The Westland WS-70 Wyvern is a four-blade, twin-engine, medium-lift utility military helicopter manufactured by Westland Helicopters. It entered service in the late 1970s.
The Westland WS-70 Wyvern was designed to meet the RAF and RN's need to replace Westland WS-58 Wessex and Westland WS-59 Wiltshire, it has 2 different variants, the early models which due to lack of powerful engines used as an interim, the 1,660shp Rolls-Royce H.1400-2 Gnome turboshaft engine.
The Westland WS-70 Wyvern in the 1980s was upgraded with new avionics and redesign to fit new 2100 shp Rolls-Royce/Turbomeca RTM322-01 turboshaft engines.
In the 1990s, the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy would mate the systems form the AgustaWestland AW101 Merlin to the Westland WS-70 Wyvern's airframe to create the Sea Wyvern which alongside the Merlin would replace the Westland WS-61 Commando.
Variants[]
1st Generation[]
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HC.1: transport variant built for the Royal Air Force and South African Army
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HAR.1: Search and Rescue variant built for the Royal Air Force
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HCC.1: VIP transport variant built for the Royal Air Force
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern E.1: Electronic Warfare variant built for the British Army
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HC.11: transport variant built for the Australian Army
2nd generation[]
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HC.2: transport variant built for the RAF and South African Army
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HAR.2: Search and Rescue variant built for the RAF
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HCC.2: VIP transport variant built for the RAF
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern E.2: Electronic Warfare variant built for the British Army
- Westland WS-70 Sea Wyvern HAS.3: Anti-Submarine Warfare variant built for Royal Navy
- Westland WS-70 Sea Wyvern HCC.4: VIP transport variant built for the No.32 Sqn Royal Flight
- Westland WS-70 Wyvern HC.21: transport variant built for the Australian Army
- Westland WS-70 Sea Wyvern HAS.21: Anti-Submarine Warfare variant built for Royal Australian Navy