LYNX

The Westland Lynx is a British-designed multipurpose military helicopter. The design for the Lynx started in the mid-1960s as a replacement for both the Westland Scout and Wasp helicopters. The first prototype flew in 1971 and became the first fully aerobatic helicopter. A modified Lynx also set a speed record in 1986 as the world’s fastest helicopter, a record that still holds today. Both land and ship based versions of the Lynx went into production for the Army and Navy. The British Army Air Corp got their first Lynxes in 1979 using them for utility, transport, anti-tank, search and rescue, escort, and reconnaissance missions. In 1981, British Fleet Air Arm received their first Lynxes. The naval version incorporated many changes including wheels instead of skids, sonar, radar and different sensors for use in its anti-shipping, anti-submarine, anti-pirate, and ship replenishment missions. British Lynxes saw extensive service in several conflicts including the Falklands, North Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, and the Middle East. It is a versatile airframe with over forty different variants in service with the British military and exported to sixteen other foreign militaries around the world. The Westland Lynx AH.7 was an upgraded land based Lynx design for the British Army Air Corps. It has updated engines, gearbox, a bigger tail rotor, and upgraded antitank abilities. The AH.7 can carry up to nine troops or passengers.