Wales-Swansea Bay Air Show 2024. Part-Two.

 Westland Wasp.

The second vintage visitor to the Swansea Bay Airshow was the Westland Helicopter, the Wasp was the naval version of the British Army Scout and was used initially for general purpose duties and introduced in 1962, while entering service in 1963, since the potential in naval operations was much needed during the Cold War years!

She could be fitted with two Mk44 torpedoes, but trials following were to upgrade from HAS.1 to more of anti-submarine warfare and the first sixty machines were deployed on various frigates and other shipping across the Royal Navy,

Later over one-hundred machines were fitted with the French AS.11/12 missile systems and other equipment, forty were sold to South-Africa and eleven to its navy, another seventeen went to Brazil.

By 1978 in British service, they were being replaced by the Lynx helicopters and despite this these three to six manned machines remained in service into the 1980;s when they were withdrawn.

PBY Consolidated Catalina

Best flying boat ever Built?

The Catalina was designed in the mid 1930's for the US Navy, but it came to its fore during World-War II (1939-45) when many thousands were built for operations in the maritime role in both the Atlantic ocean and the Pacific! Many were also deployed in the far-east, and Mediterranean in the main role as an anti-submarine hunter and with unrivalled success.

This flying boat was also used to transport special forces, medical evacuation and many needed gaps in aviation during the war years! It is not clear if any were ever used as commercial airliners during or after the war, but they continued mainly in the maritime and later fishery protections role. They were easy to fly and versatile and like by the pilots who flew them and this also applied to around the world?

After the war the over 7000 built found a new role with many nations outside the U.S. and these boats remained in that role right up to the 1990's? The Catalina does not surpass the Antonov An-2/4 in age and operational use, but it is the nearest to that target along with the Douglas DC-3/C-47!