WS-51 Dragonfly

The Westland WS‑51 Dragonfly was the United Kingdom’s first domestically produced helicopter, entering service shortly after World War II. Developed from the American Sikorsky VS‑300 under a licensing agreement, Westland Aircraft built the type at its Yeovil facility beginning in 1946. The Dragonfly featured a conventional single‑main‑rotor layout with a tail‑rotor, a fully enclosed cabin for up to four passengers, and a 225‑horse‑power de‑rated Wright R‑500 radial engine delivering reliable performance at low altitude. Its simple mechanical linkage, skid landing gear, and interchangeable rotor blades made it well suited for training, liaison, and light transport duties with the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and several civilian operators. In service, the WS‑51 demonstrated the practicality of rotary‑wing flight for the British armed forces, paving the way for later Westland designs such as the Whirlwind and the Wessex. The aircraft’s modest payload, gentle handling characteristics, and straightforward maintenance earned it a reputation as an effective workhorse during the early post‑war period, establishing a foundation for the United Kingdom’s helicopter industry and influencing global rotorcraft development. Its legacy endures in modern Westland and Leonardo programmes, underscoring its lasting impact on British aerospace engineering.

Westland Aircraft

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