Last flying example of de Havilland naval fighter acquired for static display
The last de Havilland Sea Vixen to fly, FAW2 XP924/G-CVIX, which was seriously damaged during a wheels-up landing at RNAS Yeovilton on 27 May 2017, was acquired for the Bournemouth Aviation Museum at Hurn Airport during September.
The cost of repairs to the damage caused to XP924 were estimated to be between £1.5 and £2 million, and five years after the accident Navy Wings decided the project to get it flying again wasn’t viable. XP924 was offered to groups who could take it on as a static exhibit. In February of this year the Sea Vixen was pushed outside at Yeovilton, and faced an uncertain future.
The BAM chairman and project leader on the Sea Vixen, Neil Hallett, says, “This a fantastic opportunity to save XP924 and bring her home to be on permanent display at the Bournemouth Aviation Museum. It is hoped that many of the aircraft’s systems will be kept operational, including wing fold displays.”
A campaign to cover the substantial cost of moving XP924 from Yeovilton is being set up. Fundraiser Dawn Stokes says, “If you want to be part of ‘Foxy’s’ final journey you can find the latest information at www.bamhurn.org or go to her Facebook page, www.facebook.com/XP924”. Sea Vixen production was undertaken at the de Havilland factory at Christchurch, less than four miles south-west of Bournemouth Airport.
