Who left that truck there?

I was surprised to find out that many of the Firebrands were scrapped not too far from us here at the McDonald yard in Milnathort. In the case of some of the TF.4s and 5s the book states this was as late as 1965.

The plaque which accompanies the prop blades –

Thanks for that.

According to “Blackburn Aircraft since 1909” two aircraft carried the 121/C codes. One was EK723 but the Firebrand in your photo is EK771 – the digits are very close together.

And this is how those prop blades should look – 

There seems to be something odd about the serial number. It looks like it is a digit short. The only copy of the picture that I have is low res and therefore I can’t enlarge it to have a good look. Maybe it was a running ground only instructional airframe. Did the Fleet Air Arm of the time use different serials for instructional airframes? Also the cowling seems be off a different aircraft with the two tone paint scheme. 

Still a nice looking aeroplane though. It’s certainly got something about it.

“…the cumbersome Firebrand one of those machines which make test pilots shake their heads in disgust. Here was a machine supposedly designed from scratch for desk landing. Yet, with all the experience of landing the long-nosed Spitfires and Hurricanes which we now had, she had been given an even longer nose. The for’ard view was nothing short of terrible and the angular view for deck landing not much better. ” – Eric “Winkle” Brown

I think the picture pretty much proves that!

It obviously got two.

Conjecture as to what happened, I will go first.

Brake failure,

Taxiing with out due care and attention,

They ran into me SL

none of the above