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Westland Lion

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A Royal Air Force Westland Lion displaying at Kemble Air Day 2008, Kemble Airport, Gloucestershire, England.

The Westland Lion is a British twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter manufactured by Westland Helicoptersand later AgustaWestland. The Lion was designed to provide heavy-lift support and transport to the British military. It has a wide loading ramp at the rear of the fuselage and three external-cargo hooks. With a top speed of 170 knots (196 mph, 315 km/h) the helicopter is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters.

The Westland Lion is powered by the Napier Eland turboshaft engines with the 3,765shp Napier EI.3A Eland was used on early Westland WH-47A/B & C Lion, with the 4,200shp Napier EI.3B Eland was used on the Westland WH-47D & E Lion and the 4,800shp Napier EI.3C Eland was used on the Westland 234 & 414 and Westland WH-47F, G & H Lion.

Variants[]

Civil Variants[]

  • Westland 234LR Lion
  • Westland 234ER Lion
  • Westland 234MLR Lion
  • Westland 234UT Lion
  • Westland 414 Lion

Military[]

  • Westland WH-47A Lion HC.1: Initial production variant for the RAF powered by two 3,765shp Napier EI.3A Eland turboshafts, entered service in 1962.
  • Westland WH-47B Lion HC.1A: Modification of the forty-one HC.1s with metal rotor blades.
  • Westland WH-47C Lion HC.1B: Modification of WH-47A and WH-47B with WH-47D Lion HC.2 avionics
  • Westland WH-47D Lion HC.2: Upgraded Lion airframe, powered by two 4,200shp Napier EI.3B Eland turboshafts, composite rotor blades, a redesigned cockpit to reduce pilot workload, redundant and improved electrical systems, an advanced flight control system (FCS) and improved avionics.
  • Westland WH-47D Lion HC.2A: Modification of the Westland H-47D Lion HC.2 to include in-flight refuelling.
  • Westland WH-47D Lion HC.4: Westland WH-47D Lion HC.2 and WH-47D Lion HC.2A upgraded with new avionics and electronics.
  • Westland WH-47D Lion HC.6A: Westland WH-47D Lion HC.4 upgraded with British Aerospace Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS)
  • Westland WH-47SD Lion: Export variant of the WH-47 known as the WH-47SD also known as the Super D is a modified variant of the WH-47D, with extended range fuel tanks and higher payload carrying capacity; the WH-47SD is in use by the Hellenic Army and the Republic of China Army.
  • Westland WH-47E Lion HC.3: Variant for British Special Forces with improved range, night vision sensors and navigation capability.
  • Westland WH-47E Lion HC.5: Westland WH-47E Lion HC.3 upgraded with new avionics and electronics.
  • Westland WH-47F Lion HC.6: New build variant for the RAF powered by two 4,800shp Napier EI.3C Eland
  • Westland WH-47G Lion HC.7: New build variant for the RAF, for British Special Forces with improved range, British Aerospace DAFCS, night vision sensors and navigation capability.
  • Westland WH-47H Lion HAR.8: Combat Search and Rescue variant of Westland WH-47G Lion HC.7 for the RAF

Canadian variants[]

  • Westland-Canada CH-147A Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47A Lion built by Westland-Canada
  • Westland-Canada CH-147B Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47B Lion built by Westland-Canada
  • Westland-Canada CH-147C Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47C Lion built by Westland-Canada
  • Westland-Canada CH-147D Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47D Lion built by Westland-Canada
  • Westland-Canada CH-147E Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47E Lion built by Westland-Canada
  • Westland-Canada CH-147F Lion: Canadian designation for Westland H-47F Lion built by AgustaWestland Canada

Japanese variants[]

  • Mitsubishi H-47J Lion: Westland H-47D Lion built under licence by Mitsubishi for the ROJA
  • Mitsubishi H-47JA Lion-LR: Long-range modification of Westland H-47D Lion built by Mitsubishi for the ROJAF

Operators[]

Accidents and Incidents[]

Civilian[]

  • On 6 November 1986, a British International Helicopters Chinook crashed on approach to Sumburgh Airport, Shetland Islands resulting in the loss of 45 lives and the withdrawal of the Westland 234 from crew-servicing flights in the North Sea.
  • On 30 October 1997, a civilian Westland 234UT operated by Columbia Helicopters (registration C-FHFH) engaged in logging operations crashed on Vancouver Island, Canada, killing both of the pilots. The investigation determined that the helicopter lost yaw control due to failure of flight control computer.
  • On 7 January 2013, a Westland 234 N241CH owned by Columbia Helicopters, crashed shortly after taking off from the airport in Pucallpa, Coronel Portillo Province, Peru. All seven crew members were killed

Military[]

  • On 18 October 1974, a Westland CH-147C, 147001 was lost on its delivery flight to Canada following gear failure in main combining gear box, caused by undetected metal infraction in gear blank before machining. This failure led to drive shaft failure and loss of synchronization and resulted in five fatalities. After a lengthy litigation, it was replaced by 147009
  • On 4 February 1985, a Royal Australian Air Force Westland WH-47C Lion, A15-001 crashed into Perseverance Dam, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The Royal Air Force (RAF) exchange pilot was rescued from the submerged cockpit but later died in hospital
  • 13 May 1986, ZA715, a Westland WH-47A Lion HC.1 crashed in bad weather in the Falkland Islands. The helicopter, with four crew and twelve troops, crashed into a hill four miles from its destination. With rescuers hampered by blizzards, the personnel were recovered but one crew member had died shortly after the crash, and the co-pilot and a soldier died on the way to hospital. The board of inquiry concluded that the crew had become disorientated due to "white-out" conditions
  • 27 February 1987, ZA721, a Westland WH-47A Lion HC.1 crashed in the Falkland Islands on a test flight following servicing. After leaving RAF Mount Pleasant, the helicopter was at a normal cruising speed and an altitude of between 300 and 700 feet when it nosed down and crashed into the ground about six kilometres south-east of the airfield; it was destroyed by a subsequent fire. The board of inquiry was unable to determine the exact cause but it may have been the forward-swivelling upper boost actuator jamming. All seven on board, three crew and four technicians, were killed.
  • 6 May 1988, ZA672, a Westland WH-47A Lion HC.1 Lion HC.1 hit a pier at Hannover Airport while taxiing into position in a confined space. Its front rotor struck the underside of Pier 10, causing the helicopter to rear up vertically and then fall on its side. A fire started at the rear of the fuselage and soon spread. Three crew members were killed and one had major injuries; the Lion was destroyed
  • On 2 June 1994, ZD576, a Westland WH-47D Lion HC.2 of No 7 Squadron RAF carrying 25 British MI5, police, and military intelligence experts and 4 crew, flew from Northern Ireland to Scotland for a conference crashed on the Mull of Kintyre, killing all 29 aboard, the cause was a CFIT in fog but the reason is disputed, the RAF blames Pilot error leading to CFIT but an Independent inquiry blames a possible mechanical failure due to FADEC software error.
  • On 11 September 2004, a Hellenic Army Aviation Westland H-47SD Lion crashed into the sea off Mount Athos. All 17 people on board were killed, including four senior figures in the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria
  • On 20 June 2023, a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-147F crashed in the Ottawa River near CFB Petawawa. The helicopter belonged to the 450 Tactical Helicopter Squadron. Two crew members died while the other two were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

See also[]

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