Sea Vixen undercarriage collapse, 5/4/2012

[FGR2]

You will probably find the Red Bull sponsorship covered some of the operating costs making airshow booking prices cheaper. I saw it at Southend for a few years and at Biggin whilst in Red Bull scheme.

Without sponsorship I am guessing more of the operating costs would have to be passed on to the airshow organisers.

[Excalibur1990]

So sad that it was everywhere when it was dressed up like a circus freak

Jeez, it would have been so much better grounded through lack of funds, rusting away in RAE red/yellow in a disused corner at Hurn wouldn't it?

[st24]

So sad that it was everywhere when it was dressed up like a circus freak

Jeez, it would have been so much better grounded through lack of funds, rusting away in RAE red/yellow in a disused corner at Hurn wouldn't it?

It wasnt though was it? It attended far more shows as in the superb drone colours than the 899 scheme....

[centaurus18]

Your more-shows argument is a bit flawed...

During the 2001 season Foxy Lady was the "must have" participant for airshows, hence the substantial bookings, indeed it may still be its busiest season.
The following year, it was a bit quieter as DHA were looking out for a 2nd pilot to supplement Dan Griffith and his busy work schedule, and Brian Grant was only checked out on the cab in July, and cleared for displays the following month in time for Yeovilton.

Its display life in 899NAS markings has also been dogged recently by pilot retirement and then illness, its engineering company being forced to move lock stock out of its facilities into smaller accommodation, only to then go into Administration.
The new organisation had to acquire all the CAA approvals to maintain and operate the jet privately, and only then could newest pilot Cdr Simon Hargreaves be trained up and cleared to fly her.

[WV318]

Promoting the aircraft as "the fastest jet in private hands" might be a pretty good selling point, and not one that I've heard mentioned too much before.

Probably because its not, unless Hunters don't count

either way its a shame i do love the Vixen

[LN Strike Eagle]

Promoting the aircraft as "the fastest jet in private hands" might be a pretty good selling point, and not one that I've heard mentioned too much before.

Probably because its not, unless Hunters don't count

either way its a shame i do love the Vixen

It's supersonic, is it not?

[WV318]

Promoting the aircraft as "the fastest jet in private hands" might be a pretty good selling point, and not one that I've heard mentioned too much before.

Probably because its not, unless Hunters don't count

either way its a shame i do love the Vixen

It's supersonic, is it not?

Not as far as im aware, its still a trans/subsonic jet

unless you mean supersonic in a dive... like a Hunter

[DamienB]

Hunters aren't supersonic in level flight... as far as I'm aware, XP924 is (as an FAW.2 she wasn't, but as a stripped-out D.3 she is). Certainly PK mentioned a high speed run at mach .99 as part of an air test, and she once went up to Coningsby to give the Typhoon boys a supersonic target to play with.

[WV318]

Hunters aren't supersonic in level flight... as far as I'm aware, XP924 is (as an FAW.2 she wasn't, but as a stripped-out D.3 she is). Certainly PK mentioned a high speed run at mach .99 as part of an air test, and she once went up to Coningsby to give the Typhoon boys a supersonic target to play with.

fair enough i don't mind being proven wrong, i just know that by book figures a Hunter (Avon 200) should be slightly faster but that is based on FAW2

[Epic Formacion]

I thought this post was about a landing accident??

[Dragon Rapide]

It is, but as with all threads it has broadened into an associated debate, this time naturally about its place on the airshow circuit. Nothing wrong with that, surely?

[Russ]

When was the first scheduled airshow appearance this year? I'm thinking it must be Yeovilton in late June?

[Mister Tee]

Oh dear, never mind it's only some bits of metal bolted, riveted or screwed together. The main thing is the CREW ARE OK!.

Mr Tee

[LN Strike Eagle]

Some shots of the incident were posted on FC: http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/v ... 18&t=55396

[someguy1]

Looking like minimal damage, hopefully she will return to the air sooner rather than later!

[DanO1978]

Sounds suspiciously like the nosewheel hadn't locked properly. Pilot appears to have played a blinder, too.

[Dragon Rapide]

Good to read that refreshingly honest and to the point post from that forum. Good stuff - and let us indeed hope the damage is as minimal as it appears it might be.

[pk@dha]

Hi to all, many thanks for your support, and everybody here is ok, thankfully as far as we can see at the moment the damage to her is not catastrophic (?), and nearly all is around the nose area, nose u/c doors, speed brake, gun blisters, radome, port pylon tank.

We can hopefully get her repaired and back in the air, we have most of the spares to complete this task, but as yet the full extent of the damage we cannot see, I know we have no more tanks so if anybody has a port tank it would be nice.

[DamienB]

Thanks for the update PK. All the best and hope to see Foxy back in the air with minimal work, paper or otherwise!

[Fastwalker]

"This all will be dependant on the CAA, they have tried for many years to ground her and this might be their chance, dont know yet."
If this is true,why? Have they made extra rules to try and ground her?

[DerekF]

It would be odd if the CAA tried to ground it considering who used to fly the Sea Vixen.

[DanO1978]

If the CAA put the boot in, losing G-CVIX would be one of the great crimes against historic aviation, given how she's been operated with a virtual unblemished record, until this week, for a decade.

The increasingly bland airshow scene needs stars like the Sea Vixen, and for that matter the Vulcan. Can you imagine a display scene without them?

[phreakf4]

....The increasingly bland airshow scene needs stars like the Sea Vixen, and for that matter the Vulcan. Can you imagine a display scene without them?...

Yes, very easily. It was so from the early 90s until the early 2000s, a period which some look back on with very rose-tinted glasses. I can also recall times when there were only a couple of warbirds on the British airshow scene and those days are also considered "the golden age of airshows" by some.

[DerekF]

Easily for me too. I've only seen the Sea Vixen display once - at Coventry in 2003.

I'm still intrigued by the statement that the CAA are trying to ground it though.

[st24]

....The increasingly bland airshow scene needs stars like the Sea Vixen, and for that matter the Vulcan. Can you imagine a display scene without them?...

Yes, very easily. It was so from the early 90s until the early 2000s, a period which some look back on with very rose-tinted glasses. I can also recall times when there were only a couple of warbirds on the British airshow scene and those days are also considered "the golden age of airshows" by some.

I was going to reply with the same kind of thread, but then I thought that during those years we had RAF Jag, Harrier, Nimrod ,Herc, GR1, F3 solos, Czech Mig 21, 23, 29, Su22(s), Su25, L410 L39, Slovak & Hungarian Mig 29, Swedish Viggen, Draken, French 2000, Alpha Jet, F1, IIIE & Jag pairs, Super Etendard/IVMP, F-8E, German Tonk, Mig29, F-4F, Austrian Draken, Portuguese A-7(s), Russian Su27(s), Italian F-104, amongst many others that my Chardonnay haddled Saturday night brain can remember that aren't around any more.... They were (and I hate to say) "awesome" airshow days.