Quick facts
Entered Service: 1997
Powerplant: Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6T-3B-1 Turbo Twin-Pac, consisting of two 900 shp turboshafts
Rotor Diameter: 46ft (14.02m)
Length: 56ft (17.07m)
Max Speed: 161mph (259 kmh)
Accommodation: Two pilots seats and up to 12 seats in the cabin.
Recognition: Readily identifiable as the development of the famous "Huey" series of helicopters, the cabin is wide and flat topped, with a bulky engine installation in the centre of the cabin roof. The large, four-bladed rotor sits prominently above this. The cockpit retains the large glazed panels of the original, with the panels at the pilots feet also glazed, another feature held over from the earlier aircraft. The tail boom is long and tapering, ending in a swept fin that carries the tail rotor at the tip.
Colours: High-visibility gloss black and yellow. Aircraft carry a single-letter code-those of No 60(R) Sqn of the DHFS at Shawbury spell 'SIXTY RULE' when arranged in aircraft serial order.