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By: - 8th December 2018 at 16:30 Permalink
Wow - some effort must have gone into those. Sea Venom-based maybe?
By: - 8th December 2018 at 16:42 Permalink
Yes, Sea Venom based look-a-likes built by the Navy.
I'd only ever seen still photos of them, and am impressed to see they were actually conversions of live aircraft! I would imagine these were never to fly again though.
By: - 8th December 2018 at 16:57 Permalink
I'm sure http://www.gateguardsuk.com will make you some new ones, if you ask them nicely.
By: - 8th December 2018 at 16:57 Permalink
They were dubbed 'Vixettes' and built at RNAS Abbotsinch - sorry do not know their fate.
They were based on Sea Venoms.
By: - 8th December 2018 at 17:46 Permalink
There were four 'Vixettes' which were made for the Royal Tournament from unidentified Sea Venoms dumped at Abbotsinch. All were taxiable. One was later mounted above the perimeter wall at Lee-on-Solent to advertise Air Day, but the final fates are, like their origins, unknown.
By: - 10th December 2018 at 06:55 Permalink
There was a picture posted in 'Flight Deck" around that time showing a Vixette parked next to a Sea Vixen. I visited Earls Court for the display, which showed the deck activity in the arena using the Vixettes before cutting to film showing Vixens being launched.
By: - 10th December 2018 at 18:47 Permalink
Sadly Gateguards are unlikely to make you one as they have recently gone into voluntary liquidation.
By: - 11th December 2018 at 00:21 Permalink - Edited 11th December 2018 at 00:36
I wonder why they made so many modifications, rather than use real a/c?
Real shame about GGUK - I was chatting to the guy a few weeks back.
By: - 11th December 2018 at 08:22 Permalink
It was to reduce the Size/Weight for the displays/occasions planned for them - The full size Vixen was quite a large and heavy beast.
I thought they were cleverly done - the previous year they had built the 'Vennet' which I believe was also taxiable.
We have discussed them on here before but I have not managed to find the thread yet LOL
By: - 11th December 2018 at 09:54 Permalink
On the theme of rather 'dodgy' Sea Venoms...
''Speaking of Sea Venom conversions, what about the one which had a pointed radome added, wings clipped, booms removed and Gannet fins added to the top of each wing! It was painted white with Royal Navy painted on the side and taxied out onto the airfield (at Lossiemouth I think?) during an airshow after being announced as the latest `top secret' naval fighter...it got to the end of the runway but then the announced told the crowd that it had a tech problem and it taxied back to dispersal behind a hangar again...no doubt to a crowd of waiting groundcrew rolling around on the floor laughing...what a wind up...typical Fleet Air Arm humour!''
https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/58512-sea-vixen-next-week-hannants/&page=3
By: - 11th December 2018 at 12:30 Permalink
There was a thread about them on here a couple of years back (if the search is working!)
By: - 11th December 2018 at 16:36 Permalink
Bet the Russkies were trying to get pictures of the secret fighter!
By: - 11th December 2018 at 17:26 Permalink - Edited 11th December 2018 at 17:28
I found one of the previous threads (2006)
With a picture of a 'Vennet' and a 'Sea Snipe'
click on link below....
By: - 12th December 2018 at 12:07 Permalink
To 'Gild the Lily', slightly:
A number of Sea Venom FAW.20s were relegated to instructional airframes for use at various Naval-training establishments. However, the majority were passed to the AHU at Abbotsinch, where they languished in long-term storage until being sold for scrap between 1958 and 1963.
A few redundant airframes were also used for fire practice but several were given a temporary reprieve when they formed the basis of the conversion of the navy’s “top secret, experimental aircraft” - the DH “Vennet” – which was also variously referred to as the “Fairey Nuff” or “Sea Snipe”. Preparing for the 1961 Open Day, the engineers of No.12 Hangar at Abbotsinch, under the direction of the AEO, Lt Ted Cottle decided to build a spoof aircraft. The conversion involved removing the tail booms and tip tanks from a surplus Sea Venom, while the rudders of two Fairey Gannets were fixed to the boom attachment points and connected to the rudder pedals by adapting the control cabling. Dummy missiles were also fitted, together with an extended nose, into which a standard tubular office chair - or “pilot’s” seat – was bolted to the cockpit floor.
The “Vennet” was described as the Fleet Air Arm’s ‘latest rocket-powered, high-altitude fighter, capable of flying over Mach 3’ and would be making its maiden test flight in front of the public during the forthcoming Air Day. As an “experimental aircraft” it was kept at a discreet distance from the crowd line when the pilot, Lt Paul Stevenson taxied to the main runway and accelerated away at 90 knots. With smoke and flames pouring from the condemned Ghost engine, a bemused public was told that the aircraft had developed an “engine failure” and because of repeated trouble with the “super-heat ignition system” the test flight would have to be abandoned!
The following year, the technicians of 10 Hangar produced the “Vennett Mark II” as a successor for the Mark 1 for the 1962 Air Day. With Sea Venom and Gannet airframes again used as the basis for the conversion, the main alterations included the fitting of wing-tip ramjets, modified rudders, a nose-type intake and the addition of two guided weapons. The “aircraft” was painted white indicating the strike role with a yellow “P” on the fuselage. Unfortunately, the “ultrasonic version of the previous supersonic world beater” failed to take off for the planned Air Race and was returned to the hangar for further modifications!
In November 1961, Abbotsinch was asked to investigate the conversion of older aircraft into a modern type for the Fleet Air Arm’s Display in the Royal Tournament, as the Service aircraft would prove too heavy for the floor of the Earl’s Court Stadium. With the technical expertise behind them from their early conversions, it was decided that the simplest method was from Sea Venom to Sea Vixen. Four Sea Venoms were selected, with the work being completed by March 1962 and the airframes being transported to Portsmouth by lighter. Dubbed “Mini-Vixens” or “Vixettes”, three of the replicas were known to have worn the spurious markings “XJ601: 241/H”, “XJ602: 247/H” and “XJ603: 246/H”.
One 'Vixette' ('XJ601:241/H') was known to have been displayed at the entrance to RNAS Lee-on-Solent to advertise it's Navy Day. I also asked one or two of chaps involved with the conversions what happened to them and said they were "disposed of locally". Whatever that means?
Posts: 39
By: Chris Royle - 8th December 2018 at 16:02
Anyone know what happened to these Sea Vixen replicas built (I assume) for the Earl's Court Military Tattoo?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s00RhlMTySk