NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2010 FAIREY SWORDFISH
aircrewman Andy Vanes headed to Duxford and the bookend of the 2010 display season. “There’s nothing like her on the display circuit,” says Lt Cdr Abbey. “Even if people are not especially interested in aviation, they love to see a Swordfish. “She’s easy to fly – as a pilot of complex aircraft, you can see why people love the Swordfish. It’s so simple. Keeping them flying is a bit more difficult.”
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All the historic flight’s aircrew are serving personnel; as Commanding Officer, Lt Cdr Abbey is the sole pilot permanently with the RNHF, but he’s joined by volunteers from the rest of the flying community who give up their time to crew the vintage aircraft, such as Lt Cdr Glenn Allison, CO of 727 Naval Air Squadron, who’s recently qualified as a Swordfish pilot.
Before the end of 2010, the vintage biplane was due to take part in Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal launch in Hampshire, HMS Ark Royal’s 25th birthday in Portsmouth, as well as
a Taranto anniversary flypast over Yeovilton, and one on behalf of Telegraphist Air Gunners – who with the pilot and observer completed the three-strong crew of a Swordfish – over Lee-on-Solent.
The winter will be used by the fitters and mechanics at the RNHF to work on the Swordfish with a view to appearances on the display circuit in 2011, plus the majestic Sea Hawk jet, the Sea Fury – the Navy’s last piston-engined fighter – and a small Chipmunk trainer, which completes the flight’s inventory.
Whereas the engines of today’s jets and helicopters can last, say, 3,000 hours, the engines which drive these museum pieces need replacing after perhaps just 250 hours. Given the age of the aircraft, maintenance work is time consuming – there’s a team of just ten people, plus a small band of volunteers, working at the flight’s home on the south side of RNAS Yeovilton.
As for the financial challenges of looking after these wonderful naval aircraft, well, overhauling a Pegasus engine alone devours around £90,000. As for a new set of Swordfish
wings, they’ll set you back some £1m. The flight receives funding from the Royal Navy and from the Fly Navy Heritage Trust (which was born out of a fund set up in the 1990s to keep the Swordfish airborne...) and receives considerable advice, expertise and assistance from BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Westlands. To learn more about the collection, upcoming appearances by the aircaft – and to help keep these magnificent machines airborne – visit
www.royalnavyhistoricflight.org. uk/home.
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