Another Navy Wings article...

[FD2]

Never dropped one from the hover. White bit on the tail of the torpedo is the parachute, deploys to keep it pointing in the right direction when dropped from 200 ft during an attack. The cover is attached by a cord to a strong point on the fuselage and pulled off when the torpedo is dropped. They seem to have moved over to drop it clear of the sonar body on the end of the cable.

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[CharlieOneSix]

Also never dropped one from the hover. Photo shows a Mk44 torpedo dropped on the ATDU range near Falmouth Bay during the Wessex HAS3 Intensive Flying Trials in 1967. The Mk44 would circle down in depth and then up until it acquired the target submarine and would then home in on it.

[FD2]

Then there was the business of trying to find it again - they are expensive!

[OneHungLow]

From this week's newsletter

Cockpit Magazine Feature

We were thrilled when we opened the Spring/Summer edition of the Royal Navy Flight Safety Magazine, Cockpit, and read the feature on Navy Wing's very own Chris Hurford.

This long established bi-annual magazine focuses on flight safety across the Fleet Air Arm.

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[OneHungLow]

From this week's Navy Wings newsletter.

Sea Fury Announcement

We are delighted to announce that the Navy Wings engineering team are now working on returning Sea Fury FB11 VR930 to flight.

Work is progressing well and we are hopeful that the aircraft will feature in the 2024 display season.

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Following the emergency landing of Sea Fury T.20 VX281 in April 2021, and the aircraft’s subsequent disposal, the charity has debated the best way to proceed with Sea Fury FB11 VR930.

Having taken the advice of engineers, pilots and other heritage aviation experts, the charity has decided that in order to continue to safely fly the aircraft, we need to replace the Centaurus engine with a Pratt and Whitney R2800 engine.

Clearly there are authenticity implications from taking this route so this has been a difficult decision for the charity to make. Nevertheless, we believe this to be the most responsible way of ensuring our FB11 can be enjoyed at air shows around the country.

The Pratt and Whitney R2800 is a contemporary engine of the Bristol Centaurus and was used to power aircraft such as the US Navy’s Vaught F4U Corsair, the Grumman F6F Hellcat and the US Airforce’s P-47 Thunderbolt. The engine remains in widespread use in the heritage aviation world, so we anticipate certain sustainability benefits in taking this option, as well as safety ones.

[CharlieOneSix]

Photo from this week's Navy Wings Newsletter.....

Ah, memories! HMS Ark Royal circa 1965/66 with two of our 815 Squadron Wessex HAS Mk1, the SAR Whirlwind HAS Mk7, two 890 Squadron Sea Vixens and two 803 Squadron Scimitars.

[G-CPTN]

Wonderful to see . . .

Thanks!

[FD2]

I hope the Sea Fury gets painted in Korean War markings, where it performed so well.

[OneHungLow]

This week's Navy Wings newsletter featured this photograph of their Swordfish and I was apt to link to the superb Fairey video kindly posted by bob2s.

bob2's video

Go to 55:40 for the Fairey Swordfish story (or even better watch the whole video)...

[OneHungLow]

Talking of Stringbags... from the week's Navy Wings Newsletter...

Anybody for a game of hockey?