Bristol Type 171 was the first post-war British helicopter in production, and was
manufactured at Filton and Weston-super-Mare. The first flight of the Type 171 was
done by a Model Mk.1 on 27 July 1947. The Mk.1 was a 2 seater with a 450hp Pratt
and Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior radial engine: two prototypes (VL958 & VL963)
were built. The four/five-seat general-purpose helicopter Bristol Type 171 Sycamore
Mk.4 was the final production version of this machine. 178 examples of which had
been completed when the last was delivered in 1959. Of these 50 were built in
1957-1959 for the Federal Germany as the Sycamore Mk.52, most serving with the
Luftwaffe but 4 being delivered to the Navy, joined later by a further four from the
Luftwaffe stocks. The German Sycamore Mk.52 helicopters were withdrawn from service in
1972-1973.
Bristol 171 Sycamore Mk.52 s/n 13473 D-HALC entered service with the Luftwaffe FFS-S as AS330. The Sycamore was transferred to
RVSt3 as LC115 and finally 7816. After being withdrawn from its military duties it entered the Civil register as D-HALC in July
1977. The helicopter was photographed at Ahlhorn AFB, Germany, on 25 May 1979.This Sycamore didn't survive as it was destroyed
on 2 August 1986.
Luchtvaart déjà vu
