Hi there.. Remember me lol I used to post aircraft photos ALLOT! Well I shall post more from now on, more hardware.. Here is the first, as promised.. These are The Black Cats, lifting off at Duxford sending up a cloud of grass cuttings! Photoshopped for MAX detail.. The Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants. The Lynx went into operational usage in 1977 and was later adopted by the armed forces of over a dozen nations, primarily serving in the battlefield utility, anti-armour, search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare roles. The Lynx was the world's first fully aerobatic helicopter. In 1986 a specially modified Lynx set the current Fédération Aéronautique Internationale's official airspeed record for helicopters.. The HAS.2 naval ASW variant took part in combat operations in British service during the Falklands War in 1982. Although none were shot down, three were lost aboard vessels hit in Argentine air attacks (HMS Coventry, HMS Ardent and MV Atlantic Conveyor).. Lynx helicopters used the Sea Skua to devastating effect against the Iraqi Navy during the 1991 Gulf War. The Lynx also saw service with British Army forces during that conflict.. In September 2000 the Lynx was used during an operation to rescue British soldiers in Sierra Leone. The Lynx was used during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It has also seen extensive service during peacekeeping operations and exercises, and it is standard equipment for most Royal Navy surface combatants when they deploy.. A British Lynx from 847 Naval Air Squadron was shot down over Basra, Iraq on 6 May 2006. The helicopter was downed by a surface-to-air missile (using a Man Portable Air Defence System) killing all five on board. This was the first British helicopter and only the second British aircraft downed (the first was an RAF Hercules) due to enemy fire in the war. A flight of either AAC or RM Lynx AH.7s are based at Basra Air Station under command of the Joint Helicopter Force (Iraq) on a rotational basis, but are restricted operationally during the summer months due to the very high daytime temperatures which affect lifting capacity and endurance dramatically.. STAT TIME: Crew: 2 or 3 Capacity: 10 troops Powerplant: 2 x Rolls-Royce Gem turboshaft, 835 kW (1,120 shp) each Maximum speed: 201 mph. Range: 328 miles with standard tanks. Armament Naval: 2 x torpedoes or 4x Sea Skua missiles or 2 x depth charges. Attack: 2 x 20mm cannons, 2 x 70mm rocket pods CRV7, 8 x TOW ATGM General: 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Guns, Browning AN/M3M .50 calibre heavy machine gun. Or a variety of whatever! Enjoy.. Rob PS: The Black Cats are at Waddington in their new fancy paintwork.. Weather outlook at the moment......not good! Thanks to Wiki for some info....