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Westland Lynx versions (Army)


Lynx7

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NB a lot of questions being asked here, and more besides, are answered in Lynx7's 10-page exclusive build article in the May 2012 Airfix Modelworld. I think it's excellent and I don't build 1/48 or helicopters. Well worth the cover price. And then there's 6 pages on RAF Washingtons, with a 6-page build of a 192 Squadron Elint aircraft, and ....

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NB a lot of questions being asked here, and more besides, are answered in Lynx7's 10-page exclusive build article in the May 2012 Airfix Modelworld. I think it's excellent and I don't build 1/48 or helicopters. Well worth the cover price. And then there's 6 pages on RAF Washingtons, with a 6-page build of a 192 Squadron Elint aircraft, and ....

OK, you've sold it to me! Any pics of the B-29 with Red panels? Only ever seen one.

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OK, you've sold it to me! Any pics of the B-29 with Red panels? Only ever seen one.

The model is of the Washington with red panels (WZ966 "55"). One photo, a port-side in-flight view during her farewell flypast over Watton en route to Aldergrove to be scrapped. There's also a photo of the nose of a u/i 192 Sq Washington showing the aerials under the bomber-aimer's window.

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EXCELLENT Stuff, Tony!

Good on you! I'll be sure to reference this info when I do my Royal Marines bird in 72nd.

Cheers,

WARDOG

GPMGs can be fitted to either or both doors. Standard is on the right but there have been occasions in Afghanistan where AH7s had one either side fitted.

Or you could go the whole hog and stick a pair of M3Ms..... :D

7062862123_a9253bdebb_o.jpg

(Actually a Mk9A.....A Mk7 wouldnt get off the ground in theatre with a pair of those fitted)

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  • 1 month later...
Thanks Lynx7! These Lynx guides are great!

I will try to contribute with some pictures. Perhaps you can use them to explain some things.

The few Army/RM Lynx I have seen were in-theatre. This is one of them:

DSCN0901_1000jj.jpg

Had I known then that Airfix would release this variant I would have taken more pictures of it. :)

Jens

Hey Jens,

Where'd you get this phot? That's my Det, we took over the Danish hangar when your chaps went home, were you there then?

Cheers now.

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Is the Wildcat a completely new aircraft, although based on the Lynx? I take it a conversion from the Airfix kit to a Wildcat would be a major undertaking?

Graeme

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Is the Wildcat a completely new aircraft, although based on the Lynx? I take it a conversion from the Airfix kit to a Wildcat would be a major undertaking?

Graeme

Hi Graeme,

To answer your question, the Wildcat is based on Lynx but to do a straight conversion using the Lynx HMA kit will require quite a lot of work. Luckily, the hard bits to replicate (windscreen, rotor head and blades) are the same as Lynx. To give you a flavour of the differences;

1. Nose (squarer so not too hard to replicate). HMA2 Wildcat version radome is of similar dimensions to HMA8 Lynx.

2. Cockpit doors (full length on Wildcat)

3. Foot well window - different shape.

4. Engine deck area (T800 engines so totally different)

5. From about mid way aft of the fuselage and the rear underside - Slab sided (again, reasonably easy to fabricate)

6. Tail boom. Completely different and again, slab sided so straight forward to build.

7. Tail rotor pylon and tail rotor. Totally different. Tail rotor is akin to a smaller Merlin unit.

8. Horizontal stabiliser and vertical end plates.

9. Wheels. All wheels are slightly larger than current HAS/HMA.

10. Sponsons. Reshaped and instead of green floatation 'bags' are now fitted under a composite faired panel (nose flot bags are also flush fitted under panel)

11. Cockpit. Full glass panel. Easy to replicate.

12. Cabin area. Same dimensions and not too different from current. Cargo floor is different.

13. Plus a load of 'sundry' differences such as MX15 EODS on the nose, antennas, intakes, louvres and hatches, WPS (Wire Protection System) and various role kit.

All in all, not an impossible task but no simple conversion. I'm currently drafting and planning a conversion on one of my HMA8 kits so I'll let you know how it goes.

If any one is interested, we (the British Army -AAC) received our very first Wildcat AH1 today at Yeovilton - ZZ406 (second 'proper*' production aircraft) :D I will be making the first flight (first military operational pilot) in it on about 16th June (I'm currently at Agusta Westland finishing my conversion to type).

Scuse the quality of the photos

7289320358_54cd361e07_c.jpg

7289317906_f54bcbaee0_c.jpg

And yep, the Army ones are two tone grey.....hmm.

* 1st production aircraft is technically ZZ398, 2nd ZZ399, 3rd ZZ403 and 4th ZZ404 but these are actually built to pre production standard and will be modified to production standard. ZZ400 (the green one) is T1, ZZ401 is T2 and ZZ402 it T3 - all prototypes. ZZ405 is the first proper production standard aircraft (the one I'm currently flying at Agusta Westland).

As the old adage says...'Never fly the Mk1 of any aircraft!'

(Btw, the Navy are renaming theirs to HMA Mk2. It was going to be HMA mk1 but there are actually quite a few subtle differences that will now require it to be a different mk of aircraft.

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Is there a reason for that? Or is it just a fad?!

Great post by the way....

Keef

Yep. Cost. It was decided that to save money, we would paint all Wildcat (Navy and Army) the same colour. Unfortunately, when the decision was made, the Army didnt bother turning up for the meeting and et voila - 'Tactical two tone grey' was chosen (driven by our Naval friends). Dont worry, it'll make it easy for you to spot us when we are hiding behind trees and cam'd up along a woodline. Seems we've forgotten the basics of tactics in the past 10 years of Ops in the desert....

Remind me how many battlefield helicopters are painted grey???...... There is a reason for there being none! (dont include USMC cos they have a LitM role)

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Yep. Cost. It was decided that to save money, we would paint all Wildcat (Navy and Army) the same colour. Unfortunately, when the decision was made, the Army didnt bother turning up for the meeting and et voila - 'Tactical two tone grey' was chosen (driven by our Naval friends). Dont worry, it'll make it easy for you to spot us when we are hiding behind trees and cam'd up along a woodline. Seems we've forgotten the basics of tactics in the past 10 years of Ops in the desert....

Remind me how many battlefield helicopters are painted grey???...... There is a reason for there being none! (dont include USMC cos they have a LitM role)

Those were exactly the thoughts I had when I posed my somewhat cynical question. If pushed I would have hazarded a guess that cost would have raised its ugly head - but in as much as some numpty in mod had ordered too much paint for the Harrier fleet.... :whistle:

I do so hope the RAF have made it clear that they don't want their new Wokkas delivered looking like big striped whales....!! But then again they haven't exactly worried about tactical camouflage in Afghan have they - unless they reckon all the sand covering the Wokkas is sufficient to hide the big green lumps....!!

Cheers, & good luck with the first flight !!

Keef

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  • 3 months later...

Can any of our Lynx experts help with a query please?

In Iraq 2003, would the Royal Marines Lynx be fitted with standard or armoured seats?

Also, in the book Armed Action by James Newton (well worth a read by the way), he refers to the Lynx carrying TOW one side and GPMG on the other. Am I right in saying the TOW would be on the right so the launch wouldn't blind the sight and the GPMG on the left?

I guess another question is what sensor fit and flares would be carried?

Thanks..

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The Tow and GPMG combo was used in Bosnia, I saw it first with 3 Regt AAC in 1996, from memory the TOW system was on the right and GPMG on the left, I think 4 reloads were carried in the back of the cab for quick reloads.

HTH

Dan

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  • 2 weeks later...

Rob, on ops armoured seats would always be fitted.

As Dan quite rightly states, the GPMG/TOW combo was fitted initially for Bosnia. I can tell you the exact date because I flew the first aircraft fitted in such a config! Prior to Nov 95, we were still under the control of the UN with white Lynx AH7 with only the GPMG fitted to the left side (same side as the aircraft commander for gun control reasons). When NATO took over the operation, we painted the aircraft back to their usual green/grey and stuck a TOW boom on the right hand side (gun still on the left for gun control purposes) and could actively go out on aggressive ops to stop the naughty people shooting at us and the civilians (couldnt do that as UN due to the piddle poor ROE!). Surprised the Serbs quite a bit when we wouldnt run away when they started shooting at us and we would patrol with at least a pair of Lynx and fired back at them! They quickly realised we were fitted with TOW and weren't afraid to use them ;-). they became quite friendly towards us after that......

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  • 2 weeks later...

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