D.H. Sea Vixen
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D.H. Sea Vixen
Hi forum members. I'm new here and finding my feet by making a couple of posts. I thought I'd start by asking, has anyone out there got anything nice to say about the inimitable Sea Vixen? It is coming in for a lot of negative comment on Youtube an other media nowadays.
The Sea Vixen was the first aircraft to ever capture my imagination as a (I think) 4 year-old, when I was given a small die-cast replica (along with a Javelin, but that's another story) and I have loved it ever since, but I have yet to see any glowing accounts or references by those who flew it.
The Sea Vixen was the first aircraft to ever capture my imagination as a (I think) 4 year-old, when I was given a small die-cast replica (along with a Javelin, but that's another story) and I have loved it ever since, but I have yet to see any glowing accounts or references by those who flew it.
I don't know if you have read it but there is an interesting and balanced chapter on the Sea Vixen in 'Fleet Air Arm Boys' Vol One by Steve Bond,published by Grub Street (2020).
Although I never had anything to do with either type, from what I've heard from those who know it was better than the Javelin - which beat it to the RAF order for the AW fighter at the time.
I remember a comment from a USAF exchange officer saying that he thought the British had the best designers in the world. He reckoned that it took great talent to put so much power into the Sea Vixen, the Scimitar, the Javelin and the Bucc and still not get them to go supersonic!
A novice Vixen pilot; a love hate relationship.
Poor serviceability, plagued by electric fuel pumps, yet fun to fly and very versatile.
Supersonic, yes, juddered a bit and suffered wing drop to the point of being inverted.
Stable at high speed low level, out perform a Hunter at high altitude, provided the in-turn engine didn't stop.
Anyone could fly it, providing you could get the parking brake off.
Poor serviceability, plagued by electric fuel pumps, yet fun to fly and very versatile.
Supersonic, yes, juddered a bit and suffered wing drop to the point of being inverted.
Stable at high speed low level, out perform a Hunter at high altitude, provided the in-turn engine didn't stop.
Anyone could fly it, providing you could get the parking brake off.
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Thank you chaps, I will get a copy of Fleet Air Arm boys straight away.
'...... out perform a Hunter at high altitude, provided the in-turn engine didn't stop.' - Love that!
'...... out perform a Hunter at high altitude, provided the in-turn engine didn't stop.' - Love that!
My first ever flight in a military aeroplane was in the coal hole of an 892 Sqn 'vixen at the age of 15, so I have a very soft spot for the jet!
It was great to see them flying nearby when I lived near RAF Merryfield!
It was great to see them flying nearby when I lived near RAF Merryfield!
Nine years from first flight to squadron service 
A lot due to RAF and Navy dithering.
The sadly missed G-CVIX, fitted with later Avons and no military payload, was reputed to be the only aircraft on the civil register that was supersonic in level flight following the demise of Concorde.
The sadly missed G-CVIX, fitted with later Avons and no military payload, was reputed to be the only aircraft on the civil register that was supersonic in level flight following the demise of Concorde.
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The one that landed at Valley one day did it's best to disprove something called laminar flow was useful for flight....the right wing being opened up to give a credible impression of a sardine can.....somebody will doubtless know the full story, but apparently caused by a brief, but passionate, contact with something solid on "Eagle".
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I don't know if any of the Lightnings that graced the UK register 35 years ago are technically still on it - none of them flew as G-**** so far as I know and most migrated to South Africa of course...
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My main recollections of Sea Vixens were from a project to modify some to become drones under an FR contract.
I think it was late '74 or early '75 several Vixens were delivered to Farnborough for the mods. I remember an FR test pilot flying in from Tarrant Rushton (that rather dates it) every time one was to be flown and I recall how big they looked when carrying out circuits.
On one occasion, the TP arrived as usual in an Aztec. An hour or so later, we noticed they were pushing the Aztec into the hangar along with the Vixen. Somebody phoned the 'A' Shed handlers to find out what was happening; apparently the TP had been a bit 'enthusiastic' about his planned flight and had leapt into the cockpit with great gusto and bashed his head in doing so; he was subsequently advised (presumably by our medics; we had a Medical Centre on site) not to fly that day.
I don't know how many they modded at Farnborough; there always seemed to be two in the hangar being worked on whenever I looked in and I was told they completed a total of 8; I'm not sure if they went straight to Llanbedr or whether they went to Tarrant Rushton first.
I think it was late '74 or early '75 several Vixens were delivered to Farnborough for the mods. I remember an FR test pilot flying in from Tarrant Rushton (that rather dates it) every time one was to be flown and I recall how big they looked when carrying out circuits.
On one occasion, the TP arrived as usual in an Aztec. An hour or so later, we noticed they were pushing the Aztec into the hangar along with the Vixen. Somebody phoned the 'A' Shed handlers to find out what was happening; apparently the TP had been a bit 'enthusiastic' about his planned flight and had leapt into the cockpit with great gusto and bashed his head in doing so; he was subsequently advised (presumably by our medics; we had a Medical Centre on site) not to fly that day.
I don't know how many they modded at Farnborough; there always seemed to be two in the hangar being worked on whenever I looked in and I was told they completed a total of 8; I'm not sure if they went straight to Llanbedr or whether they went to Tarrant Rushton first.
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Six were indeed registered as G-BNCA, PFE, TSY, FSIX, LTNG and OPIB but obviously the CAA eventually vetoed their operation. I imagine the fliers were delivered by service pilots under their RAF serials. (Plus an earlier four were registered by BAC for overseas demonstrations in the 1960s). Do I recall half a dozen lined up at Cranfield?
It is/was of course possible to register almost anything, as G-DJIM (I think - it was supposedly a man hole cover) and G-ZZZZ, a Point Maker "hot air balloon" were trying to prove... the glut of registered "bin bags" around 1981 was an extraordinary fad. I think Mark Hanna waited to see if operating his Phantom would be possible, so it was never registered.
It is/was of course possible to register almost anything, as G-DJIM (I think - it was supposedly a man hole cover) and G-ZZZZ, a Point Maker "hot air balloon" were trying to prove... the glut of registered "bin bags" around 1981 was an extraordinary fad. I think Mark Hanna waited to see if operating his Phantom would be possible, so it was never registered.