Bristol Long Range Helicopters for Army Transport (Canadian Army interest- 1956)

[GT6Boy]

Hi folks
My late father kept this brochure, from when he worked in the Bristol Helicopter Design Office (1953 onwards).

I'm aware of the RCN order for the Bristol Type 193- I can't recall an official RCA equivalent interest, or if it evolved into an actual requirement?
Can anyone here shed any light on the likely backstory to this document?

There were no dates evident in this very sparse(initial?) offering from Bristol.
Their comparisons of other types of aircraft for the 'requirement' is interesting.

The mentioned Fig.1 in the text, was sadly not evident, when I scanned the whole document.
However, I had kept all the photographs and GA images Dad had made for a very impressive display, in the old HDO office in 1980, for the then Westland Open Day. A search ensued!
I cannot begin to tell you how happy I was, to seemingly find the missing Fig.1 GA drawing of the Civil derivative of the Type 192, especially as the date shown of 04/05/56 aligns with the mentioning in the brochure of the then current 192 status ('now entering production').
The GA appears to have been drawn by a fella called AH. I suspect that was my father's colleague; Arthur Haines!

 

[Hood]

I suppose given the date that this would have been pitched a competitor to the DHC-4 Caribou?

An interesting find, looks like a mix of Type 191 and 192 features, I'm presuming that the ventral baggage/fuel fairing would utilise the Type 191's floorpan with the cavity for a weapons bay.

 

[GT6Boy]

I suppose given the date that this would have been pitched a competitor to the DHC-4 Caribou?

An interesting find, looks like a mix of Type 191 and 192 features, I'm presuming that the ventral baggage/fuel fairing would utilise the Type 191's floorpan with the cavity for a weapons bay.

I'd imagine post the Dec '55/Jan '56 cancellation of the 191, Bristol would have been very keen to maintain interest in any derivation of the 192: be the existing RAF order, the perpetually offered civil iterations or this Canadian version? That fits in with the timeline too.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

If they had been purchased, would they take the place of the 18 Boeing-Vertol helicopters purchased IOTL? The Canadian Army had 12 and the RCAF had 6. IIRC the Canadian Army had a requirement for 40. Did the RCAF get all the helicopters that they wanted?

 

[GT6Boy]

If they had been purchased, would they take the place of the 18 Boeing-Vertol helicopters purchased IOTL? The Canadian Army had 12 and the RCAF had 6. IIRC the Canadian Army had a requirement for 40. Did the RCAF get all the helicopters that they wanted?

I know the Canadians received CH-113A Voyageurs in the 60's.
It may be that the Bristol nomination was tabled (briefly?) at the start of the Canadians interest in the helicopter program, that resulted in their subsequent CH-113A Voyageur purchase?

 

[Apophenia]

... Did the RCAF get all the helicopters that they wanted?

I would say yes. Those 6 x Labradors were to replace 5 x piston-engined Vertol (Piasecki) H-44 Workhorses operating in the same long-range SAR helicopter role. [1]

BTW, on the bookkeeping side, the Workhorses were officially transferred to the Base Rescue Flight role but most were immediately put into long-term storage. In 1971, the Workhorse fleet was re-designated CH-125 on paper but all were sos by November of that year.

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[1] The RCAF also operated H-21 'Flying Bananas' in Communications (CR) and Composite (K) units. Most of these utility H-21 were used to support construction of the Mid-Canada Line and DEW Line stations. But Composite units did also fly in the SAR and Base Rescue roles.

 

[Apophenia]

I know the Canadians received CH-113A Voyageurs in the 60's.
It may be that the Bristol nomination was tabled (briefly?) at the start of the Canadians interest in the helicopter program, that resulted in their subsequent CH-113A Voyageur purchase?

Again, timing is fly-in-the-ointment. The Bristol submission seems to come just after the Piasecki 'Flying Bananas' began entering Canadian service - not the later Voyageur/Labrador.

The history of Canadian Voyageur and Labrador helicopters is a little convoluted. [1] But the 1956 date associated with this Bristol variant seems way too early to be connected to the Voyageur or Labrador. [1] (Although Hood may be on to something with the DHC-4 - as the Caribou entered RCAF service in 1960.)

_____________________________

[1] The 6 x Boeing Vertol 107-II-9 entered RCAF service as long-range SAR helicopters between Sept 1963 and Sept 1964. The Canadian Army's 12 x Model 107-II-28 utility and assault transport helicopters arrived between Sept 1964 and June 1965.

The naming of these Canadian Vertols adds to the confusion. The SAR Model 107-II-9 was a Labrador from the start. After Unification, they were designated as CH-113. The Army Model 107-II-28 entered service as the Voyageur, being designated as CH-113As in 1971. With the Oct 1974 arrival of the first CH-147C Chinooks, the Voyageurs became surplus to Land Forces' requirements. Survivors were modified for the CAF SAR role and were renamed as CH-113A Labradors.

 

[GT6Boy]

Thanks folks- I've no literature on the Canadian Helicopter operations at home. I had a quick shufti across the internet but, there wasn't a ready source on Rotary stuff(often the way) online.
Your updates are exactly the sort of detail I was looking for.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Thanks folks - I've no literature on the Canadian Helicopter operations at home. I had a quick shufti across the internet but, there wasn't a ready source on Rotary stuff (often the way) online.
Your updates are exactly the sort of detail I was looking for.

For what it's worth these are the best websites that I've found about the Canadian Army's aviation branch between 1945 and the early 1970s.

Canadian Army Aviation

This website is dedicated to all who served to ensure as much as possible of the story of our Canadian Aviation is not lost. The site welcomes all input that will provide a living record of what happened and who did it.

www.canadianarmyaviation.ca

https://www.cahs.ca/services/articles/recent-articles/485-canadian-army-aviation

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Helicopters Operated by HM Canadian Forces
Source: https://caspir.warplane.com/aircanadian/column/role/roleorder/desc/

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[GT6Boy]

Helicopters Operated by HM Canadian Forces
Source: https://caspir.warplane.com/aircanadian/column/role/roleorder/desc/

View attachment 749894​

That’s a great summary- thank you