I met Winkle a couple of years back when we co-presented at AAIB. After the gig we had a wander through the hangars and up to the CVR/FDR labs then we had a natter in the car park before he hopped into his car and left.
An absolutely charming gentleman and, as someone has already mentioned, living history. An absolute pleasure to have met him.

As it happens I contacted him only last week to write the following foreword to our soon to be launched website for the Barracuda project.

Here is news to stir all naval aviators, a Fairey Barracuda is to be restored to rise phoenix-like form the wrecks of others. The once prolific Barra – some 2,600 were built by the Fairey, Blackburn, Boulton Paul and Westland factories for the Fleet Air Arm, where the aircraft received a mixed reception. It was never a pleasing sight in flight, and a positive eyesore when in the landing configuration. However, to be fair to the Barra it was not all bad news, for although it did not perform at all well in the torpedo-dropping role, it could lay claim to being an effective dive-bomber. Most indisputable of all, it was the easiest aeroplane to land on an aircraft carrier, and so with the help of rocket assistance, for take-off. It was able to operate from small carriers and give valuable anti-submarine protection to convoys in the Battle of the Atlantic. All in all, a welcome will await this orphan of the storms when it finally re-appears as the only one of its type in the world.