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(Photo Jez (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

The Hawker Sea Fury T.20 G-RNHF flew again on September 1st in North Weald with Lt Cdr Chris Gotke at the controls. Gotke was awarded the Air Force Cross for saving the aircraft after an engine failure in 2014.

The aircraft is loaned by the Fly Navy Heritage Trust to the Royal Navy Historic Flight. After the 2014 accident, it was rebuilt and received a new Centaurus 18 engine.

The 2014 crash of Sea Fury G-RNHF. (Photo Tony Armstrong (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))

Sources:

• Navy Wings
• Weald Aviation Services Ltd

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W5856 in 1993 (Photo Andrew Thomas (CC BY-SA 2.0))

The oldest surviving Fairey Swordfish Mk I, W5856, has returned to the skies after twelve years of absence. The aircraft was mostly restored by the team of engineers on the Royal Navy Historic Flight based at RNAS Yeovilton.

The aircraft, which made its maiden flight in 1941, has been repainted in the colour scheme of 820 Naval Air Squadron on HMS Ark Royal during the attack on the Bismarck in the Northern Atlantic in the same year.

Sources (with photos):

• Western Daily Press
• Royal Navy

Continue reading]]> The Hawker Sea Fury T.20 VX281 operated by the Royal Navy Historical Flight was damaged in an emergency landing during an airshow at RNAS Culdrose on Friday July 31st. The pilot was able to land the aircraft but the main landing gear failed and the aircraft exited the runway and ended its landing run on its belly.

The causes of the accident are not yet known and an investigation has been launched.