by the NH90
from 2005 onwards; however, deliveries of the new type suffered multiple
delays, leading to Norway considering life extension measures on some of their
Lynx fleet.
The Royal Danish Navy (RDN) took delivery of eight
Lynx Mk 80 between 1980 and 1981. A further two Mk 90 were delivered in 1987
and 1988 as attrition replacements. Operated by the Danish Naval Air Squadron,
the RDN fleet is typically stationed upon naval inspection vessels and used to
patrol Greenland and Faroe Islands as well as the Danish mainland. Beginning in
2000, the whole Lynx fleet was upgraded to Mk 90B standard.[109] On 7 November
2006, a Danish Lynx had the distinction of performing the first helicopter
landing on board a Visby-class corvette of the Swedish Navy.[110] In January
2011, control of the Lynx fleet was transferred from the Danish Navy to the
Royal Danish Air Force.
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