Did it survive!

Presumaby it’s one of these. One of a collection of 1961 Farnboro pictures I inherited years ago

103 (which ever one) took part in the1961 Farnborough air show , as part of a 9 ship display.

Stuart, taken from the same entry in the book that I quoted above:

“800 Sqn (109/R) loan aerobatic team for 1961 SBAC Show 23-8-61.”

Seems it was this aircraft, XD239, at Farnborough that year, albeit with a different side number, 109. These numbers did swap between aircraft as one was withdrawn from a squadron for whatever reason and replaced by a different aircraft.

Slight correction to the details of the accident supplied above.

The date of the incident is actually 22 May 63 and the pilot was Sub Lt C D Legg, who was injured during the ejection sequence. The seat was a Martin Baker 4c. See the May section on this link:

http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/PROJECT/YEAR_Pages/1963.htm

After the wreckage was shipped back to the UK, repair work started but was abandonded, items supplied for the rebuild of this airframe were set aside for another aircraft.

XD239 was SOC on 23-9-64 but the remains were held at Fleetlands as a source of spares for XD220 until moved to the dump on 28-4-66. It was sold for scrap to Birmingham Unimetal in March 67. Had a total of 673 flying hours.

Details taken from Air-Britain’s excellent book, ‘Fleet Air Arm Fixed-Wing Aircraft since 1946’, by Ray Sturtivant.

Scimitar Khormaksar

Heres my other photograph!The undercarriage actually broke through the road and fractured a water main!!I also remember that there was not a lot of damage to it.

I think the Scimitar was fitted with the MB Mk 4 seat which had a zero height / 90 kts capability.

Found this which confirms seat type but lists a different pilot ?

http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Aircraft_by_Type/Scimitar.htm

I too was a bit puzzled by the picture, no sign of any damage other than one main leg being retracted or missing, even the nose gear door is still on the leg.
The aircraft is sitting in a puddle which is understandable if it had been just pulled ashore but how were the wings folded up.
I assume Scimitars had hydraulic power folding.

Richard

I’d be interested to know at what height the pilot ejected, presumably, there was a miminimum altitude for ejection in those days.
The airframe looks remarkably intact for a pilotless landing in 6ft of water, I would have thought that the nose would have been pushed well down by the seat firing and it would have piled in, I wonder whether the wheels were down, did the pilot risk it at very low level, who knows, perhaps L/C Mills is still about to tell an interesting story.
In the meantime here’s a picture of one of it’s pals at Waddo, early 60’s, taken by my good self with an Ilford Sporti 4, I note it has the same ‘R’ on the tail.

Scimitar code 103

XD 279 was coded 103 when it joined 800 Squadron in1959 and remained that code through the display season in 1961.

It would have been due an overhaul at Fleetlands subsequent to this and would have been replaced with another airframe then coded 103.

Having had a look through Philip Birtles book, there appears to be two A/C both coded “103”, this one and XD279; as I can’t see the serials on the latter, it might be misidentified, or else it begs the question,why two A/C from 800 sqn both wore the same codes.

103 (which ever one) took part in the1961 Farnborough air show , as part of a 9 ship display.

With regards to its servicability, I don’t think the salt water was an issue, they were all being phased out at this point, operating an 15 ton (loaded), 750mph single seat A/C from (in many cases late wartime) carriers was becoming hazardous, with nearly half of all Scimitars struck off as a result of accidents.

The two seat Buccaneer was being introduced at that time, and had significantly less of a work load for the pilot; thus another quite brilliant Supermarine A/C was consigned to the annals of history as a failure.

Supermarine Scimitar,XD239, 800 Sqdn coded 103/R 13.5.63 L/C DF Mills diverted from Ark Royal to Khormaskar with radio and Hydraulic 1 intermittent failure. After 4 failed deck passes ,failed on first attempt at runway due to poor visibility,lost height in turn ,ejected, aircraft ditched in 6 ft of water. Wreckage shipped to Uk, Fleetlands. Sold as scrap 1967 to Birmingham Unimetals Ltd,

Sounds like the salt water immersion did it in.

Supermarine Scimitar,XD239, 800 Sqdn coded 103/R 13.5.63 L/C DF Mills diverted from Ark Royal to Khormaskar with radio and Hydraulic 1 intermittent failure. After 4 failed deck passes ,failed on first attempt at runway due to poor visibility,lost height in turn ,ejected, aircraft ditched in 6 ft of water. Wreckage shipped to Uk, Fleetlands. Sold as scrap 1967 to Birmingham Unimetals Ltd,

good question! the fact that the chap ejected and the aircraft isnt a smouldering pile of wreckage, must be one of the extremely rare instances where the aircraft would be potentially reuseable! hope you get and answer 745! im intrigued now 🙂