Sea King Rescue 80

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18 years 10 months

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Does anyone know what the serial number is of Sea King Rescue 80, based at RNAS Culdrose in December 1981 is, and if the aircraft is still in service etc? For anyone interested, she was the helicopter involved in the rescue of the crew of Union Star, which resulted in the Penlee Lifeboat Disaster.

Thanks, Rob

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Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 152

Try contacting 771 Sqn at RNAS Culdrose, Helston, Cornwall, TR12 7RH. They should have the details you require.

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

In 1981 771NAS was equipped with the Wessex HU5 and covered dawn to dusk with one of the resident(front line included) Sea King sqdns covering dusk to dawn under a DOT funded agreement.
From memory it was an 820NAS cab that was involved and I think it might have been 016, I will check when I go to work in the morning and report back, thats unless someone comes up with the answer before.

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

What i know of the incident and just looking through a book i have to comfirm it, its recorded as being a 820 RNAS aircraft "016" I have'nt got a tail number to go with that but i'm sure it would'nt take much to find out. As for if its still in service?, looking at the date it was probably a Mk2 at the time as Mk5,s were just coming in, so probably its since been converted to higher standard. Hope this helps, and its correct more over, i'll keep digging...:)

I can confirm it was a HAS5 at the time and I am pretty sure I know the serial number and that its no longer in service, however I will check tomorrow just to make sure rather than posting duff gen.

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

Having checked some docs I am not 100% sure yet but I believe the airframe was XZ574 which is currently stored in the FAAM reserve collection, Cobham Hall, it will be on show next year in the 100 Years of Naval Aviation exhibition in the main museum.

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16 years 7 months

Posts: 10,647

It was a Seaking, Russell Smith the pilot was an American exchange pilot and he has been interviewed at length on TV about his outstanding flying on that awful night for the Union Stars' crew families, Cornwall, and the RNLI. He has attended reunions with the crews widows and locals at Mousehole.
Well if Seaking93 is correct, this is the airframe, and beautifully restored in the '81 period colours.

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18 years 10 months

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Thanks for the information everyone, and to Pagen01 for the photo, great to hear that it's been preserved, and in '81 colours

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15 years 7 months

Posts: 116

Historic Sea King

The shame of it is that this particular airframe is at present awaiting display at the FAAM not because of it's involvment in that particular rescue, but due to the fact that it was flown (P2) BY H.R.H Prince Andrew in the South Atlantic.

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19 years 5 months

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The shame of it is that this particular airframe is at present awaiting display at the FAAM not because of it's involvment in that particular rescue, but due to the fact that it was flown (P2) BY H.R.H Prince Andrew in the South Atlantic.

As long as it's preserved.:D
Hopefully whoever writes its display board will mention its role in the rescue, and not stop at the Royal connection.
It would also be a subtle reminder to the public that military aircraft (as least some :) ) have long lives and what served as a rescue ship also served as a combat type.

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16 years 7 months

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My reading of it seems to be that it hasn't been 100% confirmed that it was this airframe yet, any update Seaking93?

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

The shame of it is that this particular airframe is at present awaiting display at the FAAM not because of it's involvment in that particular rescue, but due to the fact that it was flown (P2) BY H.R.H Prince Andrew in the South Atlantic.

Not entirely correct, FAAM was given a list of airframe numbers that were available at Sultan, the basic history where known of each airframe was checked, then the condition, XZ574 had taken part in 2 rescues in the Falklands and had the added bonus that it had been flown by the museums patron, so thats why it was chosen, not JUST because the DoY had flown it.
Ollie you seem to have a problem with this airframe being preserved, why?

Member for

19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

My reading of it seems to be that it hasn't been 100% confirmed that it was this airframe yet, any update Seaking93?

I have checked the 820NAS Record Book for this period, it mentions the incident but not the airframe number, sadly other documents that would show the serial number are not held by FAAM, ATC logs from Culdrose and the flying logs from the squadron, although FAAM has a lot of records of this type, the records from 1981 are not among them. The search goes on, I will look at other avenue's.

Member for

15 years 7 months

Posts: 116

No problem

I have no problem whatsoever with the preservation of this aircraft, or the fact that it was flown by the Duke of York. I worked on this aircraft whilst serving with 820 and was expressing the personal view that it will still be displayed at FAAM due moreso to the fact that it was flown by the aforementioned rather than the fact that it took part in a noteworthy rescue.

As well as Lt Cdr Russell Smith USN the rest of the crew was as follows
Lt Steve Marlow RN
S/Lt Kenneth Doherty Rn
Lacmn Martin Kennie

I can inform you that I take great pride in this aircraft being displayed in the FAAM as I was amongst the group of engineers who re-built this aircraft at Cobham Hall after the re-paint done by Westlands. The fitting out was carried out by the Aircraft Maintenance Section at H.M.S. Sultan by myself and others, so no I have no problem with it being displayed ,why should I?

As an aside 820 didn't like to number its aircraft 016, this was due to an apparent jinx. Idents were as follows 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18,and 20.
When 20 was re-numbered to 16 it promptly ditched![ATTACH]167875[/ATTACH]

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18 years 10 months

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Great photo Ollie, looks fantastic! I'll finally have to make the trip down to Yeovilton when it's on display

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15 years 7 months

Posts: 116

XZ 574

[ATTACH]167876[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]167877[/ATTACH]

In my opinion the Sea King always looked better in this paint scheme.

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16 years 7 months

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In my opinion the Sea King always looked better in this paint scheme.

But not with that radome! Stirling work there Ollie and glad she is looking so good

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15 years 7 months

Posts: 116

Radome 2 or 5

So you spotted the mistake then? Most of the mods applied post colour scheme change have been removed, however to totally return this airframe to a Mk 2 standard proved one step too far. It would have been possible to have retro fitted the smaller dome but but mostly time constraints didn't allow.
There are other anomalies for the purist spotters including grey not black main rotor blades for instance. Maybe this will just stimulate more interest in this particular sea King?
[ATTACH]167886[/ATTACH]

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16 years 7 months

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Not to worry Ollie, I was being a bit cheeky anyway, as long as it is as beautifully preserved as it.

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19 years 3 months

Posts: 308

Ollie, I am sorry if you took offence to my question, it was just that your post seemed to suggest you had something against this airframe being preserved, as for the radome, its what it was fitted with when it served in the Falklands as 820NAS was by then a HAS5 equipped unit, personally I would have liked to have seen it in the scheme it wore just post Falklands, all markings toned down except for the airframe serial and the Sqdn badge on the nose

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15 years 7 months

Posts: 116

Offended?

I take no offence from healthy discourse. I am as I have said earlier well aware of the aircraft held on 820 their mark colour scheme etc the FAAM is the best place to see this and other Air Arm aircraft, I would say that though as whilst serving with MARTSU the Naval aircraft transport section I helped put quite a few of those exhibits in to the museum. It was a wonderful job for anyone who has a passion for aviation to be involved in. Maybe I will start a thread along those lines who knows. To all at the FAAM keep up the good work. So me offended ............Nah!

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17 years

Posts: 1,656

Real Sea Kings are yellow.... :diablo:

That aside, my uncle was the RNLI inspector for the region during the Penlee saga. A very sad night that will go down in RNLI history. Dispite altzheimers its about the only thing he remembers with absolute clarity. I'm glad that that Sea King is preserved as it is - hopefully it will be the one used for the Penlee rescue.