XG454

XG454, constructor's number 13349, was a pre-production Belvedere built at Weston-super-Mare for the RAF Belvedere Trials Unit at Odiham. It first flew on 18 June 1960 and joined the unit on 14 October 1960.

Three weeks later both engines failed at 200 ft while it was lifting a Land Rover and trailer. The crew dropped the load and autorotated onto grass, but the nose wheels dug in and sheared. After four months of repairs it flew again on 21 March 1961.

On 30 August 1961 it was rehearsing for Farnborough with 25 paratroops aboard. A crosswind caught it and it landed heavily tail first. It was written off and used for ground instruction at RAF Netheravon. On 15 October 1964 it returned to the Weston factory, gained a new rear fuselage, and flew again on 23 February 1967.

Vibration problems kept it at the factory and in store until 1968. On 20 May 1968 it flew to RAF Abingdon and was withdrawn five days later. It appeared at the Queen's review of the RAF on 15 June 1968. In May 1969 it went into store at RAF Henlow for the RAF Museum.

From 1972 it was on loan to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. It was on show when that museum opened on 30 March 1983. The RAF Museum transferred ownership to The Helicopter Museum in 2016. It returned to Weston on 21 January 2022. It logged 167 flying hours.

On display at Weston-super-Mare beside its sister XG452, a few miles from where both were built.