2
Photo Info
When the aircraft arrives at the museum it will be over 60 years since it left Weston-super-Mare for Germany and the first Sycamore flight in the U.K. since 1972.

Historic Sycamore helicopter flies home

The Helicopter Museum Press Release | June 1, 2018

Estimated reading time 2 minutes, 42 seconds.

The world’s last flying Bristol 171 Sycamore helicopter will return home to Weston-super-Mare this month when it flies to the Helicopter Museum — 60 years after it was built. The historic aircraft will land at the museum on June 11 and be based in its Duke of Edinburgh Hangar until June 24. It will be the U.K.’s first Sycamore flight in 46 years.

When the aircraft arrives at the museum it will be over 60 years since it left Weston-super-Mare for Germany and the first Sycamore flight in the U.K. since 1972.
When the aircraft arrives at the museum it will be over 60 years since it left Weston-super-Mare for Germany and the first Sycamore flight in the U.K. since 1972. Helicopter Museum Photo

Sycamores have the distinction of being the first British helicopter to receive a certificate of airworthiness and also as being the first British-deigned helicopter to serve with the Royal Air Force. The aircraft were built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, firstly at its Filton factory and then from 1955 to 1959 at its Oldmixon factory after all helicopter design and manufacturing was moved to Weston-super-Mare.

Bristol 171 Sycamore XG545/OE-XSY is now the only airworthy example in the world and made its first flight from the historic Weston Airfield on Feb. 3, 1958, before being delivered to the West German Navy in VIP configuration and later transferring to the German Air Force.

After retirement, the aircraft, now privately owned, was moved to Switzerland where it was repainted in RAF colors in 1988 and then eventually sold to the Flying Bulls display team based in Austria 18 years later. By this time the aircraft required an extensive overhaul and with technical assistance from the Helicopter Museum, including the supply of archived maintenance manuals, the Sycamore flew again in July 2013.

When the aircraft arrives at the museum it will be over 60 years since it left Weston-super-Mare for Germany and the first Sycamore flight in the U.K. since 1972. It is visiting the U.K. to appear as a grounded, static display at several air shows, but its arrival at the museum will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the aircraft actually in flight.

The Helicopter Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of rotorcraft including two other Bristol Sycamores, one of which (XL829) was the last to be delivered to the RAF.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HAI Heli-Expo 2024 Recap

Notice a spelling mistake or typo?

Click on the button below to send an email to our team and we will get to it as soon as possible.

Report an error or typo

Have a story idea you would like to suggest?

Click on the button below to send an email to our team and we will get to it as soon as possible.

Suggest a story