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History of the Sea Vixen |
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The Sea Vixen was designed as the
DH 110 in competition with the Gloster Javelin to provide the RAF and
Navy with a powerful radar and missile equipped all weather fighter
capable of catching the new generation of fast jet bombers. There was an
urgent need to replace the antiquated night-fighter version of the
Meteor and Venom and provide something more sophisticated than the
Hunters. The Sea Vixen first flew as the DH 110 in September 1951 and soon found favour with admiralty over the Javelin. The 1952 accident, where prototype DH 110 disintegrated over Farnborough, helped the RAF to choose the arguably inferior Javelin. The Navy stuck with the Sea Vixen however, and the first proper Vixen flew in June 1955, with a first arrested desk landing in April 1956. The FAW1 entered service in 1958 armed with Firestreak missiles giving the Navy its first missile armed interceptor. 119 FAW1s were built. |
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An upgraded version featuring
Avon 208 engines and increased fuel capacity emerged as the FAW2, which,
armed now with Red Top missiles, entered service in February 1964. 29
were new build aircraft, some 67 FAW2 were converted from FAW1s. The Sea
Vixen saw extensive service around the globe, including seeing 'action'
during the Indonesian confrontation and the Aden Crisis, before being
retired from the front line in January 1971. There were plenty of Vixens left with good airframe life in 1971. Given its robust construction, the aircraft was used extensively for trials and support work. Some of the surplus Vixens were assigned to the Air Direction Training Unit at Yeovilton (later FRADU) and flew there for a few years. |
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Various aircraft were used on
trials at different locations and, until at least 1979, at RAF Bedford.
Flight refuelling made extensive use of Sea Vixens, operating from Hurn.
Development of VC10 tanker flight refuelling pods was undertaken using a
FAW2 between 1982 and 1983 at Hurn. Llanbedr operated a limited number of aircraft. Only 4 were converted to drone status as the D3, with remote control equipment installed in the observers 'coal hole'. The conversion programme was commenced in the late seventies and suspended in 1983. D3 XP924 nevertheless served at Llanbedr in various capacities, being the last to fly in late 1991. De Havilland Sea Vixen XP924
is a unique survivor of an exotic aircraft type. Getting her back in the
air after many years of inactivity has been an expensive technical
challenge and there have also been significant regulatory hurdles to
cross. But De Havilland Aviation Ltd, has now become the first company
to obtain a Permit to Fly for such a potent and complex old war bird.
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De Havilland Aviation Ltd, Hanger 600, Bournemouth International Airport, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 6DQ |
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Tel: +44(0)1202 593600 Fax: +44(0)1202 593800 Email: info2007@dehavillandaviation.co.uk |
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