Fastest Helicopter

The fastest helicopter in the world is the Westland Lynx. It can reach a maximum speed of 324 km/h (201 mph).

General Characteristics (Super Lynx Series 100)

The range of the Lynx is 528 km (328 miles) with the average tanks. The powerplant is 2× Rolls-Royce Gem turboshaft. Each has 835 kW (1,120 shp). The Westland Lynx has a maximum takeoff weight of 5,330 kg (11,750 lb). The helicopter has an empty weight of 3,291 kg (7,255 lb).

The rotor has a diameter of 12.80 m (42 ft). It is 3.734 m high for the mk7 and 3.785 m for mk9. The disc area is 128.71 m2 (1,385 ft2). The fastest helicopter is 15.241 m (50 ft) long, and has a payload of 737 kg. The Lynx is operated by a crew of two or three.

Weapons

For Naval use, the Westland Lynx will use 2 x depth charges or 4x Sea Skua missile. Others will use 2 x torpedoes. For attack mode, the helicopter will use 8 x TOW ATGM, 2 x 70mm rocket pods CRV7 and 2 x 20mm cannons.

For general purpose missions, the armaments utilized are Browning AN/M3M .50 caliber heavy machine gun (HAS.3 and HMA.8) and 7.62mm general purpose machine guns (AH.7 and AH.9).

Status and Usage

The helicopter is manufactured by Westland Helicopters. It is currently being used by the Royal navy, German Navy and French Navy. The helicopter is designed to be a multi-purpose vehicle.

The helicopter was originally built for civil use. However, the military became interested in it. Soon, battlefield and naval variants were being produced. The Westland Lynx started being used by the military in the late 1970s. Its main functions are anti-armor and anti-submarine attacks.

Land and Naval Based Lynx Variants

These include the Lynx AH.9A which has LHTEC CTS800-4N 1,015 kW (1,362 shp) engines. The Lynx AH.7 is built with the Defensive Aids Subsystem.

Other types include the Lynx AH.6, AH.5 and the HT.1. Some of the naval variants are the HMA.8 (CMP), HMA.8 (SRU) and the HMA.8 (DSP). There are also export versions of the Lynx. These include the Lynx Mk.21, Super Lynx Mk.21A, Lynx Mk.25, Lynx Mk.28 and the Super Lynx 300.

As the fastest helicopter in the world, the Westland Lynx has become one of the most dependable units in various European Navy forces. Its efficiency can be seen by the fact that export versions are being sold to many countries.