WESTLAND SCOUT RC HELICOPTER - JAKADOFSKY AT THE SOUTHERN HEADCORN SHOW - 2026

Engine type - Bristol Siddeley Nimbus Top speed - 211 km/h Weight - 1,465 kg Cruise speed - 196 km/h First flight - 29 August 1960 Range - 507 km Manufacturer - Westland Helicopters The Scout formed the backbone of the Army Air Corps throughout the 1960s and well into the 1970s; the first Scout flew on 29 August 1960 and an initial order for 66 aircraft followed a month after its first flight. Engine problems delayed the introduction of the Scout until 1963, and as an interim measure the Army Air Corps received a small number of Alouette II helicopters. Although the aircraft's entry into service was delayed, the Scout still had a number of teething troubles when it was introduced. The Scout saw operational service in Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, the Aden Emergency, Oman (Jebel Akhdar War), Rhodesia, Northern Ireland and then in the South Atlantic. At the start of Operation Corporate, six Scouts from 3 CBAS were operating alongside three machines from No. 656 Squadron AAC. When the 5th Infantry Brigade landed, they were joined by another three Scouts from 656 Squadron. During the Falklands conflict, the Scout was engaged in casualty evacuation,