AS.1 XA131 at Caloundra; R. Hitchins/Queensland Air Museum	AS.1 XA334 at Narellan, August 2001; Bob Lawson

Built in 1955, XA331 served with 816 and 817 NAS, RAN until retirement in 1967. Delivered to Nowra for possible use as a fire-fighting training aid, it was never used as such but over the years it was stripped and basically left derelict. QAM acquired it in 1992 and have since restored it from a gutted hulk into a superb example of the type as can be seen above, though the wrong serial has been applied. Information current as of 21/05/2005.

XA334 was severely damaged when it collided with the safety barrier when operating from the RAN carrier HMAS Melbourne in June 1967. After a catapult launch on a routine exercise, power was lost on one of the twin power pack Double Mambas. The pilot declared an emergency and obtained permission to fire the eight rockets carried on the wings. Being still in the take-off configuration, the rocket blast blew off both outboard flaps and severely damaged what remained of the flaps. This necessitated a higher than normal landing speed and the arrestor hook failed to pick up an arrestor wire and the aircraft crashed into the Safety Barrier. The extensive damage was not economically repairable resulting in the aircraft being withdrawn from service. The Museum replaced the spinners, propellors, fin, rudder, tailplane, elevators and outer mid wings.

AS.1 XA434 at Nowra, July 2002; Bob Lawson	AS.1 XG789 at Moorabbin, March 1999; Kieran Maher

Preserved in excellent condition at what used to be known as Australia's Naval Aviation Museum is AS.1 XA434. On Bob's visit she was looking a bit hemmed-in by other exhibits though, having been moved to the back of the hangar to make way for the arrival of Hunter 543. It looked as though some work has or is being carried out at the moment and it is generally in good static condition. Service record included spells with 724, 725, 816 & 817 Squadrons RAN. Information current as of 07/2002.

Poor old XG789 looks in a right state; aircraft don't normally get in this condition by neglect so I was hoping it was an indication of a repaint in progress - sadly, not so. A full five years after this photo was taken, the aircraft is looking almost exactly the same as pictured. A fairly sorry state of affairs really. Information current as of 05/05/2004.

T.2 XA508 at Coventry, 11th May 2002; author	AEW.3 XL450 at Hermeskeil; Martin Standaert

On loan from the Fleet Air Arm Museum, XA508 is the only T.2 left in the world, and was in fact the first production T.2. XA508 is in pretty good overall condition, as you can hopefully see from the photo, though the paintwork is now looking a bit tatty in places and the canopies are a little cloudy. Information current as of 15/05/2005.

XL450 appears to be in excellent condition and is supposedly at Hermeskeil for maintenance, having moved from Mönchengladbach for this purpose. However the aircraft has now been at Hermeskeil for some time and doesn't look likely to return to its previous location. Since the above picture was taken she has had a repaint and the canopy has, for some reason, been replaced by a custom-made item of the wrong shape, with flat sides and only a slight curve on top instead of the large bubble canopy normally seen. Information current as of 04/08/2004.

AEW.3 XL472 at the Gatwick Aviation Museum, April 1st 2000; author	AEW.3 XL482 at Pima, February 2005; Clifford Bossie

XL472 was used for some years after retirement as an instructional airframe at Boscombe Down, she's now part of Peter Vallance's collection at Charlwood. XL472 shows off the AEW.3 variant's underwing hardpoints, carrying a drop tank whereas most museum-bound AEW.3s have no underwing stores at all. She looks to be in pretty good condition though I suspect the years of outdoor display have done the aircraft few favours; at least as a naval type she's been built to be a little trickier to reduce to a pile of rust!

Like XL500, this Gannet had an unexpected new lease of life after retirement and was used by Hamilton Bradley in the US for propeller noise trials. When no more use could be found for the aircraft, it made what was at the time thought to be the last ever flight of a Gannet, landing at Bradley Airport to be displayed at the New England Air Museum. Since then of course two other Gannets have flown once more. Unfortunately, XL482 looked like it had been badly neglected since arriving at the museum; last recorded as badly faded, canopy clouded over and coated with muck. However the aircraft has now been moved to Pima and after a brief time in dismantled storage has been reassembled and put on display, though the radome has not been put in place yet (rumours abound of a Skyraider AEW restoration). Information current as of 04/2005.

AEW.3 XL497 at HMS Gannet, 5th January 2002; Bob Lawson	AEW.3 XL500 at Chatham, 27th June 2003; Mike Mitchell

XL497 holds the distinction of being one of only two Gannets to have seen air under their wings in recent times. In this case it was because she was removed - by a crane - from her normal place on the gate at HMS Gannet. She has been restored with several missing panels now replaced and the paintwork touched up.. XL497 first entered service with the Royal Navy in 1960 to replace the Douglas Skyraider and served with Hermes, Ark Royal, Victorious, Centaur and Eagle. It was flown from RAF Lossiemouth in 1978 and has been gate guardian at HMS Gannet, Prestwick ever since. In June 1990 it was removed by road to RNAS Yeovilton where it was repainted and weather sealed. It returned in November 1990 and has been on display there ever since. On Bob's most recent visit she was to be found fenced in behind a hangar but has since gone back onto display duties at the gate. Bizarrely after all that work to spruce her up, the MoD attempted to dispose of her by auction in 2005 - nobody purchased her, however, which must now leave her at serious danger of being disposed of as scrap. Information current as of 14/01/2006.

XL500 has had an unusually active retirement; first used by the School of Aircraft Handling at Culdrose, she then moved onto Lee-on-Solent for a period of storage and was then actually brought back to airworthy status. Dowty-Rotol Propellors operated the aircraft for a short period on noise trials and then XL500 was grounded once more, finally becoming the mascot of 849 NAS, back at Culdrose. She was put on display by the public viewing area at the airfield during the summer months but in late March 2000 moved once more, having been donated to the Chatham Dockyard Museum. Mike's picture shows her to be in rather faded condition and displayed outdoors on her wheels, which can't do her any favours. However, good news! Kennet Aviation have purchased her and put her on the civil register - though as yet no progress has been heard of since early 2004. Information current as of 15/05/2005.