Author Topic: RN Historic Flight up close and personal...  (Read 610 times)

Offline Blakes7

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RN Historic Flight up close and personal...
« on: June 27, 2019, 07:43:11 AM »
While recently working for a civilian contractor I visited HMS Heron and attended a briefing at 845 Naval Air Squadron. 845 flew TBMs during WW2 and now fly the Merlin HC3 and HC4, Commando "Junglie". The Merlin has never crashed and has an unbelievable range. 845 are tasked with inserting special forces in any type of terrain or situation. Prince Charles  flew with them when he was a Sikorsky/Sea King pilot.

I was then taken around a private hangar where some of the RN Historic Flight are serviced. N.B. These images are not from the FAA museum outside the base. The Royal Navy is the only government organisation in the world, along with the RAF, to operate WW2 aircraft on active service, roughly a total of 20+ between them. The Navy has the distinction of operating biplanes as well. Everything you see is airworthy and listed on active service. Pilots need around 5000 hours with the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force before even being allowed to taxi them.

HMS Heron has a surprising amount of fog in the morning, Yeovilton Somerset is inland


I forgot the "don't touch anything" rule and had a good fiddle with the latest special forces helicopter...


845 just back from exercises in Norway, servicing the "Junglies".


The Sea Vixen belly-landed a couple of years ago and the RN need £2 million to restore it to airworthy condition. I'm thinking it's not a great idea, since roughly 50% of all Sea Vixens ever made, ended up crashing. The weapons officer has a truly terrifying cockpit position and I'd probably politely turn down the offer of a ride if I were you.


This is an airworthy Falklands-era Westland Wasp, N.B the driptray. Yes it did really fly around looking like it was being serviced in a garage.


Belly-landing damage on the Sea Vixen


Business end of a Swordfish. This is one of three, of which two are currently airworthy. This is the cockpit of "4A", painted as the HMS Victorious Swordfish which damaged the battleship Bismark. This Swordfish has fabric not metal under-wing and can only carry a torpedo. The white Swordfish has metal under-wing and is a late war version, which could carry depth charges or rockets. The late war version carried only two crew and could not carry torpedoes if it carried radar. Would love to see this in the game along with FW200 and depth charges for these and Heinkels, B-24s etc... Swordfish were responsible for the first ever attack at Taranto, copied by the Japanese at Pearl Harbour. When they attacked the Scharnhorst, the entire squadron was shot down. I forgot the "don't touch anything" rule again! I discovered many discrepancies between the real thing and the 1/72 model kits, also with the way modellers tend to paint them.


Showing the restoration work on the Sea Vixen


Hawker Sea Fury. Quite different from Hurri/Tiffie/Tempest... Airworthy.


Another shot of "4A". If you buy the Revell 1/72 Fairey Swordfish kit, it comes with decals for "4A".


The HC3/HC4 has lasers, cameras, various ECM, chaff, flares etc, tells the pilot everything happening around him, then there is good old hiding behind trees. It's the C-47 "goon" pilot's dream, but 845 do it in "any" terrain on the planet.


I also learned about this hidden reserve collection, not many people are aware of it. If you are service personnel you can wangle access probably for a visit:
https://www.fleetairarm.com/hall/Cobham-Hall/6.aspx


« Last Edit: June 27, 2019, 07:45:37 AM by Blakes7 »

Offline Shuffler

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Re: RN Historic Flight up close and personal...
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2019, 11:53:47 AM »
Very nice...... Thanks for posting!
80th FS "Headhunters"

S.A.P.P.- Secret Association Of P-38 Pilots (Lightning In A Bottle)