The RAF Puma’s; and their south west connection

After 54 years in service with the Royal Air Force the Westland/Aerospatiale SA.330E Puma HC.2 was withdrawn from use on the 31st March 2025. The Medium Support Helicopter has served around the globe from Northern Ireland to Belize, Iraq to Afghanistan, but many won’t be aware of its connection with the South West. Whilst the majority of the fleet were built in Westland’s Hayes factory the final batch, registration ZA934 through to ZA942, were built at Westland’s Weston Super Mare factory during 1980/1981.

Introduced into RAF Service with 33 squadron at RAF Odiham in 1971 the Westland/Aerospatiale SA.330E Puma would see action across the world with 33 Squadron. However 33 Squadron has a long connection with the south west as the squadron was formed on the 12 January 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps, specializing in the air defense of Great Britain against  German airship raids flying amongst others Bristol Fighters, before disbanded in June 1919. Standing up again at RAF Netheravon on 1 March 1929 initially on Hawker Horsley’s later to transition onto Gloster Gladiators carrying out a air policing role in Palestine. Returning to the UK just in time for D-Day and returning to its initial role of air defense of Great Britain based out of RAF Lympne, Kent operating the mighty Supermarine Spitfire IX. After World War Two the Sqn moved to Kai Tak, Hong Kong flying Hawker Tempests and de Havilland Hornets before disbanding in March 1955. A short two year period saw the 33 Squadron operate de Havilland Venom NF.2s between October 55 and June 1957, Before flying west country airframes in the shape of Gloster Meteor NF.14 & Gloster Javelins from RAF Leeming. In April 1965, No. 33 Squadron changed direction completely moving to Surface to Air Missiles operating the Bristol Bloodhound from Butterworth in Malaya, before disbanding on 30 January 1970.

Following Westland closing its Hayes facility in 1972 the remaining few Westland/Aerospatiale SA.330E Puma HC.1’s from the initial contract of 40 were completed at Westland’s shadow factory in Old Mixon, Weston Super Mare.  As well as the production line, repair and modification work was carried out at Weston, 1976 saw XW218 have a period of maintenance carried out. By this time the production line had been shut down, only to be reopened in December 1978 when the Ministry of Defense requested an additional eight machines. ZA934 was the first to leave shop 4 carrying out its first flight on 7th May 1979 and being handed over to the Royal Air Force  just two weeks later, with the rest of the batch being delivered at an approximate rate of one a month. The final machine built in the distinctive red, white and blue of the Royal Aircraft Establishment was ZA941.This particular airframe returned to Weston Super Mare in 1982 to undertake a number of modifications in order for the aircraft to deploy to Denmark to carry out winter icing trials. During this time a number of component parts for Puma’s were produced on behalf of Aerospatiale main production plant in Marseille, France, these included Roof and cabin structures, cabin doors, and rear hatches. When production stopped in 1988 almost 1000 kits were produced and shipped to the South of France.

1991 saw RAF Puma HC.1’s take part in Operation Granby the UK Contribution to Operation Desert Storm more commonly known as The Gulf War. Westland Industrial Products Limited won a contract for the major rebuild of 49 Puma’s. Over a number of years each airframe was flown into Westland’s Yeovil facility stripped and then roaded to Old Mixon where the main lift frames were replaced and the engine and transmission systems repaired, before being roaded back to Yeovil for flight testing and handing over to the Royal Air Force. The first overhall was completed and handed over to the Royal Air Force on the 21st February 1992. 1997 saw the beginning of the end for Old Mixon’s work with the Royal Air Force’s Puma fleet with Westland Industrial Products Limited losing a lucrative transmissions refurbishment contract which had a lasting effect financially on the site along with the size of the workforce required.

The final Puma to leave the Old Mixon site was ZE449 originally built as a Aerospatiale SA.330L Puma registered PA-12 to the Argentinian Coast Guard. Captured during the Falklands War this Puma was brought back to the UK and used for many years as a ground instructional airframe. Westland Industrial Products Limited carried out an over hall on the rather battered airframe which had suffered grenade damage to the cockpit during the 1982 conflict, with some help from a donor airframe XW215 which ditched into the sea in the mid 1990’s the airframe was brought up to Westland/Aerospatiale SA.330E Puma HC.1 standard

The Puma has been the British military’s medium lift support helicopter for 54 years, from Eagle Vehicle Check Points in Northern Ireland to supporting Special Forces in Baghdad, ferrying Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff around Kabul to supporting heads of state visits to the UK, The Puma helicopter really has done it all. Whilst the majority of the publicity around the retirement of the Puma HC.2 centered around the retirement flypasts over 26th-27th March which did include a number of locations within the south west including MOD Boscombe Down, Salisbury Plain, MOD Abbey Wood and Defence Academy Shrivenham, a very low key farewell took place on 13th March at The Helicopter Museum, Weston Super Mare when Alien 1 & 2, Westland/Aerospatiale SA.330E Puma HC.2’s ZA939 & ZJ954 landed on at Weston Super Mare for the final time.

Report by Matt Sudol

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