The Cobham Hall

[nuuumannn]

I'm feeling a bit museum and airshow starved, so here are some images taken at the Fleet Air Arm Museum's storager hangar at Yeovilton, The Cobham Hall.

Wasps, the right-hand one from the Leander Class frigate HMS Achilles.

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Ohka in bits.

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Westland Wyvern powered by a Rolls-Royce Eagle. The last survivor of the type.

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Falklands Veteran Sea Harrier FRS.1 was converted to FA.2 standard.

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The last Fairey Albacore.

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This pile of bits is from a Fairey Barracuda.

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Fairey Flycatcher reproduction.

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Falklands Veteran Westland Wessex 'Humphrey', displaying shrapnel damage.

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Firefly I "Evelyn Tentions".

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Pregnant Skyraider AEW.1.

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More images here: www.flickr.com/photos/147661871@N04/albums/72157719598102812/with/51332839852/

Thanks for looking.

[davidd]

The Wyvern was always a magnificent looking beast, shame about the engineering (and the later turbo-prop engine too, which did not ever mature, so far as I can gather.) And a cunningly thought out nick-name for the Firefly, not that it would fool many for very long. I am also amazed that an example of the unglamorous Albacore actually survived to this day, that must have been long odds!

[Dave Homewood]

I just love that Albacore. One thing I really want to see in person if I ever get to the UK is that aircraft. I wish there were more of them around, they are such an important and underrated type. For some reason the reputation that they seem to have gotten from armchair experts is they were no good - far from it, they were a very versatile, very manoeuvrable and a handy type, much loved by all the Albacore crew members that I have met. Designed to succeed the Swordfish, it didn't; but unlike the "experts" who wrote articles in the 1960's or 70's will tell you, not because it was a poor aircraft but because the Swordfish was so damned good they decided not to stop production. In fact the guys who flew them told me the Albacore flew very much like the Swordfish but it was a lot more comfortable and better liked, being enclosed and having a heater. Especially the chaps on the Arctic convoys. There were a lot of RN FAA squadrons that had a mixed compliment of both types on strength and crews flew both. I'd love to see one flying but sadly this is the only one extent.