A beaming Lt Ian Sloan is congratulated by Lt Cdr Chris Gotke on 7 September. [©Lee Howard]
RNHF CO Lt Cdr Mike Abbey accepting the keys for the new Hyundai Sante Fe from Brian Keene on 21 October. [©Lee Howard]
	(Left) "It's a goodbye from me, and it's a goodbye from him": John Beattie and Lt Cdr Phil Thornton at their traditional "Dining Out" evening, 29 October. [©Lee Howard]

With the Naval Aviation Centenary year drawing to a close the lack of a flying Swordfish has been very keenly felt by all. Unfortunately, circumstances conspired against us to get LS326 back in the air. As many will know the Pegasus engine repair stalled due to the unavailability of piston rings that had to be manufactured from scratch. No cast iron of the correct specification and dimensions was available in this country and we ended up procuring the metal from Poland. On the up side, because we had to procure a minimum amount in excess of our requirements, we now probably own the world’s supply of CI4 metal suitable for piston ring manufacture of nearly all warbird piston engines! The rings were completed recently and the engine has been rebuilt. It will be bench tested and provided all goes well, returned to the Flight later this month. That leaves us the remainder of the winter period to fit, fly and test the aircraft in time for the 2010 display season.

Sea Fury VR930 remains in the Flight hangar undergoing minor repairs and awaiting its Centaurus engine from Vintage V12, California. Guess what the overhaul has been waiting for, yep piston rings and fortunately we know someone with a few to spare! The latest estimate we have for the engine returning to the UK is early spring 2010, with a hope of it making an airborne appearance in 2010.

The Sea Hawk was reunited with its Nene engine and was back in the air on the 28th of August. After a comprehensive set of test flights and pilot training, the aircraft was able to catch the end of the display season. Lieutenant Ian Sloan, our latest pilot, converted successfully onto the Sea Hawk and managed to complete a flypast and display before the aircraft was returned to the hangar for the winter maintenance program ahead of getting airborne again for 2010.

The Sea Hawk is pictured here with the latest edition to the Flight, a very smartly badged Hyundai Sante Fe that has been loaned to the RNHF. We are extremely grateful to Hyundai and Brian Keene, the Managing Director of Loders who are our local Hyundai dealers. We have also recently said goodbye to both Lieutenant Commander Phil Thornton and John Beattie. Phil was the Commanding Officer of the RNHF for 5 years and although primarily responsible for looking after the Naval Pilots attached to the Flight he brought in much needed sponsors and useful contacts to the RNHF on a regular basis. We all wish him well and he was dined him out in October with John Beattie who recently retired as General Manager of the RNHF. That said he lives close to RNAS Yeovilton, where the RNHF operates from, and his expertise will undoubtedly be called upon over the coming months. John has been associated with the Flight in different guises for over 20 years and will be sorely missed. However he remains the chief pilot for Kennet Aviation and you will therefore be able to see him displaying their various aircraft in 2010.

With the departure of John and Phil, their posts were rolled into one and the RNHF now has a full time serving Naval Officer as the new Commanding Officer. Lieutenant Commander Mike Abbey MBE has been a volunteer pilot on the Flight since 2000 and is no stranger to the way it operates. Mike’s appointment signifies a change of emphasis in the way the Royal Navy supports the Flight. Along with the obvious PR and recruiting benefit the Flight provides to the MOD, much is being devoted to the “Moral Component” of the Fleet Air Arms fighting efficiency by outwardly supporting our unique and courageous past. The Flight has an essential part in spreading this message around the country and reminding the public of our illustrious past.

Finally, if you haven’t already, do look at our two new Christmas card designs in our webshop. They have been designed by Mike McCulloch, who has been a regular illustrator for the Royal Navy Flight Safety magazine ‘Cockpit’ and kindly agreed to help the Flight. The proceeds from the sale of these cards directly supports the aircraft we all so desperately wish to see preserved.

Although the Flights contribution to the Fly Navy 100 celebrations has been limited due to un serviceability rest assured we are doing all we can to ensure the aircraft will be around for the next 100 years.

WV908 gets airborne off Runway 22 on 1 September with her newly-rebuilt Rolls-Royce Nene. [©Lee Howard]

Sea Hawk: We are pleased to announce that WV908 made a successful test flight on Friday 28 August in the hands of Lt Cdr Chris Gotke before carrying out a display practice in the overhead.

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Fleet Air Arm Association Chairman Brian Bingham handing over the cheque for £5,000 to FNHT Chairman Rear Admiral Terry Loughran in front of the Fleet Air Arm Museum's own Sea Hawk. [©Nick Foster]

RNAS Yeovilton Air Day dawned with a mixed weather pattern and considerable hope for a good show. Sadly the weather conspired against the faster jets with a could base around 700 feet. Nonetheless the crowd saw a very good display in the circumstances, including FN100 Balbo, Wasp and Seafire. However, one of the highlights of our day was the naming of the Flight Sea Hawk 'DAEDALUS', for which the Chairman of the Fleet Air Arm Association, Brian Bingham, kindly donated a cheque for £5,000 to FNHT Chairman Rear Admiral Terry Loughran. It was good to see so many members of the Association at our 'home' show, though sad that we were only able to display an engineless LS326 from the Flight. Unfortunately the Sea Hawk was still in the hangar, having hydraulic jacks re-fitted following an urgent technical instruction work package which involved removing the undercarriage. I am delighted to say it is now serviceable, but again in these days of litigation and minimising risk, we have to wait to fly it until the papertrail is complete, which will take some time yet.

Meanwhile we have been represented by the Chipmunk appearing in the FN100 Balbos at Yeovilton and RIAT, static at Kemble and booked for the Culdrose Balbo as I write. Filling in for the Flight at air shows has been accomplished by the Kennet Aviation Seafire, Wasp and to some extent the Skyraider, which despite its USN scheme is readily identified as 'Naval' and flown by either John Beattie or Dave Mackay, both of the RNHF.

The Bristol Centaurus for the Sea Fury T.20 is nearly complete and is the finest piece of 'art' I have seen in a long time. Researching its history we have discovered it ran for 3 hours on a test bed in 1953 following a factory overhaul, and has been in waiting ever since. It still had signs of preservative varnish on the pistons, which would have burned off if it had been flown. Assembled, but without plugs, it turns beautifully by hand and the newly plated or enamelled parts make it look like a new engine. The dope shop at Yeovilton have done an excellent job of repainting the fuselage, but have had many interruptions and have been unable to finish off the roundels and codes, which will be done during re-assembly at North Weald in August.

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Looking slightly odd without her canopy, WV908's cartridge starter belches black smoke on 2 June on her first engine runs with the repaired Nene 103 installed. [© Lee Howard]

Apologies for not updating the website lately. There has been a lot going on and things have been changing faster than I can type! I do like to keep supporters informed and not seeing us at booked shows does ilicit speculation. There are complex reasons, mostly beyond our control and hugely frustrating for all of us in the Flight. However, surprisingly the 'boys' are gritting their teeth and getting on with it as fast as they can, retaining their Naval sense of humour in the process.

Firstly the positive news: Howard Read and I spent a few days in Tehachapi, California, visiting 'Vintage V12' to check on progress of our Centaurus and buy another as a spare. These are becoming very rare indeed as one or two vital parts become scarce. The 'new' engine looked very good indeed, we viewed it in a stripped condition and were able to see all of the internal components. I was very impressed and Howard ran his Chief Engineer's eye over it appreciatively too. It was in better condition than our present engine and we decided that the new unit should be finished as a matter of urgency with the original to follow at a more leisurely pace. Vintage V12 stated the autumn as the target, but that is dependant on us providing a new set of piston rings. Read more on that subject below. The original engine, you may remember, was pulled just prior to it seizing two sleeves and we had some difficulty removing 7 and 8 cylinders because of ovality in these sleeves. This was caused by heat and the extra side force imparted by the two master con rods. Unfortunately the extra load of the stiff sleeves was transmitted to some of the smaller parts in the gear train causing collateral damage. However, all is recoverable, Vintage V12 have most of the parts required for the rebuild and we are helping source one or two they can't find.

Whilst on Sea Furies, VX281 is looking very much better for a coat of paint and eagerly awaits roundels and codes. In the meantime she will be booked in for the road trip back to North Weald to be mated with her engine, which looks better than new after a full strip, measure and inspect. The timeframe is uncertain and dependant on other factors, but it should happen fairly soon.

Swordfish LS326's Pegasus engine was rebuilt, mounted on Deltair's test bed and run at Lee-on-Solent to great jubilation, starting easily and running smoothly. However, subsequent oil samples indicated that ferrous material was being 'made' in the engine which could only really come from piston rings or cylinders. The engine was therefore stripped to investigate, but no conclusive evidence of enhanced wear found. In the meantime a report from our Materials Integrity Group indicated that the rings we had been using were made of incorrect specification material, containing chrome and copper and with the wrong 'grain' structure, so it was decided that we wouldn't go any further until we could make some new rings from the correct material. Therein lies the problem I'm sorry to say, in that the correct material cannot be sourced in the UK and our order with a Polish smelter has produced no metal in the last 9 months! The same metal is required for the Centaurus, for whom an order was placed. At the time of writing we believe there are enough billets to make one set each of Pegasus and Centaurus rings available very soon. Fingers firmly crossed. Once the metal is here it will take two weeks to manufacture the rings and probably another week or so to reassemble the engine and put it through a test programme before fitting to LS326. We all sincerely hope this happens before the season is finished and could realistically be as soon as mid August.

The Sea Hawk was about to receive its 'new' engine when we were put back a pace or two by being told we couldn't use a Nene 10 (donated by a T33) in place of a Nene 103. It appears there are small differences in the Nimonic alloy used in the rotating assembly, a slightly different RPM regime and slightly different power output. In these days of litigation and responsibility for public safety our engine authority were unable to put in the design effort required to underwrite what they saw as a major modification. Disappointing not to have been told earlier, having spent two months preparing the engine, but we nonetheless got on with repairing the Mk 103 and indeed completed its rebuild in very quick time. It was fitted and ground run, proving to produce full power at lower temperatures, and taken for a couple of taxi tests. Unfortunately on one of these runs a wing fold hydraulic coupling failed, squirting fluid all over the hardstanding. Access to this part was impossible without removing the wing, so off it came and repairs carried out in fairly short order. Halfway through this work an Urgent Technical Instruction was issued, requiring us to remove all hydraulic jacks for NDT and repainting! This was not connected to the Sea Hawk particularly, but as the result of another investigation into a problem with an Andover undercarriage, where pitting corrosion was a factor in a jack failure. We are halfway through removing the undercarriage as I type and should have the job done in a couple of weeks. The nose undercarriage I am assured is awkward, needing Dickie Dawes' small frame and thin arms to effect removal!

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Mick Jennings getting to grips with the "new" Nene engine. [© Lee Howard]

The 'Spring dash' is very much happening in the Historic Flight hangar. LS326's Pegasus engine is being prepared for flight at Deltair, although I have to say it ought to be in our hangar by now! Meanwhile the airframe spent the week of 15 March undergoing wing x-ray examination. These are necessary on our recently rebuilt wings to establish a 'normal' standard of spar wall thickness against which to judge subsequent x-ray pictures in years to come. The comparison shows will show up wear due to corrosion, but it is vital to establish a benchmark from which to start this process whilst the spars are new. Also in the hangar the Sea Hawk Nene engine is going together ready to fit in the very near future. We then have to convince the 'Release To Service' authority that these two aircraft are indeed fit to fly. This process has become increasingly difficult as standards rise and our aeroplanes get older. It does have to be said that we have a corporate responsibility to fly aeroplanes that are in all respects up to an impeccable standard of airworthiness, in 21st Century terms. The Sea Fury T.20 was prepared by a team of volunteers for refinishing and is now in the process of receiving a nice new coat of paint ready for the season.

As ever at this time of year the pilots have been getting their flying time up, ready to step into their Historic type. If you live in Dorset or Somerset you may have noticed a Chipmunk, possibly in formation with another Chipmunk and/or a Piston Provost, cavorting around the skies as our pilots hone their skills. The Piston and Jet Provosts have been very busy, getting Swordfish and Sea Hawk Pilots ready for their displays in the near future. We go through general handling, emergency procedures, crosswind and forced landings and practice at length the displays that will be performed in the individual's Historic type. Some of our pilots are serving in non-aviation appointments so this aspect of our training and currency is absolutely vital.

Our merchandise trailer has been very successful already in 2009, including getting in some sea time aboard HMS Ark Royal transitting from Newcastle to Portsmouth. The trailer was accompanied by volunteer organiser Alan Cole and wife Sue, both pleased to be re-living a bit of their youth aboard a 'modern' aircraft carrier, and Derek Bond. Ship visits to both Liverpool and Newcastle have produced sales well in excess of normal airshow expectations.

FLY NAVY The View from a "Jungly" Cockpit 1958 - 2008 available via our online Shop (click the image to go straight there)

The Flight has recently entered into a new line of fundraising by publishing a book, aimed at aeroplane enthusiasts. The volume - "Fly Navy - The View from a "Jungly" Cockpit 1958-2008" - is a collection of short stories from pilots of the Commando Helicopter Force, or 'Junglies'. The stories are a mix of brave, funny, stupid, serious, machinery breaking, crashes or just plain 'how it was done', and is intended to appeal to all who enjoy aviation. It has been extremely well received in the first two weeks of publication, even by my wife! It is commended to all of you as not only a good read, but by buying a book you are supporting an extremely worthwhile cause. Buy your copy via our online Shop today!

Other fundraising initiatives include a most successful dinner celebrating the Battle of the Atlantic, where generous sponsors added siginficantly to our funds. Additionally an upcoming golf tournament, this year a little earlier than normal on 1 June, looks extremely promising, providing an excellent relaxed networking opportunity for aviation industry professionals as well as good sport. It has a brilliant reputation and should be a most enjoyable event.

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Andrew George Linsley

It is with great sadness that we have to report that two stalwart supporters have sadly passed away. Andrew George Linsley worked tirelessly selling our merchandise from a trailer at air shows and gave talks on various naval historical events all to earn money for the Flight. He had been ill for a while. Andrew George had been an Observer and a ship's diver, who in 1977 recovered the Blackburn Skua airframe from a lake in Norway and which is now on permanent display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum here at Yeovilton.

Reg Veale has also passed away, who spearheaded the Bristol FAA Association attempts to fund raise for the flight with the specific intention of putting Swordfish III NF389 back in the air. Once serviceable it will be named 'City of Bristol', but sadly Reg will not see his dream come to reality.

Both will be sorely missed and we pass on the condolences of all in the Flight to their families.

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A welcome relief from turkey and mince pies! A hardy band of volunteers spending their Christmas rubbing down VX281 ready for repainting. [© Lee Howard]

May we take this opportunity to wish all supporters and readers of the website a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Luckily the downturn in the economy has little impact on the enjoyment of aviation and aeroplanes! I am certain, however, that the economic situation will impact on our operations in some way or another, not least that airshows will have less corporate support and perhaps that some of the sponsorship we enjoy will be diminished or stopped.

Christmas cards are now in the past but Cdr Adrian Orchards book 'Joint Force Harrier', fleeces in the seasonally cold weather and other items of our merchandise stock are selling well. However, we realised there may have been a slight glitch in the e-mail system in the run up to Christmas. It seems some messages were not getting through using the contact buttons on the home page of the website. We do apologise for any frustration this may have caused and hope you did eventually manage to get through. We were unaware of the problem on the basis that many messages did get through! Nothing is simple.

Out in the hangar, LS326 is just about ready to receive its Pegasus back from Deltair. The engine went there for an investigation of a bolt that had come adrift on one of the articulated conrod wrist pins. To be on the safe side we are having a complete new set of wrist pin retaining bolts manufactured and fitted. As ever at this time of year there has been x ray activity in the hangar, and a re-run of mainplane 'benchmark' x-rays yet to do. This gives us a standard against which to compare later results when there may be corrosive damage to the spars, hopefully a long way into the future. Swordfish I W5856 has had a full structural survey ready for her wings to be completed and is now back on her undercarriage. I am delighted to say there is now a formal agreement for BAES Brough to carry out the necessary and expert spar manufacture and wing re-build work. The Sea Hawk engine slipped out in October and the cracked exhaust and transition sections have gone to the station welding bay for repair, but inspection of the nozzle guide vanes revealed a little damage there too. This has led us to the conclusion that we need to replace the engine with a new unit, which was in fact already on its way from Canada. The engine part of the unit is identical, but the gearcase needs to be swapped as the Sea Hawk set up is quite different to that used in the donor T-33 installation. It was due to be delivered in late November, but the planned C-17 got bulked out with the rest of a load, so we eagerly await its re-scheduled arrival.The Sea Fury engine remains in California awaiting piston rings which will be manufactured in the UK after the necessary steel is delivered from Poland! The lead time for delivery was 20 weeks about 5 months ago. Nothing is simple.

I am delighted to say that the Jet Provost has returned to Yeovilton from North Weald, now owned by Henry Cooke, who insists we continue utilising it for pilot training. Thank you very much indeed Henry. One of its first tasks was to attend HMS Ark Royal's families day in Portsmouth at the beginning of December. Pilot training does of course go on all year round and the civilian aircraft we are lucky enough to be able to use ensure our crews are as prepared as they can be for our seasons activities.

Another recent arrival here is Sea Fury T.20 VX281, roaded in before Christmas to be repainted. A team of volunteers has been busy over the Christmas break preparing the painted surfaces prior to re-painting. She will be a very welcome addition to the flight strength.

Very sadly one of our staunchest supporters, Les Sayer, passed away on 1 November. He was a wartime Telegraphist Air Gunner who subsequently became one of the founding members and first chairman of the TAGs association, remaining a leading light and inspirational figure in the association for the rest of his life. He was appointed MBE for his services. Les was an extremely nice man and will be sorely missed.

At our annual Christmas dinner we dined out long time Fly Navy Heritage Trust Secretary John Laurijssen, who had completed 16 years of sterling service for the Trust, intially as a volunteer. We wish him well upon his retirement. Another leaver, very sadly, was Dave Skiddy who proved to be extremely effective in the hangar as a mechanical supervisor. Much younger than John, Dave decided that he was much better off in the Royal Navy so has promptly re-joined. Again, we wish him well and assure him there will be a position here for him when he eventually does get too old to keep popping out to Afghanistan!

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