N08 - Westland Scout AH.1

RAN N8 Westland Scout AH.1

Scout 841 October 2007 Photo Darren Crick.

The RAN acquired two Westland Scouts for hydrographic work in 1963. They arrived in Australia on the merchant vessel "Auckland Star" on 20/03/63.

Aircraft Serial	Const No.	UK Serial	RAN Code	Aircraft History
N8-101	F.9490	WS101	841, 891	Delivered 20/03/63. Arrived as WS101 and later Serialled N8-101. Damaged 03/64 during landing. Withdrawn 10/08/77. To Naval Aviation Museum 10/82. Restored to flying condition as 891/VH-NVY. Damaged, rolling on its side in an accident at Schofield Air Show in Nov 1985. The cause of the accident was an unqualified, unlicensed pilot who tried to air taxi it to another spot. Static Display at Australia's Museum of Flight, Nowra NSW as 891. The tail boom, possibly an expired one, from aircraft XV134 has been used to complete this aircraft. After some doubt on the id's supplied here it was noted in the cockpit 12/01 there was a plate with c/n F.8456.
N8-102	F.9491	WS102	842, 892	They arrived in Australia on the merchant vessel "Auckland Star". Delivered 20/03/63. Arrived as WS102 and later Serialled N8-102. Ditched 08/04/67, from HMAS Moresby in Wewak Harbour PNG. While the aircraft was recovered it was written off.

Scout airframes acquired by the FAA Museum

Aircraft Serial

Const No.

RAN Code

Aircraft History

XR603

F.9525

N/A

Delivered 11/08/1964 to UK Army Air Corps.

This aircraft was acquired for restoration at Nowra NSW for the Naval Historic Flight and is an ex British Army aircraft XR603. Although it has been done up in the colours of N8-102 it has as yet never flown in Australia.
Along with it came a certain amount of spares.
It arrived in Australia aboard a Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship.
On being off loaded in Sydney it was improperly lashed to a Flatbed an the tail boom was damaged enroute to RANAS Nowra.
It was to be restored to flight as 892, Registered VH-NVW representing N8-102
With the demise of the RANHF it was listed for disposal at Gray's Auctions in January 2019
It was sold along with spare parts for $21,209

Page Authors Dave Masterson (Past Author Darren Crick updated by Brendan Cowan)

Suggestions have been made the c/n's above are wrong... the Helicopter Museum at Weston Super Mare via Eddy Davis have confirmed they are correct.
This comes from Official Documents. Our thanks to those who assisted in solving this problem.

Comprehensive histories of these aircraft have been provided by Bob Geale.

Source: Australian Aviation Magazine, CASA Aircraft Database, Bob Geale.

Emails: Martin Best, Mark Clayton, Bob Geale, Alan Allen, Eddy Davis, Brendan Cowan, Martin Edwards.

Converted to CMS 9th September 2025

Updated 2nd May 2019