Westland Widgeon (helicopter)
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- For the 1924 aeroplane, see Westland Widgeon (fixed wing)
The Westland Widgeon was a private venture improvement on the Westland WS-51 Dragonfly helicopter, which essentially increased the cabin capacity and replaced the Dragonfly's rotor head, blades and gearbox by the units used in the Westland Whirlwind. Three Dragonfly Series 1As were converted to WS-51 Series 2 Widgeons and the first one flew on 23 August 1955.
There was a plan to take up to 24 existing Fleet Air Arm Dragonflies to Dragonfly HC.7 standard (as the Naval Widgeon was to become) but this was abandoned and it contributed to the decision to stop progress.
The Widgeon was a technical triumph and Widgeons flew in many parts of the world (Brazilian Navy, Hong Kong Police, for example), but it never achieved commercial success.
A Widgeon appears in the 1971 film adaptation of Alistair MacLean's When Eight Bells Toll.
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Designation sequence
Westland Dragonfly - Westland Whirlwind - Widgeon - Westland Wessex- Westland Scout - Westland Wasp - Westland Lynx
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