The brochure refers back to 5/60 first thoughts.
Westland found themselves conflicted after Govt. encouraged them to become UK rotory monopoly: they had spent own money to take S.56/S.64 items as Westminster (1st.flight, 2nd.prot., 4/9/59). Intended takeover of Fairey's aircraft interests was public 8/2/60 (done, 2/5/60), to include Rotodyne, then at last attracting interest, RAF and civil (it had first been funded in 1953). They bought Saro 14/7/59, Bristol Helicopter Div., 23/3/60, so by 8/60 {this brochure} they had licences for S-56, (5/59) S-61, plus T.192 (and an RAF order for 26 as reward for adopting the orphans unwanted by BAC or HSAL). They dumped Westminster 9/60; MoS would cease funding Rotodyne, 2/62 when RAF chose STOL Andover; after last Belvedere delivery to a thrilled RAF, Westland attended to the (S.61/SH-3D) Sea King (to be) gold mine.
None of this was of the slightest interest to
Sholto (MRAF,MC,DFC)
, Lord Douglas, BEAC
Chairman ('49-64) with sufficient commercial nous to wonder why his airline had a Helicopter Experimental Unit, mired as a Cost, never to be a Profit Centre. SABENA had an S.58 operation, downtown-Airport/Antwerp/Paris/2xNeths., (3/57-to be 3/67) - as Cost Centre feed to Profit Centre long-haul. BEAC had no long haul, no yearning to aid BOAC by feeding them. And as for mid-town Vertiport routes as a business (on such 60- minute links as are now operated from London City)...the cartel of intra-European flag carriers then worked revenue-sharing pools. Vert would simply cannibalise what he already had.
BEAline Bus notions of 1951, and BEAC attendance at MoS Committees on verticality were merely dutiful help to people whose favours BEAC needed elsewhere. MoS
Aircraft Research branch (where Hovercraft would also be set) was far more interested in military applications, which the Scientific Civil Service understood, than civil, which it did not. It had persevered with Bristol's twin-rotor hoping that would solve torque: Piaseki/Vertol/Boeing would so vindicate them...as Bristol did not. RAF first tried to buy Chinook in 1961 and today has no Out-of-Service Date. (?2061).
The only reason
Chairman permitted BEAH wef 1/5/64 was that the Isles of Scilly route (Rapides finally withdrawn) claimed the same Highlands and Islands social cohesion subsidy as did the Scottish routes.
I assume no-one here would propose anything in 1964 for that route that was not S.61?