Sea Vixen
can't see that you would be able to insure an aircraft like that to cover repairs ! premium would be millions ! i suspect the cover is for 3rd party liability only ! lets hope someone will put some money in to keep her going !
While it is always to sad to see a sole flyer retire, it does bring up the questions of when is it a good time to retire an airframe? Is the 2-3 million the best way to preserve FAA heritage? Are other projects more feasible? Please no pitchforks and I hate to be a wet blanket- I love to see flyers as much as anyone- but sometimes a well deserved retirement is...well deserved. If someone steps up- fantastic, and I do wish all concerned the very best.
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I guess one (slightly) positive is there are plenty of preserved Vixens around to get some airframe and other parts from, Notwithstanding of course that most of them will not have flown for some 45 years and corrosion etc will of course have taken it's toll and pumps, gearboxes etc will need extensive overhauls. However, some of the later frames operated by FR Aviation and RAE Llanbedr last flew only some 25 years ago.
XS590 has been preserved at Yeovilton and stored undercover most of the time too and I believe is also the last built Sea Vixen too. Potential boom donor maybe, swapping with the now cracked ones off XP924? All subject to being sound structurally and corrosion wise of course.
But then there is the money.......given their long association with the Sea Vixen I would love to see my old company FR Aviation (now Cobham) donating some cash and possibly resources given their large airframe and component overhaul business. Might be some good PR for them....
XS590 has been preserved at Yeovilton and stored undercover most of the time too and I believe is also the last built Sea Vixen too. Potential boom donor maybe, swapping with the now cracked ones off XP924? All subject to being sound structurally and corrosion wise of course.
But then there is the money.......given their long association with the Sea Vixen I would love to see my old company FR Aviation (now Cobham) donating some cash and possibly resources given their large airframe and component overhaul business. Might be some good PR for them....
Fingers crossed someone comes forward to help them out - it's a big ask though.
Other airframes wise, even if other owners were prepared to have their pride & joys cannabilised, there must be other implications to consider such as flying hours/faitgue on said components (would the CAA allow this?) plus someone else has said that these aircraft were built in the analogue age and many donor components just might not fit!
I think brand newly built replacement parts is probbaly the only way to go - I'm certainly no expert, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon to comment...
Everything crossed at this end for 'Foxy' though...
Other airframes wise, even if other owners were prepared to have their pride & joys cannabilised, there must be other implications to consider such as flying hours/faitgue on said components (would the CAA allow this?) plus someone else has said that these aircraft were built in the analogue age and many donor components just might not fit!
I think brand newly built replacement parts is probbaly the only way to go - I'm certainly no expert, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon to comment...
Everything crossed at this end for 'Foxy' though...
Whatever all the complexities of ownership and maintenance are that , to my amateur, eye looks a terrific piece of flying with no flaps so a fast approach speed and keeping it perfectly straight and level once its one the ground
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Other airframes wise, even if other owners were prepared to have their pride & joys cannabilised, there must be other implications to consider such as flying hours/faitgue on said components (would the CAA allow this?) plus someone else has said that these aircraft were built in the analogue age and many donor components just might not fit!
With respect to other owners having their "price and joy" cannibalized....if they are never going to fly again and only museum exhibits, why wouldn't another owner want to assist - particularly the FAA Museum who surely would have a vested interest in the RN having a flying frame? Plus any internal component, ie gearbox will not really matter either as it will never, ever be functionally used again on the donor frame?
Is anyone out there able to shed a bit more light on the vagaries of the Sea Vixen's hydraulic system? Is it similar to the other twin-Avon types, i.e. Lightning/PR9 where each engine drives a pair of pumps; 2 of these being effectively paralleled to provide a utilities/services supply with the other 2 pumps each supplying their own 'controls' supply. This gave redundancy at almost every level.
The PR9 undercarriage emergency lowering was via a hand-pump, whereas the Lightning used one of the 2 'controls' systems to provide the necessary pressure.
The report makes mention of Green and Red system pumps; one of which seized but the other failed to provide any output. Do these pumps both provide pressure to the utilities/services system??
The PR9 undercarriage emergency lowering was via a hand-pump, whereas the Lightning used one of the 2 'controls' systems to provide the necessary pressure.
The report makes mention of Green and Red system pumps; one of which seized but the other failed to provide any output. Do these pumps both provide pressure to the utilities/services system??
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Sea Vixen Mk.2 Pilot Notes Hydraulic System PDF 2.5Mb:
https://www.seavixen.org/images/docu...Hydraulics.pdf
https://www.seavixen.org/images/docu...Hydraulics.pdf
Hi SpazSinbad
Thanks for that - very quick service! The Vixen's hyd system looks a tad more complex than both the Lightning & PR9. It would appear that the Red and Green systems are completely independent apart from that rather involved common reservoir!
Thanks for that - very quick service! The Vixen's hyd system looks a tad more complex than both the Lightning & PR9. It would appear that the Red and Green systems are completely independent apart from that rather involved common reservoir!
The latest update on the navy wings website states that they have been unable to find a white knight to underwrite the repairs, so the future is not looking good. But it has only been a few weeks since the accident, so hopefully they will keep looking and eventually find the money.
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Another one gone.... Strikemaster destroyed in the US
BAC Strikemaster Mk80 crashed and destroyed in Las Vegas yesterday. Pilot ok, apparently, thank goodness.
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196868
Pilot survives vintage military jet crash in Nevada desert
Probably one of those operated by Blue Air Training - https://www.blueairtraining.com/#slides
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=196868
Pilot survives vintage military jet crash in Nevada desert
Probably one of those operated by Blue Air Training - https://www.blueairtraining.com/#slides
