First flying in 1962, Whirlwind XP345 was delivered to the Central Flying School at Ternhill, where it served for a number of years before suffering an engine failure and crash landing on Snowdonia. Returned to Westland at Yeovil for repair in 1968, it was then allocated to 202 Squadron, and was then in turn attached to 1563 Flight at Nicosia, Cyprus in 1970.
XP345 served with the UN detachment in Cyprus throughout the 1970s, suffering bullet damage on a number of occasions and helping to resupply the UN garrison on the island during this troubled part of the island’s history.
After being retired from RAF service in the early 1980s it was preserved and is now at the Aeroventure Museum. It is also the only preserved machine in UN colours in the United Kingdom.
- Scale: 1:72
- Rotorspan: 224mm
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