Westland Scout

The Westland Scout was a light general purpose helicopter developed by Westland Helicopters from the Saunders-Roe P.531, sharing a common ancestor and numerous components with the naval Westland Wasp. Its primary operator was the Army Air Corps of the British Army, which flew it in several conflict zones including Northern Ireland and the Falklands War. The first Army Scout AH.1 flew on 4 August 1960 and deliveries started in early 1963, with the production aircraft using a single Rolls-Royce Nimbus turboshaft engine. Behind the two front seats was a bench for passengers, and the helicopter could be fitted with gun packs, a pintle-mounted machine gun or four Nord SS.11 guided anti-tank missiles. Other operators included the Royal Australian Navy, the South African Air Force, the Royal Marines, the Bahrain State Police and the Uganda Police Air Wing.