NAVY WINGS SEA HAWK TO FLY AGAIN
The Navy Wings Wings Charity announced that they will cease work on their Sea Vixen FAW2 XP924 and instead begin the restoration to flight of their Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV908.
Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV908 was built at the Armstrong Whitworth factory at Baginton, Coventry, in 1954 as an FGA.4 variant and assembled at the company’s Bitteswell airfield before being delivered to the Royal Navy in 1955. She served initially with 807 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) and then 898 NAS embarked in HMS Ark Royal and HMS Bulwark and ashore at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Brawdy.
After conversion to FGA.6 standard at Fleetlands in 1958, she flew with 806 NAS until 1960 when she was reassigned to a training role with 738 Squadron at RNAS Lossiemouth. In 1962 the aircraft was sent for storage at the Royal Naval Aircraft Yard Belfast before being loaned to the RAF Apprentices School at RAF Halton in 1971 for use as a systems trainer. She was then acquired by RNAS Culdrose, which bears the name HMS Seahawk as a ‘ground runner’, used to train carrier deck personnel. At this juncture, a team of volunteers restored her to flying display condition with her taking to the skies in 1978 before transferring to RNAS Yeovilton to join the Royal Navy Historic Flight in 1982.
In 1989 she underwent a complete refurbishment at British Aerospace’s Dunsfold works which was completed in 1996. She is now resplendent in the markings she wore when serving with 806 NAS on front line service in HMS Albion.
On Sunday 26th of June, she was taken out of storage from RAF Shawbury and was transported by road to the Navy Wings Heritage Hangar at RNAS Yeovilton where she will be restored back to an airworthy condition.
Statement from the Navy Wings;
“Navy Wings Trustees have reached the difficult decision to cease work on Sea Vixen FAW2 XP924.
The Sea Vixen suffered a hydraulic failure in May 2017 resulting in a controlled wheels up landing at RNAS Yeovilton. Despite the charity’s best efforts to attract interest over the last five years, including appeals for a 'white knight' to fund the restoration of the Sea Vixen, we were unable to raise the considerable funds required to restore her back to flight.
As the charity is funded by public donations, Trustees must always be mindful of achieving the most cost-effective outcomes from the funds that are generously donated by our supporters. With that in mind, the decision has been taken to offer the Sea Vixen to a museum or private collection.
However, if someone was to come forward in the next month with a plan to purchase the aircraft and restore her back to flight, we would listen to any proposals seriously.
Over the same period, we have been assessing the wider feasibility of all our potential aircraft restoration projects and, as part of that process, we have concluded that the restoration of Sea Hawk FGA.6 WV908 to flight is both affordable and achievable.”
