After a four year restoration programme undertaken by a team of AgustaWestland apprentices, the record breaking Westland Lynx helicopter, which is still the official holder of the helicopter World Speed Record, was today unveiled by AgustaWestland’s CEO Bruno Spagnolini and apprentices to employees gathered at AgustaWestland’s Yeovil factory.

After the unveiling Bruno Spagnolini, CEO, said “To have held the world helicopter speed record for 25 years highlights what an outstanding achievement it was by all those involved in the project and the development of the rotor blade technology that was key to the successful record attempt. The apprentices are to be also congratulated on performing an excellent restoration of this historically important helicopter, it is their skills and knowledge that will help keep AgustaWestland at the very forefront of rotorcraft technology for the next 25 years.” Following its World Record breaking flight in 1986 the aircraft went on to become the test bed for CTS800-4N engines and was heavily modified before finally being retired from development flying in 1991. In January 1995 the helicopter was donated to the Helicopter Museum where it was preserved and put on public display, then in 2007 AgustaWestland agreed to undertake the restoration of the aircraft back to its World Speed Record configuration. The aircraft returned to Yeovil, where it was originally built, and the team of apprentices set about the major task of restoring the aircraft to as close a condition as possible to that on its record breaking flight.

The team of AgustaWestland apprentices have spent over 25,000 hours researching the configuration of the aircraft, de-modifying the aircraft, locating the original parts wherever possible, sourcing missing parts, rebuilding the aircraft and finally repainting it in its distinctive world speed record colours with all the logos of those companies that assisted the original project. The 11th August 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of the Westland Lynx helicopter setting a new world helicopter speed record of 249.1 mph (400.87 kph). The Lynx helicopter, registered G-LYNX, flew a 15km course across the Somerset Levels at 500 ft on a calm hazy evening back in 1986 with Chief Test Pilot Trevor Egginton at the controls and Derek Clews, Flight Test Engineer alongside. The average speed achieved over two runs was 249.1 mph (400.87 kph), beating the record held by a modified Mil “Hind” helicopter by over 20 mph (32 kph).

Sourse and photo: AgustaWestland