Whilst there does not seem to be a better fit than XP104, the damage in the photo does not seem to be consistent with the above description. It looks looks to be a more violent ending than just landing on the surface and then rolling over some three hours later. Of course the damage could have been done when it hit the bottom but I am not convinced.

QP

If the Wessex suffered a fire and then turned over and sank to the bottom I’m not surprised it looks like that. Bear in mind the fragile nature of the front of a Wessex, lightweight panels and frames and plenty of perspex already seriously weakened by the heat would have offered little resistance to any impact -especially the rest of the aircraft bearing down on it when it hit the bottom. The rear fuselage probably tore off on bottom impact or separated on recovery – broken main rotors may have also caused structural damage aiding the separation.

Relica? Copy? No, it doesn’t matter a jot. What matters is that people took the time and effort to create this marvellous piece of aeronautical engineering. It is a work of art, a delight to behold. I had a close up view at Sywell last year prior to attending an evening talk about it. Sod the dictionary and scale, it was built for a purpose and fulfils that criteria admirably.

RIP Harry, you gave me a lot of laughs in MASH

But Jezza did make that comment after saying how nice it was with everybody on strike. he did say that to balance things out as this was the BBC the strikers should be shot. Not the exact words but close enough.

As for the strike, well we’d all like a comfortable retirement but what the unions are missing is that their members wages are paid by the taxes the government raises from you and me. Now the unions object to paying more in for their future pension and want the Government to fund the shortfall. Which means you and I have to top up those pensions when we can’t afford to top up our own.

Bet the union leaders have got nice fat pensions waiting…

What DON’T I want?

Well having just got a job after being unemployed for quite a while it will be nice to get almost anything.

I know what I won’t be getting – a flight in a Hawker Hunter (why oh why did the RAF change the rules for groundcrew just when I was about to get my chance!) or a drive around Silverstone in an E-Type Jaguar.
Dream on wag, dream on…:D

For me the ‘alternative’ comedy that arose in the late 70’s/early 80’s spoilt a lot of what was good. Now it seems everybody HAS to use the F word and swear a lot to be even considered a comedian. To me it’s a quick way to reach a particular range of people. True comedy to me lies in the ability to use a wide vocabulary, exploring all the nuances and keeping it ‘clean’ for everybody to enjoy. The ranting, shouting style we see now is less than funny – they just come across, to me at least, as being inarticulate and loutish. OK, rant over back to my rocking chair and slippers. 😀

Looking good Merlin, now if i can get any of my Hunters to come out as well as yours I’ll be very pleased. Really looking forward to yours being finished.

As well as the Hunters, scales from 1/144 to 1/32, I have a Spitfire and Hurricane, Wessex and Venom, oh and at last Black 6.
The Spitfire will be as flown by my uncle, possibly while with 111 squadron during the BoB, the Hurricane as flown by my other uncle with 129 squadron.
The Wessex as ‘D’ of 28 squadron which I flew in (have to check my log book) at Kai Tak and the Venom as 28 squadron as stood outside the flight line at Kai Tak as a sort of gate guardian there being no room at ‘the gate’.
And Black 6, well as Black 6 when she flew after our long restoration, although I suppose I could put it in on trestles in primer and bare metal 😀
The Hunters are a legacy of a long past Hunter project – I had intended to write THE book hence a box full of correspondence from foreign air forces, pilots log books etc.

Just for a bit of fun I built this with the following background ‘story’
BAe (Hawker) Sea Hunter
With the world-wide recession biting ever deeper the MOD decided in 2012 that it could no longer support global operations. The UK was being targeted by smugglers and pirates and the Navy had very few vessels suited for inshore patrol work.

Existing aircraft in the FAA inventory were deemed too costly for this sort of deployment due to the support resources required. It was decided to ask manufacturers for design proposals to meet the new requirement.

While sorting through the archives ready to move to a long term storage facility a BAe design engineer came across a concept sketch, dated 1958, for a float plane variant of the Hunter. He immediately realised the potential of an established design with proven structural integrity and payload capability particularly in the two seat variant. A true pilot’s aeroplane and with ease of maintenance the only problem would be acquiring sufficient airworthy numbers from the civil register. The BAe design team reworked the concept into a viable design and acquired a single T7 which was suitably modified ready to present to the MOD.

Re-engined with the FGA9’s Avon 200 and crewed by a pilot and weapons officer/observer the Sea Hunter proved an immediate hit as senior members in the Admiralty realised that with modern technology current warships could be fitted with catapults to enable greater flexibility of the fleet in the absence of the promised carrier replacements.

The Hunter shown is the original BAe prototype fitted with a radar pod and homing torpedo for coastal interdiction. The single Aden was retained for defence and supporting firepower. Able to operate in sheltered coastal waters and ports the Sea Hunter proved a successful asset in the protection of the British Isles.