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Bristol Type 171 was the first post-war British helicopter in
production, and was manufactured at Filton and Weston-super-Mare.
The Sycamore was fitted with a triple-blade main rotor and a
triple-blade rear rotor. The rotor blades were entirely made of Australian maple wood. The main
rotor was designed so that the blades could be folded to one side, towards the rear boom.
This meant that it was possible to save space on naval vessels and in the hangar. 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Mk.52 helicopters were withdrawn from service in 1972-1973.
The ICAO
Aircraft Type Designator for the Bristol 171 Sycamor Mk.52 is SYCA |
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Bristol 171 Sycamore Mk.52 s/n 13445 entered service with the Luftwaffe Waffenschule 30 (WS-30) as BA+178.
The Sycamore was re-serialed as CD+084; CB+024; SC208; WE542 and LC120 and finally as 78+06. After being
withdrawn from its military duties the helicopter entered the civil register as D-HOPF in July 1971. In
December 1973, the Bristol 171 Sycamore Mk.52 was registered as D-HAHN with Landesfeuerwehrverband Niedersachsen,
Hannover/Toennisberg, and entered service with the Feuerwehr-Flugdienst Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony Fire Service)
next to the former ex Luftwaffe Sycamore helicopters D-HELM, D-HOSE and D-HEMD. However, the high maintenance costs
and fuel consumption meant that they were soon replaced. In July 1980, registration D-HAHN was cancelled. The
airframe then became part of the Motor Technica Museum, a privat owned auto and aviation museum in Bad Oeynhausen.
In 2007, the Motor Technica Museum closed. After the museum's demise Bristol 171 Sycamore Mk.52 D-HAHN was stored
in a dry hangar. The liquidation of the exhibits was completed by the end of the year 2017. The Sycamore was
transfered to Bauern- und Technikmuseum Kiemele, Eschach-Seifertshofen. In March 2026, the helicopter arrived
at the Automobil & Spielzeugmuseum Nordsee, Norden, by road transport.
On 5 March 2026, Bristol 171
Sycamore Mk.52 D-HAHN was seen at the grounds of Automobil & Spielzeugmuseum Nordsee, Norden. |
