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On display at the Aeropark, adjacent to East Midlands Airport
Originally designed in the late 1940’s as the Sikorsky S-55 Chickasaw, the Whirlwind was license built in Britain by Westland.
This example first flew in 1955. Operated by the Royal Navy, in 1957 the helicopter was with HMS Warrior during the Christmas Island Hydrogen Bomb tests, codenamed ‘Operation Grapple’, used as a plane guard & transport.
Later sold to Bristow & registered G-BAMH. Then the aircraft flew in Bermuda under another registration – VH-BEP, returning to the UK as an instructional airframe at Warden Park College.
Arriving at the Aeropark in 1986, where it was painted to represent the RAF Air Sea Rescue version.
