One of the RAN’s Westland Wessex helicopters turns to take up position astern of HMAS Melbourne as a Tracker emerges from her lift– one of the series of naval subjects painted by the artist.

The first RAN Wessex arrived at HMAS Albatross in1962 and 817Sqdn then operated them from the carrier Melbourne. 27 were finally ordered and most of them were upgraded to the Mk31B model as in the painting.

The aircraft was originally designed by the great American designer , Igor Sikorsky, as the S58. (An information piece supplied with the reproduction carries the artist’s sketch of Sikorsky.) The Westland company in England carried out the modifications for its use by the RAN as a carrier-borne anti-submarine and rescue helicopter.