Gazelle Display Team - RAF Cosford Airshow 2018

The Gazelle Display Team doing a paired gazelle Helicopter display during the RAF Cosford Airshow 2018.

Display Aircraft -
1/. XX436 | Westland Gazelle HT.2 | Gordon

Aircraft type: Westland SA.341C Gazelle HT.2
Construction number: 1402
Military serial: XX436
Civilian registration: G-ZZLE
Name: Gordon
Gordon was born in 1976 as an SA.341C (Gazelle HT.2), built by Westland Helicopters Ltd at their Factory in Yeovil, Somerset with the manufacturer's construction number 1402, he was first flown on 21 July 1976 with B.A. Horsey at the controls.

He was delivered to RNAY Wroughton on 19 February 1977 for storage until it was delivered to the Royal Navy at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall on 25 July 1977, where he served for 26 years in a training role with 705 Naval Air Squadron (NAS). Throughout his life with 705NAS, Gordon wore the squadron code CU/(5)39.

From 19 June 1978 to 28 July 1978 he flew as part of The Tri-Service Helicopter Team in the British Helicopter Championships, and in August of that year both he and XX431 were to take part in the World Helicopter Championships, held in Vitebsk in the Soviet Union. Both XX431 and Gordon received special markings for this, with tri-service markings applied to the fenestron and the Royal Navy titles hidden with white stickers! However, neither aircraft left UK soil as the UK government withdrew their participation on political grounds shortly thereafter.

On 21 May 1997 he was flown to RAF Shawbury in Shropshire for long term storage until being demobbed - removed from military service - on 16 May 2002 and sold by JCM Disposals Ltd, when he was taken to Redhill in Surrey by road.

Sold in to civilian use, Gordon was painted in Royal Marines grey and green colours. The 2015 season saw Gordon's final season in this scheme, and through the winter he underwent a complete rebuild and transformation back to his original 705NAS scheme of bright red and white, complete with Royal Navy "Sharks" display team markings.

2/. XW885 | Westland Gazelle AH.1 | G-ZZEL

Aircraft type: Westland SA.341B Gazelle AH.1
Construction number: 1016
Military serial: XW885
Civilian registration: G-ZZEL
G-ZZEL was first flown in November 1973 and was delivered to Shawbury a month later. having been fully restored to an airworthy condition she received her permit to fly in May 2017 and now serves the Gazelle squadron. There are no current plans for her to be resprayed in service colours.

Westland Gazelle History:-
The Aerospatiale Gazelle is a five-seat helicopter used for light transport, training, and light attack duties. It is powered by a single turbine engine and was the first helicopter to feature a fenestron tail instead of a conventional tail rotor.

A joint production agreement with Sud Aviation, later renamed Aerospatiale and now part of Airbus Helicopters allowed Westland Helicopters Ltd of Yeovil to license build the Gazelle, in part for sales to the British military but also for use by civilian operators. In total, Westland Helicopters produced nearly 300 Gazelle helicopters, with 282 of them being delivered to the British armed forces.

With the exception of the DeHavilland Chipmunk, the Gazelle is the only aircraft to serve with all three arms of the British armed forces; the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Army Air Corps, with four different variants produced:

Westland SA.341B Gazelle AH.1, for the Army Air Corps and Royal Marines (Commandos)
Westland SA.341C Gazelle HT.2, for the Royal Navy
Westland SA.341D Gazelle HT.3, for the Royal Air Force
Westland SA.341E Gazelle HCC.4, for the Royal Air Force
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