File:Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 'XJ729' (G-BVGE) (51753953089).jpg

c/n WA.100 Built in 1956 as a Whirlwind HAR.2 for the Royal Air Force with the British military serial XJ729 and served in the Search and Rescue role with No.22 Squadron. She was converted to a turbine powered HAR.10 between 1960 and 1962 and remained in service with 22 Squadron until August 1983, when she went into store at RAF Finningley. In August 1984 she went on static display at Finningley and was allocated the maintenance serial 8732M for this purpose, but was sold for scrap in August 1993, with RAF Finningley itself closing in 1996. XJ729 was saved from the scrapman and was civil registered as G-BVGE in November 1993 and restored to airworthy condition. She attended various airshows between 1995 and 2007 when her certificate of airworthiness expired. I saw her at RIAT 1995, RIAT 1996 and at Yeovilton in 2000. She changed owners in 2013 and was again restored to flying condition but retaining her familiar 22 Squadron colour scheme. She is now operated under the ‘Historic Helicopters’ banner and is based at Chard in Somerset. She is seen on the flightline before displaying at the Imperial War Museum’s 2021 Battle of Britain Air Show. Duxford Airfield, Cambridgeshire, UK