For all its little niggles the Scimitar was a great aircraft and has a soft spot in my memories.
I joined 700X Sqdn at RNAS Ford in November 1957, the Scimitar trials unit. We worked in shifts around the clock at a pace for six months. The CO was Cmdr Innes (brother of Hammond Innes) and he kept a 'personal' Sea Vampire in the hangar as a run around when he wasn't in a Scimitar. I believe he had a reputation as a bit of a hard man from a pilots perspective but was a right gent to the ground crews. Sadly, he died in a road crash at the Devils Punchbowl, as I recall, just before 803 Sqdn formed up.
On the 28th May 1958 we all traipsed off the Lossiemouth and were redesignated 803 Squadron. Cmdr Des Russell became the CO and Lt Cmdr (E) Titford, who was also ex-700X, continued as the AEO. There were some great characters amongst the jockeys. Lt Cmdr Higgs (Senior 'P') become CO when Des Russell died after making a text book landing on the Victorious only to be let down by the ships arrester system.
Legendary flyers such as 'Ali' Barber, Ted Anson, Casperd, Beyfus, Beard and Leece all gave us plenty to do and talk about.
In February 1959, as the birth of my daughter was to coincide with the squdron going off to the US, I was given a 'pier head' jump to 807 Sqdn to continue sorting out the 'beasts' for a further year before transferring to the 764 Sqdn (Hunter) comfort zone !
The leaks we all remember, the drip trays the dustbins, etc., were mainly caused by small defects in the PRC coating inside the wings. When built in the factory the hollow wings were put on a tumbler rig and hot PRC injected into them and tumbled until all the inner surfaces were deemed to have been covered...or not ! I recall changing the stbd mainplane in 'C' Hangar on the Vic whilst the rest of the squadron went off to Malta for a jolly....the ultimate attempt to cure a fuel leak!
The Scimitar was certainly an aircraft built to test the skills of all who were brave enough to take them on.