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| DE HAVILLAND SEA VIXEN |
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| PICTURES - GALLERY 3 |
|---|
[History]
[Survivors & Leading Particulars]
[Pictures]
[References & Credits]
This page last updated on 29th February 2004
[Survivors 1]
[Survivors 2]
[Survivors 3]
[Gallery 1]
[Gallery 2]
[Gallery 3]
[Gallery 4]
[Cockpit]
[Fuselage]
[Wings]
[Undercarriage]
These pictures were kindly donated by Ray Deacon. They are for your personal use only
and may not be reproduced or redistributed in any form. Ray has a sizeable collection of photos of
aircraft, taken throughout his service in the RAF and available for publication - contact him for
details.
To provide relief for the Aden-based Hunter squadrons operating the arduous
dawn-till-dusk patrols along the Yemeni border, the Royal Navy periodically
provided cover from one of its five aircraft carriers whenever they passed
through the Suez Canal. Together with the Scimitar and subsequently the
Buccaneer, the Sea Vixen undertook a major share of these sorties. To
identify an aircraft's mother-ship, a single-letter code was applied to the
tailfin, these codes being; C=Centaur, E=Eagle, H=Hermes, R=Ark Royal,
V=Victorious.
- This view of 893 NAS FAW.1 XJ611 "466", was taken from the bridge of
HMS Centaur while at rest in Aden Harbour in March 1963. The gaping hole in
the bottom right was normally filled by the aircraft lift when not in use.
- Taken on the same day, this shot on Centaur's deck depicts 893 NAS FAW.1
XN654 "464", probably undergoing maintenance in the cockpit area as the
canopy had been removed. Note that an arrester-wire was in position even
though the ship was in harbour at the time - just another hazard for the
inattentive matelot!
- After a few-days in Aden harbour, the visiting carrier would take up
station in the Red Sea, from where its front-line squadron and several
Gannet AEW.3s would be dispatched to RAF Khormaksar, ready for the border
operations. In this view, Sea Vixen FAW.1 XN694 "467", taxies along the
peri-track with wings already folded.
- Another carrier to pass through Aden in 1963 was HMS Hermes and one of
892 NAS' FAW.1s, XN691 "219", is seen taxiing-out at RAF Khormaksar for a
sortie along the Yemen border.
- Three years later and XN691 is captured once again this time immediately
following its conversion to FAW.2 standard. The occasion was the RNAS Brawdy
Air Day in August 1966. The mark 2 Sea Vixen was easily distinguished from
the mark 1 by the extended overwing fuel tanks and Red Top missiles in place
of the Firestreaks when carried.
The first picture here was kindly submitted by Peter R March, is his copyright and is for
your personal use only; for anything else,
contact Peter.
- PRM's superb shot of XP924 doing a flyby at Swansea on May 29th 2000 before departing for Hurn.
- Five shots I took at Hurn (Bournemouth International Airport) later the same day, capturing XP924 (G-CVIX)
on arrival at her new home - her first flight since being ferried into Swansea several years ago. Of course
nowadays she's got several airshow seasons under her belt, and looks rather different!
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