The Belvedere was the Royal Air Force's first twin engined, twin rotor helicopter to enter service. This particular Belvederes was one of six crated for transfer by cargo ship to Singapore where they joined 66 Sqdn at RAF Seletar in June 1962. She gave loyal service both in Singapore and Aden before being retired upon 66 Sqdn's disbandment in March 69. XG 474 was then shipped to the UK for preservation arriving at the RAF Museum in March 71.

One of the most unusual exhibits at the RAF Museum, this Belvedere spent most of its short service life between 1962 and 1969 with 66 Sqdn in the Far East. Of the 26 built, three survive; the other two are at the Helicopter Museum at Weston-Super-Mare and the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester

Thunderbirds are go? The Belvedere must be one of the quirkiest jet age aircraft to have reached operational service - 26 copies were built. Its impression of great size is mostly through clumsy design - it carried the same payload as a an early CH-46 Sea Knight or S-61.