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The Westland WG13 Lynx is a military two-engine, multi-purpose, ASW and
transport helicopter designed by the British manufacturer Westland
Helicopters, in cooperation with Aérospatiale in France. In fact, the
origins of the Lynx go back to early 1957, when Bristol Helicopter began
developing their Type 203, a single engined, eleven-seat Sycamore and
Whirlwind replacement. The basic design was scaled up in 1959 to the
twin-engined Type 214. The following year Bristol Helicopter Division
merged with Fairey's and Saunders-Roe under the Westland banner and in
1963 the research and development that had gone in the Type 203 and Type
214 resulted in the WG.3. The Westland Helicopters' development programm
initially consisted of four planned projects that included a civillian
helicopter as a replacement for the Whirlwind and Wessex helicopters; an
army helicopter; a navy helicopter and a two-seat attack helicopter. The
Westland WG.3 aimed at replacing the Whirlwind, Sycamore, Scout and
Wasp. Further development of the helicopter resulted via the WG.3C in
the WG.13D as a replacement for the Aérospatiale Alouette II; Westland
Scout and Westland Wasp helicopters in service by the British Navy and
Army Air Corps. The two-seat attack helicopter was ultimately not
developed and the civillian helicopter project resulted in the
development of the Westland WG.30 Super Lynx, later known as Westland
30. The original Westland WG.13D evolved to the WG.13 pre-producion
design. The WG.13 Lynx used many components derived from the Scout and
Wasp. Among the new features was the design of the rotor head, blades
and gearbox. The rotor itself was new, being a semi-rigid titanium rotor
head with honeycomb sandwich blades. The first of 13 development Lynxes, prototype
00-01 "XW835", flew first at Yeovil on 21 March 1971. The XW835 was
powered by two Rolls-Royce BS.360 turboshaft engines, specifically
developed for the Westland Lynx helicopter and known as the Rolls-Royce
Gem. The first production example, Lynx HAS Mk.2 c/n 001 "XZ227" the ASW
version for the Royal Navy, flew on 10 February 1976. The Westland Lynx
AH Mk.1, the British Army Air Corps utility version, flew first on 11
February 1977. From the first Westland WG.13 Lynx protototype, a wide
range of Lynx variants were developed. The latest development is the
AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat that flew first on 12 November 2009. |
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Over the years, the Royal Netherlands Navy - Koninklijke
Marine ordered a total of twenty-four Westland Lynx helicopters: six Mk.25;
ten Mk.27 and eight Mk.81s.
Lynx Mk.25 - designated UH-14A in MLD service - version
for the Royal Netherlands Navy of the Lynx HAS.2 with Roll-Royce Gem 2
turboshafts;
Lynx Mk.27 - designated SH-14B in MLD service - version with
Rolls-Royce Gem 4 turboshafts. Equipped as anti-submarine helicopter with an with Alcatal DUAV-4A sonar;
Lynx Mk.81 - designated SH-14C in MLD service -
version with Rolls-Royce Gem 42-1; no sonar but fitted with towed
MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection System);
Lynx Mk.88 - designated SH-14D in MLD service - from
1993, the Lynx UH-14A;SH-14B and SH-14C helicopters were upgraded under the STAMOL programme to the Lynx SH-14D
with Rolls -Royce Gem FR4R engines, FLIR 22 and provision for DUAV-4 active/passive
directive sonar for submarine surveillance and location.
On 30 June 2000, the Netherlands ordered twenty NH90 NFH's to replace the
Lynx helicopters in service with the Marine Luchtvaartdienst. Changed
needs led to a revised requirement and the order was changed to twelve
fully-equipped
NH90 NFHs and eight NH90 TNFHs (Transport NATO Frigate
Helicopter). The Lynx SH-14D helicopters are phased out in September 2012. |
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The MLD (Marine Luchtvaart Dienst) was the air arm of the Koninklijke
Marine or Royal Netherlands Navy. In the period 1976-1978, six Westland
Lynx UH-14A entered service with the MLD 7 squadron. The Lynx UH-14A
helicopters were used for SAR training and utility tasks and replaced
the Agusta Bell AB.204B / UH-34J helicopters in MLD service after joint training with Royal Navy's 700L
squadron in the winter of 1976-77. In 1978 and 1979, ten Westland Lynx SH-14B
helicopters entered service with the MLD 860 squadron. The Lynx SH-14Bs were used as anti-submarine
and transport helicopter and replaced the Westland Wasp HAS.1 / AH-12H helicopters in MLD service.
In 1979, eight Westland Lynx SH-14C helicopters entered service with the MLD 860 squadron.
These Lynx SH-14Cs were equiped as anti-submarine helicopters with a towed MAD (Magnetic Anomaly Detection System)
sonar and were as the Lynx SH-14B operated as board helicopter on frigates and
destroyers of the Royal Netherlands Navy. From 1993, the Lynx
UH-14A;SH-14B and SH-14C in MLD service were upgraded to the Westland Lynx SH-14D.
Westland UH-14A Lynx s/n WA007 was testflown as
G-17-?? and entered service with the Marine Luchtvaart Dienst as Westland Lynx UH-14A '261'
on 16 December 1976. In 1995, the helicopter was upgraded to a Westland Lynx SH-14D and returned in service in February
1995. After the Lynx SH-14D 261 had made it's last flight at De Kooy Naval Air Base, the helicopter was stored at De Kooy
NAS. On 6 February 2014, the helicopter left De Kooy on it's way to Gilze-Rijen AFB where the '261' at least until 2015 was
used for maintenance training together with Lynx '262'and '272'. The final destination of Westland WG-13 Lynx SH-14D '261' is
the Royal Military Museum in Brussel.
On 22 July 1977, Westland Lynx UH-14A '261 VL' of the MLD was seen at Groningen
Airport Eelde in the Netherlands. |
