Thread: AAC Helicopters in Brunei, Early 60s

Before my time
Bit of Scout Porn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN8-pV-rGik.
I known one was lost in Far East in late 60's due to the Power Turbine exploding.
Certainly used in Aden I joined 8 Flt after they returned from there and the Lads used to talk of the time RR bought them a crate of beer for getting the first Nimbus to last 25 hrs.
Sioux was strangely later into service then Scout.

john

I think he is counting RAF/RN aircraft

No, he lists RAF/RN as a separate entry.

I found some references to AAC units on that Small Wars site, but at different times, and even all together I don't think that they would add up to 40.
http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Bo...nits.html#army

Originally Posted by MightyGem

I think he is counting RAF/RN aircraft

No, he lists RAF/RN as a separate entry.

I found some references to AAC units on that Small Wars site, but at different times, and even all together I don't think that they would add up to 40.
http://www.britains-smallwars.com/Bo...nits.html#army

There were loads of AAC/ Army aviation units there later, but not in 1964 as stated in the first post

Originally Posted by Fatcivvy

There would have been some Westland Scouts which were delivered to the AAC from 1961/62. Also the RAF had some Sycamores, Belvederes and Whirlwinds in Brunei at that time as well.

FC

The Scouts were delivered but had so many problems they did not go into service untill the late 60s, I fact a number of Sud Alouettes were ordered as a stopgap in 1964, and in fact once in service proved to be first class aircraft, and so remained in service long after the original withdrawel date

In 1964 The whole Army only had about 60 Saro Skeeters, which had come into service in 1957 and were so under powered they were just about useless, In 1964 there was a debate in Parliment about the lack of Helicopters and the fact that the replacement for the Skeeter, the Scout, although delivered, was having problems. two companys entered tenders to build a new light helicopter Shorts with the Hiller, and Westland with the Agusta/Bell 47G4, as the first 50 could be bought initially off the shelf from Italy. And a number of Alouette were obtained as a stopgap, the first Scout went to the Far East in 1965 but tthat I believe was for hot weather testing in Malaya.
The very first Scout XP165 is still around and is in Weston Super Mare although XP 166 is the older airframe but it had been registered as a civilean aircraft and is now in New Zealand
The first recorded Scout to crash in Borneo was XR599 on 20/9/65 which crashed into the sea killing three on a night flight from Lunda to Kuching

The Whirlwind may have been an RN one from Albion or Bulwark. That involvement is why the FAA Commando helicopter squadrons are called Junglies. One went into the ulu about Mar 1965 piloted by a Kiwi called Bruce, to my shame I can't remember his other name.

I think that Scouts were operating prior to 1965 in the far east.

XR596 is reported as crashed close to Kluang on 16/7/1964 with 2 fatalities.

Originally Posted by ericferret

I think that Scouts were operating prior to 1965 in the far east.

XR596 is reported as crashed close to Kluang on 16/7/1964 with 2 fatalities.

That was on trials in mainland Malaya not Borneo

Originally Posted by jonwilly

Before my time
Bit of Scout Porn Rolls Royce Nimbus Jet Engine - YouTube.
I known one was lost in Far East in late 60's due to the Power Turbine exploding.
Certainly used in Aden I joined 8 Flt after they returned from there and the Lads used to talk of the time RR bought them a crate of beer for getting the first Nimbus to last 25 hrs.
Sioux was strangely later into service then Scout.

john

JW - why haven't you gome back to "Kluang Revisited" and the AAC ?

"Kluang Revisited"
Too many know Villeins there for an innocent like moi.
Hope you have a nice or had a good time on last trip or coming visit.

john
Did you ever hear what became of my old Drinking Partner Mick White ?
I know of his time ex army in Oman.

Did British forces ever fly hueys? There were an awful lot kicking around SE Asia at that time.

I can personally vouch for there being Whirlwinds in Sarawak in '66 as I was casevaced in one.

The Brit Army never had Huey's.
Mistake in my opinion.
212 where operated in Brunei long after I left in 90.
The RN wanted a small heli for small ships flts, so 'commissioned' the Wasp. The numbers required where too small for a production run, so Army took similar numbers as Scout, say 100 each.
Then when RN wanted to upgrade Lynx was 'commissioned' and Army got another designed for Navy cab, WG 13 it was originally called, 2 Pilots, crewman & 8 Troops.
Onest that was it as we where told.

john
Blame Mountbatten.

Quickie question about Borneo and Brunei and Malayan campaigns with regard to rotary wing assets, and comparing the equipment used in Vietnam, did we ever have anything remotely experimental or high tech at the time equipping the assets such as Sioux / Scout / Wessex / Whirlwind / Belvedere / there such as Low Light Television (LLTV) or first gen FLIR.

Across the water in another conflict, the US Army had a batch of UH-1M INFANT (Iroquois Night Fighting And Night Tracking) Huey with FLIR, LLTV while the Air America lot in Laos had a modified Hughes 500 (not OH-6A Cayuse/Loach) with extra blade for quietness, engine mufflers and LLTV / FLIR and very first bulky NVGs. It was called the 'Quiet One' and run under a DARPA / Army Program and the CIA used it primarily in Laos as part of a mass wire tapping op between Laos and North Vietnam.

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