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Gatwick Aviation Museum

Gatwick Aviation Museum

Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ638
Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ638
Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ638

Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ638

The Gloster Meteor is a twin-engined jet fighter, the first jet aircraft to serve with the RAF and the only Allied jet aircraft to reach combat in World War II. Almost 4,000 were produced, mostly in service with the RAF between 1944 and 1965. Meteors also served with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), whose aircraft saw action in the Korean War; other users included the Argentinian, Brazilian, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Ecuadorian, French and Israeli air forces

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Two-seat trainer variant of the F.4, company prototype first flew 19 March 1948, 640 production aircraft for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy (43) and 72 for export (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Egypt, France, Israel, Netherlands). Avions Fairey modified 20 Belgian Air Force F.4s to T.7 standard.

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de Havilland Venom FB50 MK1 J-1605
de Havilland Venom FB50 MK1 J-1605

de Havilland Venom FB50 MK1 J-1605

The de Havilland DH 112 Venom is a British post-war single-engined jet aircraft developed and manufactured by the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Much of its design was derived from the de Havilland Vampire, the firm's first jet-powered combat aircraft; it was initially referred to as the Vampire FB 8 prior to the adoption of the Venom name.

The Venom was developed during the late 1940s to fulfil Air Ministry Specification F.15/49, under which the aircraft was intended to be operated as an interim solution, lying between the first generation of British jet fighters – straight-wing aircraft powered by centrifugal flow engines such as the Gloster Meteor and the Vampire – and later swept wing, axial flow-engined combat aircraft, such as the Hawker Hunter and de Havilland Sea Vixen. In comparison with the Vampire, it had a thinner wing and a more powerful de Havilland Ghost 103 turbojet engine, making the aircraft more suitable for high altitude flight. Both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Navy took interest in the type; in order to suit the needs of the latter, a specialised derivative, the Sea Venom, was produced; it was a navalised model of the aircraft that was suitable for carrier operations. A dedicated model for aerial reconnaissance was also procured by the Swiss Air Force. On 2 September 1949, the first Venom prototype, VV612, performed its maiden flight.

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Hawker Sea Hawk XE489
Hawker Sea Hawk XE489

Hawker Sea Hawk XE489

The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet day fighter formerly of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design originated from earlier Hawker piston-engined fighters, the Sea Hawk was the company's first jet aircraft.

Following acceptance in the RN, the Sea Hawk proved to be a reliable and sturdy workhorse. A considerable number were also produced for the export market and were operated from aircraft carriers in Dutch and Indian service. The last operational Sea Hawks, operated by the Indian Navy, were retired in 1983.

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XE489 was built by Armstrong Whitworth at Coventry and delivered to the Royal Navy in 1956. She served with various squadrons and ended up with the Fleet Requirements Unit at Hurn by 1961, wearing an overall black colour scheme and a drop-tank-mounted light. On retirement she was disposed of to the Historic Aircraft Museum at Southend, flying into the airport in May 1967 - her final flight. In due course the Museum painted it as XE364, representing an 899 NAS/HMS Eagle aircraft.

thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk
Hawker Hunter F.51 E-430
Hawker Hunter F.51
Hawker Hunter F.51
Hawker Hunter F.51
Hawker Hunter F.51

Hawker Hunter F.51 E-430

The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF. On 7 September 1953, the modified first prototype broke the world air speed record for aircraft, achieving a speed of 727.63 mph (1,171.01 km/h; 632.29 kn).

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XL591 first flew on 6th August 1958 and was delivered to the RAF the next month. She served with DFLS, DFCS, AFDS, 4 FTS and 208 Squadron.

thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk
de Havilland Sea Vixen TT.2 XS587
de Havilland Sea Vixen TT.2 XS587
de Havilland Sea Vixen TT.2 XS587

de Havilland Sea Vixen TT.2 XS587

The de Havilland DH.110 Sea Vixen is a British twin-engine, twin boom-tailed, two-seat, carrier-based fleet air-defence fighter flown by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm from the 1950s to the early 1970s. The Sea Vixen was designed by the de Havilland Aircraft Company during the late 1940s at its Hatfield aircraft factory in Hertfordshire, developed from the company's earlier first generation jet fighters.[a] It was later called the Hawker Siddeley Sea Vixen after de Havilland was absorbed by the Hawker Siddeley Corporation in 1960.

The Sea Vixen had the distinction of being the first British two-seat combat aircraft to achieve supersonic speed, albeit not in level flight. Operating from British aircraft carriers, it was used in combat over Tanganyika and over Yemen during the Aden Emergency. In 1972, the Sea Vixen was phased out in favour of the American-made McDonnell Douglas Phantom FG.1 interceptor. There have been no flying Sea Vixens since 2017.

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XS587 was built as an FAW.2 and served with 899 NAS. After frontline service she was converted to drone/target tug configuration and designated as FAW(TT).2. As a result, she carries a colourful paint scheme of white and red topsides and yellow and black striped undersides. She also has a fin flash, very rare for a Sea Vixen. She was operated out of Tarrant Rushton airfield for target towing duties.

She's the only target tug Sea Vixen left, so there's one reason at least to visit the collection! In her time at Gatwick she initially carried out a few engine runs, but these were soon stopped by a suspected broken accessory gearbox.

thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk
English Electric Lightning F.53 53-671 RSaAF
English Electric Lightning F.53 53-671 RSaAF
English Electric Lightning F.53 53-671 RSaAF
English Electric Lightning F.53 53-671 RSaAF

English Electric Lightning F.53 53-671 RSaAF

The English Electric Lightning is a British fighter aircraft that served as an interceptor during the 1960s, the 1970s and into the late 1980s. It was capable of a top speed of above Mach 2. The Lightning was designed, developed, and manufactured by English Electric. After EE merged with other aircraft manufacturers to form British Aircraft Corporation it was marketed as the BAC Lightning. It was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the Kuwait Air Force (KAF), and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF).

A unique feature of the Lightning's design is the vertical, staggered configuration of its two Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engines within the fuselage. The Lightning was designed and developed as an interceptor to defend the airfields of the British "V bomber" strategic nuclear force[3] from attack by anticipated future nuclear-armed supersonic Soviet bombers such as what emerged as the Tupolev Tu-22 "Blinder", but it was subsequently also required to intercept other bomber aircraft such as the Tupolev Tu-16 ("Badger") and the Tupolev Tu-95 ("Bear").

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This airframe first took to the skies on 2nd November 1967 and was delivered to the RSAF as 53-671. After service with the Saudis she was purchased back by BAe as part of the Tornado deal and returned to Warton in 1986 as ZF573. In 1997 the aircraft was then sold to Marine Salvage and was stored at Stretton in Cheshire.

thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 XV751
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 XV751
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 XV751
Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 XV751

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3 XV751

The Harrier, informally referred to as the Harrier jump jet, is a family of jet-powered attack aircraft capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing operations (V/STOL). Named after a bird of prey, it was originally developed by British manufacturer Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. The Harrier emerged as the only truly successful V/STOL design of the many attempted during that era. It was conceived to operate from improvised bases, such as car parks or forest clearings, without requiring large and vulnerable air bases. Later, the design was adapted for use from aircraft carriers.

The Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.1/GR.3 and the AV-8A Harrier were the first generation of the Harrier series, the first operational close-support and reconnaissance attack aircraft with vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) capabilities. These were developed directly from the Hawker P.1127 prototype and the Kestrel evaluation aircraft. On 18 April 1969, the Harrier GR.1 officially entered service with the RAF when the Harrier Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering received its first aircraft.

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