Supermarine Scimitar
Profile Drawings
Ancestors
Type 508 VX133, Vickers-Supermarine, RAE Boscombe Down, 1951; author
As first flown on 31st August 1951
Overall natural metal
Type 529 VX136, Vickers-Supermarine, RAE Boscombe Down, 1952; author
As first flown on 29th August 1952; slightly extended tail cone and strakes in front of fins
Overall natural metal
Type 525 VX138, Vickers-Supermarine, RAE Boscombe Down, 1954; author
As first flown on 27th April 1954
Overall natural metal
Type 525 VX138, Vickers-Supermarine, Chilbolton, 1954; author
Enlarged fin and engine bay intakes added
Overall cream scheme applied in September for Farnborough SBAC show
Type 525 VX138, Vickers-Supermarine, RAE Boscombe Down, 1955; author
Dogtooth wing leading edges added; as lost on 5th July 1955
Mock naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Sky; serial position is a guess
Prototype
N.113D WT854, Vickers-Supermarine, RAE Boscombe Down, 1956; author
As first flown on 20th January 1956
Early naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
Production Aircraft
F.1 XD221 of 700X NAS (Scimitar Intensive Flying Trials Unit), RNAS Ford, 1957; author
Early style of nose cone
Early naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD223 of 700X NAS (Scimitar Intensive Flying Trials Unit), RNAS Ford, 1958; author
Photo-reconaissance nose cone
Early naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD277 of 800 NAS, HMS Ark Royal, 1961; author
Standard nose cone, IFR probe, drop tanks and practice bombs
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD326 of 804 NAS, HMS Hermes, 1961; author
Standard nose cone, drop tanks and 2 inch rockets
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD321 of 807 NAS, HMS Centaur, 1961; author
Standard nose cone, drop tanks
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD268 of A&AEE Weapons Flight (Bullpup missile trials, ex 803 NAS, HMS Victorious), West Freugh, 1962; author
PR nose cone, under-belly camera pod, Bullpup missiles
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD239 of 736 NAS, RNAS Lossiemouth, 1962; author
Standard nose cone, IFR probe, practice bombs and AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD250 of 803 NAS, HMS Hermes, 1964; author
Standard nose cone, IFR probe, 1000lb bombs
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD229 of the Royal Aircraft Establishment, West Freugh, 1966; author
Early nose cone, practice bombs
One-off scheme of Powder Blue and White
F.1 XD243 of 800(B) NAS, HMS Eagle, 1966; author
Standard nose cone, IFR probe, drop tanks
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
F.1 XD317 of Airwork Services Ltd's Fleet Requirements Unit, Hurn, 1969; author
Harley light nose cone, drop tanks
Standard naval scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and White
Visitor Comments
21 people have commented on this page. This is comment section 1 of 3.
Roy Kirk from East Yorkshire
Posted at 5:02pm on Monday, April 8th, 2013
Served on 803 at Lossiemouth and on the Victorious. Lost a few and spent many hours mopping up leaking fuel and taking all those screws of the engine panels - happy days.
Peter Duhig from Perth.
Posted at 2:08am on Sunday, January 1st, 2012
1st Crew chief XD 277
(Scimitar 101 as shown above).
Aircraft joined 800 Squadron brand new..Early 1959.
Serving Lossiemouth Mid East and North Atlantic aboard Ark Royal until mid 1961.
Sadly...XD 277 Crashed... flying off Singapore March 1966.(803)
On 800...My opposite watch
"Crew chief" was AA1 Taffy Perkins.Are you there Taff?
Myself.. Lossie 738 until drafted Tengah 1962.
(Scimitar, Vixen & Buccaneer AHU)
Peter.
January 1st 2012.
Malcolm Campbell from glasgow
Posted at 3:40pm on Thursday, September 15th, 2011
I joined 803 sqd at Singapore nov 65 and all the drip trays for the leaks are still vivid but what about all the screws we had to remove with our GS srewdrivers to remove the engine panels.
Dick Pearce from Moray
Posted at 8:28pm on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
"Henry Pearson from UK
I spent about a year from April 61 at AHU Lossiemouth working on Scimitars."
Henry, you may remember the loss of XD264 if you were up here in July '61 - I've located bits of it in an scrapyard in close to Elgin. I've put pictures online but don't know how to link to them on here; I've commented in the 'Gallery' section.
Andrew Hunt from London ex Yeovil
Posted at 6:37pm on Friday, February 25th, 2011
I bought an airbrake from a Scimitar at a Yeovil carboot sale in the early 90s. I’m not really into planes but it’s a beautiful piece of sculpture to me. Now hanging on my kitchen wall.
Henry Pearson from UK
Posted at 10:06pm on Thursday, February 24th, 2011
I spent about a year from April 61 at AHU Lossiemouth working on Scimitars. They were without doubt the worst aircraft I ever had the misfortune to work on (A/E) I can't think of a job that was easy. What a wonderfil releaf to be drafted to 801 Buccaneers even the Mk 1 was a blessed relief and even better the Mk2 Buccaneers at Boscombe Down and again much later as the Tech Rep at RAF Laarbruch with two Bucc squadrons
Slim Elswood from yeovil
Posted at 12:06pm on Saturday, February 12th, 2011
1spent 62-6on803 lossiemouth-h.m.s.hermes,what an aircraft a flying tank,but oh the leaking,through our pylons bombheads nightmare.
Dave Frances from Nuneaton
Posted at 9:13am on Sunday, October 3rd, 2010
For your info Mike (New) the scimitar that ditched and the pilots canopy jammed, was in 1958 aboard HMS VICTORIOUS.
Dave
Wilf Lockett from lancashire
Posted at 7:55pm on Monday, September 20th, 2010
I SPENT TWO YEARS,1962-63 HMS VICTORIOUS, HMS HERMES. AS A MEMBER OF THE "GREEN EMPIRE" I CAN,T RECALL A TASK THAT WAS EASY. AND BOY HOW THEY LEAKED. AT RAF TANGAH THE RAF COMPLAINED WE WERE DESTROYING THEIR HARD STANDINGS.
Slm Elswood from yeovil
Posted at 3:59pm on Saturday, July 24th, 2010
i spent 1963-1965 on 803 lossie and hermes she was a good aircraft for a bomhead thanks for the site.