Westland WG.44 - WG.47 1980s stealth helicopter projects

Mike Pryce

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https://www.aerosociety.com/news/exclusive-1980s-uk-secret-stealth-attack-helicopter-project-revealed/
 
That is really interesting and helps with a context for UK LO research in the 1980s too.

I had the opportunity to ask some questions of the Wildcat acceptance team when they visited my place of work a few years ago. When I asked about the RCS reduction measures on the fuselage, all I got was a collective shrug and a "I suppose so".

Not sure what else I expected.
 
Agusta Westland A.129 development 'TONAL' ... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.985533001615855&type=3
 

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https://hushkit.net/2018/01/18/britains-secret-stealth-helicopter-other-exotic-westland-projects/
 
Amazing find my dears Harrier and Rolf,

specially the WG.38.
 

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LAH (mentioned as a predecessor to WG.45) was TONAL. This mockup is interesting to compare:
 

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Re the WG47 canopy, perhaps this could explain the odd appearance - "the cockpit transparencies were angled outward to eliminate optical glint to the horizon"?
 
Any thoughts on what the under-nose trainable quad-tube launcher on the model of the WG.44 is?
Is it meant to be trainable defensive AAM armament or a small-calibre air-ground rocket?
 
Hood said:
Any thoughts on what the under-nose trainable quad-tube launcher on the model of the WG.44 is?
Is it meant to be trainable defensive AAM armament or a small-calibre air-ground rocket?

I think this design should be related to this patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US4785710A
 

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PaulMM (Overscan) said:
They look like MANPADS type missiles to me.

Specifically Air-To-Air Stinger. You can see the strongback between the two missiles. I don't think it's related to that patent.
 
TomS said:
PaulMM (Overscan) said:
They look like MANPADS type missiles to me.

Specifically Air-To-Air Stinger. You can see the strongback between the two missiles. I don't think it's related to that patent.

It looked like Stinger to me but honestly MANPADS are pretty similar and the model pretty rudimentary, so I wasn't going to declare the type.
 
Wasn't the U.K. also interested in a turret launched HVM during this period?
 
Starstreak hits the requirement and development timeframe right for these machines, and I'm sure Shorts would have just as interested in getting their missile on any new attack helicopter back then, as they were for the US Army in the mid-90s.
 
Could be Starstreak, although it is a fatter missile than Stinger (130mm versus 70mm) and if you look at land-based launchers the tubes are much wider in diameter.
 
Here the front cover of the latest AEROSPACE magazine - March 2018:
* Out of the shadows – A secret project reveals how Westland Helicopters developed a design for a UK stealth helicopter in the 1980s.
Link: https://www.aerosociety.com/news/in-the-latest-aerospace-magazine-march-2018/
 

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Very interesting. Looks like the one on that cover has a twin tail rotor and the front canopy for the gunner(?) is sized for the head only.
 
SteveO said:
Very interesting. Looks like the one on that cover has a twin tail rotor and the front canopy for the gunner(?) is sized for the head only.
Its the pilots cockpit and yes, it is just for his head.
 
Schneiderman said:
Its the pilots cockpit and yes, it is just for his head.

Protection - first, comfort - last :cool:
Reminds me Henschel Hs-129 cockpit. with its' quite limited space for pilot's head.

P.S. I think, that actual picture of Westland project has been inverted to the cover' image. So, I propose my version - here tires are black.
 

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WG.47
 

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Thanks TsrJoe! I wonder why they left these with a fixed undercarriage? Cheaper obviously but why go stealth and leave bits hanging out?!!
 
TsrJoe said:

After inverting the first image and recovering the highlights
 

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The tail rotor configuration is interesting. For battle damage redundancy or increased controlability?
 
Yes, Westland were quite keen on twin tail rotors for battle damage redundancy.
 
Hood said:
Yes, Westland were quite keen on twin tail rotors for battle damage redundancy.

This also decreased fuselage rear part length, and overall dimensions.
 
Silencer1 said:
Hood said:
Yes, Westland were quite keen on twin tail rotors for battle damage redundancy.

This also decreased fuselage rear part length, and overall dimensions.

Hmmm.... complexity and acoustics would be up. Don't think you could reduce the rotational speed of the tail rotors to reduce TR noise propagation, because it would have to be dual speed transmission to the TR if you lost one. That would mean even more complexity.
 
Here are the additional images from the Aerospace feature (all images are © Leonardo MW). Captions as follows:

1) Model of the WG44 design. Weapons were carried internally, except for an undernose lightweight rocket pack, for use against air threats – namely the Mi-24 ‘Hind’.
2) Three view of the WG 45 concept – showing a design visually reminiscent of the Lynx.
3) The WG 44 next to the Westland Lynx.
4) & 5) The WG47b in its most developed form with twin tailrotors, anti-glint canopies and BERP blades.
6) The WG 47a with conventional stepped canopies and single tail rotor.
7) The WG 47b featured an innovative reverse slope canopy to reduce tell-tale glint.
8) Model of the final configuration of the WG 47b stealth attack helicopter that was studied by Westland as a private confidential proposal for the UK MoD requirements. Note twin tail rotors and reverse sloped canopies.
9) A wind-tunnel model of WG 47a fitted with the twin tail rotor configuration but with a conventional stepped, tandem canopy.
 

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