First Lynx main airframe for Westland Helicopters rolled out

First Lynx main airframe for Westland Helicopters rolled out

First Lynx main airframe for Westland Helicopters rolled out

The first Westland Helicopters Ltd (WHL) Lynx main airframe to be manufactured and assembled entirely by GKN Aerospace Services was rolled out recently at the Company's GKN Structures site in Yeovil, England (Plates 5 and 6). The airframe has been manufactured to the high specification required by a prime export customer.

Plate 5 Mr Alan Johnston, Managing Director, Westland Helicopters Ltd and Mr Neal Keating, Managing Director, GKN Aerospace Services

Plate 6 GKN Aerospace Services rolls out first Lynx main airframe for Westland Helicopters Ltd

GKN Aerospace Services has traditionally manufactured and supplied sheet metal details for the Lynx aircraft as well as three major assemblies, the Forward Fuselage, Side Structures and PID nose. In 2001, the scope of supply increased to include Fit Out and Mini join activities, which proved successful in reducing airframe lead-time and costs. In 2002, the GKN Aerospace Services involvement increased once again when, following a competitive tender, the company was awarded a contract to the value of £12.5million which encompassed all of the previous workload plus the main join.