Westland Sea King HC4 ZA314

Constructors Number WA918

846 Sqn (“VF”) 1987
845 Sqn (“F”) 2000
848 Sqn (“WT”) 2007

The Westland WS-61 Sea King is a British licence-built version of the American Sikorsky S-61 helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. The aircraft differs considerably from the American version, with Rolls-Royce Gnome engines (derived from the US General Electric T58), British-made anti-submarine warfare systems and a fully computerised flight control system. The Sea King was primarily designed for performing anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions. A Sea King variant was adapted by Westland as a troop transport and was known as the Commando.

In British service, the Westland Sea King provided a wide range of services in both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. As well as wartime roles in the Falklands War, the Gulf War, the Balkans conflict, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. The Sea King is perhaps most well known in its capacity as a Royal Navy Search and Rescue (red and grey livery) and RAF Search and Rescue Force (yellow livery) helicopter. The Sea King was also adapted to meet the Royal Navy’s requirement for a ship-based airborne early warning platform.

TIMELINE

Built at Westland Helicopters, Yeovil and first flown on 20 Sep 1982

NASU, RNAS Culdrose 21 Oct 1982

Westland Helicopters, Yeovil 1 Mar 1983

A&AEE Boscombe Down 2 Aug 1983

Westland Helicopters, Yeovil 24 Feb 1984

A&AEE Boscombe Down 30 Apr 1986

NASU, RNAS Culdrose by road 6 Aug 1986

846 NAS 8 Apr 1987

707 NAS 30 Aug 1989

AMG RNAS Yeovilton 12 Sep 1990

848 NAS 10 Dec 1990

Refinished in desert paint scheme 16 Dec 1990

To Gulf in MV Atlantic Conveyor 2 21 Dec 1990

Al Jubayl to UK in RFA Argos 2 Apr 1991

To Turkey in RFA Argos 21 Apr 1991 (Op Haven)

To UK in RFA Argos and to 845 NAS 10 Jun 1991

Refinished in white UN paint scheme for ops in Bosnia Nov 1992

AMG RNAS Yeovilton 18 May 1993

845 NAS 8 Nov 1993

To Bosnia 13 Dec 1993

Returned to UK 7 Sep 1994

AMG RNAS Yeovilton 6 Oct 1994

845 NAS 13 Jan 1995

DERA Boscombe Down 5 Jun 1995

845 NAS 6 Jun 1995

NARO Fleetlands 23 Feb 1996

845 NAS (marked IFOR) 1 Mar 1996

To Bosnia 29 Mar 1996

To UK 19 Aug 1996

To Bosnia (marked SFOR) Nov 1996

To UK 9 Jan 1997

NARO Fleetlands by road 26 Mar 1997

845 NAS 8 Jan 1998

Main Gearbox failure, landed at Plymouth Airport and to Yeovilton by road 24 Mar 1998

To Split 25 Jun 1998

To UK 30 Sep 1998

To Split 15 Nov 1998

To UK 4 Jan 2001

DARA Fleetlands 12 Mar 2001

845 NAS 15 Mar 2001

AMG RNAS Yeovilton 3 Aug 2001

845 NAS 8 Jan 2002

DARA Fleetlands 1 Mar 2002

845 NAS 21 Mar 2002

Stbd I Beam found cracked, off loaded HMS ARK ROYAL in Portsmouth 22 May 2003

AMG RNAS Yeovilton by road 24 May 2003 for repair

846 NAS 28 Jul 2003. Air freighted to Basrah.

To UK and Yeovilton by road 16 Dec 2003

AMG RNAS Yeovilton 15 Aug 2004

845 NAS 8 Nov 2004

848 NAS 16 Mar 2005

846 NAS 16 May 2005

848 NAS 20 May 2005

DARA Fleetlands 12 Jul 2005

848 NAS 20 Jan 2006

CHFMU Yeovilton 23 Mar 2006

848 NAS 1 Jun 2006

CHFMU Yeovilton 6 Oct 2006

848 NAS 9 Nov 2006

CHFMU Yeovilton 8 Oct 2007

848 NAS 9 Mar 2009

846 NAS 23 Jun 2010

VAHS Fleetlands 16 Sep 2010

Loaned to ETPS Boscombe Down 2012

Flown to HMS SULTAN and retired from service 11 Dec 2015 – 10184:25 Flying Hours

Sold and transferred to Historic Helicopters on 6 Jan 2020