Bristol Unbuilt Helicopter project GA images and Type 214 General Description and Performance Data

[GT6Boy]

My late father worked in the Helicopter Drawing Office at Westland Helicopters. He started with them in 1953 in what was then Raoul Hafner's Design Team at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. My father collated these paper images in 1981 from his own and the company archives, for a display in his office in the HDO, for the Westland Open Day. Thankfully for me(and you), he kept them.
I would love to find out more about the Sycamore replacement: the single engined Type 203 and its later twin engined derivative; the type 214. Just how speculative were these 2 projects? Were they in response to any Air Staff or General Staff requirements, or were they merely trying to raise the potential of interest, seeing as they would have; the relentless march of Westland and their licenced production of Sikorsky designs?

 

[GT6Boy]

I appreciate some of these renderings have been posted in other threads but, I thought it would be nice to see them all together and of a similar quality, should anyone have a use for them

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

Great drawings!

 

[flateric]

thank you for sharing!

 

[Hood]

This is a lovely collection, we have much to thank your father for saving these and you for sharing them with us.

 

[JohnR]

I particularly like the Type 194, but it again raises the question why has the Chinook always kept to its 3 bladed rotors, wouldn't that have improved performance?

 

[GT6Boy]

That's a great question- the 173 in 3 blade form suffered vibration issues which were in-part resolved by fitment of 4 blade rotors(different drag damping provision?) and changes in the undercarriage oleo pressures.
Another question my Dad would no doubt have answered, were he still with us!

 

[Petrus]

My late father worked in the Helicopter Drawing Office at Westland Helicopters. He started with them in 1953 in what was then Raoul Hafner's Design Team at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. My father collated these paper images in 1981 from his own and the company archives, for a display in his office in the HDO, for the Westland Open Day. Thankfully for me(and you), he kept them.
I would love to find out more about the Sycamore replacement: the single engined Type 203 and its later twin engined derivative; the type 214. Just how speculative were these 2 projects? Were they in response to any Air Staff or General Staff requirements, or were they merely trying to raise the potential of interest, seeing as they would have; the relentless march of Westland and their licenced production of Sikorsky designs?

As may be seen in those drawings both Type 203 and 214 had very large doors (for the 214: cabin lenght was 11 ft, height 4 ft 10 in, door's lenght was 8 ft 8 in and height 4 ft). Directly aft of the door there were undercarriage struts that probably made sliding the door aft impossible. So how did the door open? Perhaps the door was hinged and opened upwards, or it opened like the door in the Mi-24: one half upwards and the other one downwards?
Another question regards the troop seating arrangement in the 203 and 214. Do you have any info in that?
Piotr

 

[GT6Boy]

Hi Piotr- There's no detail on the door arrangement sadly. By this stage, Bristol's Helicopter designers could see the inevitable end game in-play after Westland had stolen a march with their anglicised licence production. Where the Wessex orders snuffed out the potential 214, the re-engining of the piston engine Whirlwind with Gnomes was the denouement of the 203.

 

[Petrus]

Hi Piotr- There's no detail on the door arrangement sadly. By this stage, Bristol's Helicopter designers could see the inevitable end game in-play after Westland had stolen a march with their anglicised licence production. Where the Wessex orders snuffed out the potential 214, the re-engining of the piston engine Whirlwind with Gnomes was the denouement of the 203.

Do you have sketches showing cabin arrangement variants (and further data) for the 203? It would be really interesting to compare both designs.
Piotr

 

[GT6Boy]

Hi Piotr- There's no detail on the door arrangement sadly. By this stage, Bristol's Helicopter designers could see the inevitable end game in-play after Westland had stolen a march with their anglicised licence production. Where the Wessex orders snuffed out the potential 214, the re-engining of the piston engine Whirlwind with Gnomes was the denouement of the 203.

Do you have sketches showing cabin arrangement variants (and further data) for the 203? It would be really interesting to compare both designs.
Piotr

Sorry Piotr- these are the only images I took of the 203 spec when I was at the Archive.