Real Sea Vixens ????

I did hear a rumor they were crated up and buried in an old ditch close to Yeovilton, some old Teak laying around at the time suficed.

Digging at a secret location near VL has commenced…..however not in the right place as we need to get the hang of it first!

Fascinating find by Muscle Manta, and some great info from Vampiredave. Thanks both.

Fantastic!

And they all disappeared without a trace…?

I did hear a rumor they were crated up and buried in an old ditch close to Yeovilton, some old Teak laying around at the time suficed.

A prequel to the ‘Vixettes’:

Following their withdrawal from service, a number of Sea Venoms were relegated as instructional airframes for use at various Naval-training establishments. However, the majority were passed to the AHU at RNAS 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 Navy 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. It was also painted red and featured the code ’12HS’ on the nose, which referred to the fact that it had been designed and built in No.12 hangar at Abbotsinch and was known as the ’12 Hangar Special’.

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 Navy 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 Navy 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!

Lovely clip – thanks for posting 😀

They really did a great job on them – real shame that none survived – would be a great little a/c to have on display !

Good old British innovation.
It would be interesting to know how they did the outer wings (with sweepback) and the replacement tail.

Fantastic!

And they all disappeared without a trace…?

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?66097-What-is-the-story-behind-this-!!!!

Thank you Vampiredave, that clears it up.

Anyone know what happened to the any of them or if any still exist?

In November 1961 RNAS Abbotsinch AHU was asked to investigate the conversion of older aircraft into a modern type for the Fleet Air Arm’s display at the Royal Tournament, as the current service aircraft would prove too heavy for the floor of the Earl’s Court Stadium. With the technical ‘expertise’ gained from their earlier conversion with the ‘D H Vennet’ for the 1961 Navy Day, it was decided that the simplest method was from the Sea Venom to the Sea Vixen. Four Sea Venom airframes were selected. The work was completed by March 1962 and they were 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’. To the best of my knowledge, the identities of the original Sea Venoms have not been established.

The lack of detail is also evident on the instrument panel. The canopy is too light for a real one. The intakes are pure Venom. I am still of the opinion they are modified Venoms. However I could be wrong.

Notice the Sea Prince parked in front of Overlord hanger. The two type “C” hangars in the background are “Dunning and Swan hangers.

In 1973 I was under training at Lee, Dunning hangar contained the instructional airframes for the Air Engineering School, mostly Whirlwind MK 7, a couple of Sea Hawks (one black ex FRADU) and a Mk2 Vixen XN706. This aircraft was flown to Farnborough in January 1976. Swan hangar was the sports hall/Gym.

I’m guessing, but there were probably restrictions on size and weight. It looks like far too much work to have modified them from Venoms. I wonder if they are scratch models. I like the way the main u/c legs look as though they retract inwards, but the wells are outboard and have the missile pylons bridging them. There is also a strange lack of detail in the wing fold area.

That’s actually pretty convincing! The question is, why go through the gigantic work to convert them to look like Vixens? Why not just take vixens, or unmodified Venoms?

I think they are probably the “Vixettes” produced for the 1962 Royal Tournament at Earls Court.

I think that’s exactly what they are – they are too small to be Vixens for one,