Classic British Aircraft De Havilland Sea Vixen

This twin engined, two seat carries borne interceptor flew with the Fleet Air Arm from the 1950s to the early 1970s. When it entered service, it was the first British aircraft to be solely armed with missiles, rockets and bombs; this made it the first fighter aircraft operated by the Fleet Air Arm with no gun armament. Sadly of the 145 Sea Vixens constructed, 55 were lost in accidents.

[@michaeljohnson9717]

In 1960 the combination of HMS Victorious, 984 radar, CDS and the FAW1 Sea Vixen astounded the Americans when we intecepted everything the USS Ticonderoga threw at us in Exercise Royal Flush IV. I was there!

[@elcastorgrande]

I remember the Victorious in New York harbor in 1959. The Sea Vixens were the high point of the air group.

[@sigbauer9782]

now you clowns can't keep a carrier running, your military and government are jokes, your navy has like 20 ships, and the UK is more a burden to the US than a help.

[@sir-richard4172]

It's awesome when 2 great countries get together for exercises.

[@sigbauer9782]

@@sir-richard4172 So, America is one; who's the other?

[@texleeger8973]

Zambia? Albania? Give us a hint.

[@someguy1256]

My father was a draftsman/design engineer for DH and designed this aircraft along with his colleagues. Using an old Rapide with window blinds to create blind flying to understand the risks then invent and test the radar system in all flying conditions day and night, they he also worked on countless other DH aircraft and missiles eg the Blue Streak. He had been a Navy pilot during his National Service so aircraft were his passion.

[@johnp8131]

Interesting. I presume he was at Hatfield, if so my father would have known him, as at the time of the Vixen he was Assistant Chief Inspector in the Erecting Shop. So he would have been bouncing between the Vixen and the delelopment of the Trident?

[@guaporeturns9472]

Too cool 👍🏻

[@guaporeturns9472]

One of the top 5 best looking jets of all time.

[@someguy1256]

@@johnp8131 Yes he was at Hatfield the photos i have show the drawing office [with his colleagues] had 2 locations the airfield judging by the huts and a modern office i think it was Martins House ? something not sure. The drawing office liked to dress and behave like the Goons radio show if one photo is accurate. Our fathers must have met. He worked on the Vixen and Comet not sure re Trident has he left sometime after the Hawker Siddeley take over. Have found a letter addressed to father from his colleagues at DH dated 1961 seems the office was St Georges House if that clarifies. But as they were into the Goons and joked around a lot so this maybe misleading.

[@obsidianjane4413]

I bet there were a lot of RN WSOs who would have punched him in the mouth. lol.

[@althalus401]

Many years ago I spent a very pleasant evening with a former FAA Lt. Cdr. pilot. He had started on Se Vixens and he and his navigator had flown a lot of hours with a lot of arrested deck landings. Time came when they retrained for the Buccaneer and eventually we tasked with a arrest4ed deck landing on Ark Royal. After the aircraft came to a halt the navigator said he would not be flying again, and he did not. He had done hundreds of deck landings but had never actually seen one from the cockpit.

[@davegoldsmith4020]

I trained as a rigger in the RAF at RAF Halton,. 1970-72 Towards the end on what was called airfields we worked on Sea Vixens. One of the guys I shared that two years with, was Paul Kingsbury. room 3 Anson flight 219 Entry. in two weeks time I drive my grandson to RAF Halton to start his training.

[@orgeebaharvin6284]

British engineers produced some of the best aircraft in the world. The Sea Vixen is a very beautiful plane. My favorite English fighter is the classic, the English Electric Lightning, absolutely amazing!

[@norwegianzound]

They certainly did and there are still some fine engineers left. However, most British people can't tie their shoes nowadays.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@norwegianzoundshhh 🤫 your ignorance is showing 😂

[@Sterlingjob]

The U.K. has designed and produced more aircraft types than any other country

[@orgeebaharvin6284]

@@Sterlingjob The Buccaneer is simply amazing!

[@Sterlingjob]

@@orgeebaharvin6284 as said…it flew too low, too fast and too far. One of my favourite aircraft

[@RobertB56]

Britain designed and built some brilliant aircraft

[@MrSdsr]

It is very sad that the famous „white paper“ killed the fighter Industrie . Even the beloved lightning nearly was stopped .

[@daviddarrall9384]

Absolutely agree with Alf!

[@generalrodcocker1018]

those pilots were built different back then ... those type of men are what we need most today

[@macdodd]

Never forget watching a Vixen low running down a runway in 1965 as the pressure aura built up on her, truly amazing

[@jonfox8010]

This was the first aircraft I worked on after I joined the Fleet Air Arm back in 1966. It was a joy to work on and I also had a couple of flights in the 'coal hole'. I later worked on the Phantom F4k, but the Vixen was always my favourite.

[@bobbralee1019]

I was in the RAF as a Weapons Tech and trained on Sea Vixens in the early 80's at RAF Cosford. We fitted the Command Ejection seat system, as my instructor said if you can fit that system you can fit any Ejection seat, Needless to say it was really difficult to fit.

[@idubzh243]

I love the design of british jets of that era : Vulcan, Victor, Lightning, this Sea Vixen, Javelin, Hunter, among others. And they are still looking great today. What a very nice video !

[@dezmondwhitney1208]

I saw this amazing aircraft only once, flying at RAF Saint Athan in 1969. As a 12 year old I went with my local ATC to see the annual air display there. All the aircraft were impressive but the Sea Vixen looked purposeful and 'out of this world' somehow to me back then. What a Day ! Thank You.

[@agdgdgwngo]

Awesome, unusual and charismatic machine. The first time I became aware of it was as an excited 10 year old kid at his first ever airshow, Waddington. Unfortunately it didn't fly that day, but the image of G-CVIX in it's striking yellow and red target towing scheme was etched into my mind. It really stood out from Tornadoes, Jaguars, F15s and Mirages. It's the quirks too, the offset cockpit, the twin boom design that looks like a meaner and faster Vampire. And of course, it's a de Havilland, who seem to only make beautiful and significant aircraft. I really want to fly one in a sim some day, hopefully DCS to do carrier landings and interception missions.

[@johnstygall860]

Remember them well as a kid living in Farnborough in the 60s. Always looked forward to the Airshow and the iconic aircraft that took part. Amazing video, thanks

[@iduswelton9567]

She's an Absolutely Beautiful air craft - watching her fly, take off, & land She's very graceful

[@DougGlendower]

This plane represents almost everything I love in an aircraft, taking my #5 spot from the P-61. It is the UK's prettiest aircraft and one that even outclassed anything in it's role at the time. She did everything that the A-5 Vigilante later would want to do, but never got the chance to in the US Navy.

[@Istandby666]

This is such a beautiful aircraft. When you think of it's era and the math that went into this craft. It goes to show what kind of education one had.

[@nialldoyle8206]

The math was done on slide rules. Some amazing aircraft coming out of Britain in those days.

[@Istandby666]

@@nialldoyle8206 Yes, I know. I learned how to calculate on a slide rule, also.

[@user-in7wp7mv2v]

In my opinion, looks ugly. Try to compare whis f 15 or su 27.

[@ednammansfield8553]

I had the privilege of doing ground training on the Sea Vixen when on my Air Radar mechanic course at RAF Cosford back in the early 1970's. They used the Sea Vixen for ejection seat training as part of that course. After passing the course at Cosford I was posted to 5 fighter Squadron at RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire and worked on English Electric Lightnings.

[@iamgod6464]

Saw 2 Sea Vixens fly over Dawlish back in 1970 or early 70's. It became my favourite jet back then.😊👍

[@edwardgrabot798]

I saw a D.H. Vampire up close at an airshow. I was absolutely floored by the fine English metalsmithing around the wing roots, jet intakes, fuselage tail booms. It wasn't a machine, rather a hand crafted artwork. From photos I never would have appreciated that plane as much.

[@mothmagic1]

If you encountered a vampire you would not have encountered metal smithing. In terms of construction the Vampire was a jet Mosquito. In other words it was wooden construction.

[@edwardgrabot798]

@@mothmagic1 Actually, the fuselage pod was of wood construction but the rest of it was conventional metal i.e., around the air intakes and the tail booms, wings, stabs. So in essence it was not really like the mosquito it was partially like a mosquito.

[@barklet6110]

@@edwardgrabot798the last sentence conflicts itself

[@edwardgrabot798]

@@barklet6110 How so? The Mosquito was mostly wooden skins, wooden fuselage, wooden internal framing, wooden wings, wooden tail. The Vampire had a wooden fuselage. All the rest was metal construction.

[@barklet6110]

@@edwardgrabot798" it was not really like a mosquito it was partially like a mosquito" the first statement conflicts the second statement

[@daszieher]

"'twas exciting, wasnt it?" "Great fun." Sounds like it was frighteningly deadly.

[@georgebarnes8163]

Still an amazing looking bird even today, a product of a time when engineers thought outside the box.

[@comediangj4955]

One of the ugliest aircraft man kind has ever made, and not in a brutally beautiful kind of way.

[@kristianhartlevjohansen3541]

@@comediangj4955Pffft - troll harder! I call - the Fairey Gannet 😁

[@Eric-kn4yn]

​@@comediangj4955I agree not sexy

[@stewsretroreviews]

​@Eric-kn4yn I disagree!! 😂

[@Eric-kn4yn]

@@stewsretroreviews whatever the f 22 raptor and f 35 lightning stealth a/c the days of the sexy fighters are over

[@markmullins1967]

We made some beautiful awesome planes in the 40,50,60s

[@KevBryce]

My Dad was serving on HMS Ark Royal when a Sea Vixen from the carrier was lost when a bomb detonated prematurely when it was on bombing exercise.

[@Swaggerlot]

In North Wales we had the privilege of operating the last Sea Vixen on the MoD inventory, quite possibly it was the same one that later flew in the Red Bull colours. Great fun for both myself and the pilot to bounce passing Hawks and other aircraft operating in the LFA. I'm sure it got many WTF? comments.

[@tklrrbccar3906]

Superb example of British engineering. You should be proud to fly her!

[@patrickrose1221]

The narrator sounds like Mr Grayson lol. First Dinkey toy I ever had was the Sea Vixen so it was nice to see and hear all of this. Thank you 😊

[@Nomorewoke0k]

It is Harry Enfield.

[@happisakshappiplace.6588]

Amazing plane. fabulous futuristic look about it. That and the Victor bomber.

[@nozrep]

man that is so cool! American here but if I may say as we say in America, not sure if yall say it in Britain? Haha maybe yall have yall’s own way to say it… but anyway… thank you gentlemen for your service and thank you for the great history here preserved!

[@mickb474]

When i was on HMS Hermes in the late 60’s early 70’s there were Sea Vixens on there, i worked on Fairey Gannets but i loved watching the Vixens and Buccaneers operating 👍🏻

[@MistaGabagool]

The Sea Vixen shown at 3:48 is at the Hatfield De Havilland heritage centre. The old guys there have tons of stories and know everything. My dad reminised about seeing the exact vixen at an airshow and they said he could sit inside it if he liked, I got to aswell. Definitley need to go again soon.

[@adrianrosenlund-hudson8789]

Early jet aircraft are beautiful. It was a golden age, and I envy the people who served during that era.

[@rogb3199]

Sadly witnessed a Sea Vixen crash at Braunton Burrows on 24/7/1968 as a young Cadet on exercise. Both crew lost. RIP Pilot Booth and Observer McKenzie. Watching it on approach to Chivenor when it just seemed to go into a dive with no recovery. We ran over but no help could be administered.

[@ciaranmcginn2234]

FYI last entry on Wikipedia about the aircraft flying in this video - On 27 May 2017, XP924 performed an emergency wheels-up landing at Yeovilton after a hydraulic failure. The pilot was uninjured during the belly-landing.[49] In November 2020, the trust announced that fundraising efforts and ongoing investment to return XP924 to flying condition had been suspended indefinitely

[@BlueyChandler]

Beautifully designed Aircraft. It looks majestic and menacing at the same time.

[@Stibsyt]

Living in Plymouth in the 60s these machines seemed to be ever-present in the skies over the city. Noisy buggers too!

[@aaron6178]

What a gorgeous craft. Well ahead of its time. So good listening to the esteemed gents who developed and flew her.

[@geraldarcuri9307]

1951? This plane looks modern in 2023. Beautiful!

[@WilhelmKarsten]

With twin booms and a straight tail??? Looks more 1930s and definitely not modern.

[@allgood6760]

HMS Eagle visited NZ in the early 70's and had Sea Vixen planes I been interested ever since.. thanks from NZ 👍✈️🇳🇿

[@AVMamfortas]

Beautiful aircraft. In the 60's the Navy would offload the Vixens to RAF Tengah when in Singapore, where they would do QRA in relief of the Javelins. I saw them off and recovered them, from my place in the Tower.

[@guaporeturns9472]

In the Tower? What was your offense? Did you see the ghosts of the young princes?

[@AVMamfortas]

@@guaporeturns9472 Control tower.

[@guaporeturns9472]

@@AVMamfortas Oh , I thought you were in the Tower of London🤦‍♂️

[@user-pl7sf9qm9o]

Odd the farnborough accident to the prototype was not mentioned. Not only did it cost the lives of John Derry and Tony Richardson but also a substantial number of spectators (over 50 from memory). The wing was redesigned in consequence and airshow rules changed to protect the crowds more ,although accidents remain sadly common.

[@MaverickSeventySeven]

".....able to fly it supersonic in a 'controlled dive' which wax a great joy.... I bet it was !!!! Typical, Englisgh understatement!!! Fantastic sir. Very few like you left!

[@gavinc.morrison1147]

The sea vixen is so beyond cool

[@anselmdanker9519]

Thanks - beautiful aircraft. Brilliant engineering.

[@pimpinaintdeadho]

Great documentary. Thanks for the upload!

[@thegreatvincenzo8159]

I was 766 Squadron at Yeovilton in the late 60's. This particular aircraft is a Mk2 but pre-upgrade to the frangible hatch for the observer. These hatches allowed the observer to eject without first having to lose that solid hatch. Once fired, the ejection seat went straight through the new frangible hatches 0:01 , hence the sharp pointy bits on the top of the seat. Not 100% certain but we were told that once the solid hatch had been detached in flight, the air pressure from the high velocity winds made operating either the face blind or seat pan handle in order for the observer to eject extremely difficult. Lovely aeroplanes though.

[@brianwillson9567]

Beautiful machine. Congratulations to all involved in her ongoing wellbeing.

[@Nomorewoke0k]

My late father used to work on the Vampires. Lovely aircraft. Sea Vixen is just gorgeous.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

The DH.110 wax initially designed to meet Air Ministry specification N.40/46 for the Navy and F.4/48 (previously F.44/46) for the RAF due to the similarity in the requirements. Due to a cut to the R&D budget the Navy dropped N.40/46 and with all the costs now falling on them the RAF aldo dropped their specification. De Havilland failed to redesign the DH.110 to fit the box dimensions for the N.14/49 leaving Fairey the only design under consideration. Unfortunately for Fairey this too was cancelled just a few months before the outbreak of the Korean War. A new specification issued in 1951 (N.114T) to which no designs came close to fulfilling. This brought the Navy back to the naval version of the DH.110 and 2 new specifications were written around the DH.110 (N.139D and N.139P) and the first aircraft flew from Christchurch on 20th June 1955. The first production type entered service in 1959 of an order of 75 (reduced from 100 by the Treasury). The aircraft was originally to be called the Pirate.

[@stuartcrane9409]

My relation funded the DeHaviland Aircraft company startup after WW1 when John DeHaviland worked as designer at Airco for Holt Thomas

[@Farweasel]

*A really lovely video about a beautiful Aeroplane* Quite a potentially historic piece too capturing the words of the men directly involved in its development & deployment. Thanks

[@TheFunkhouser]

WONDERFUL video! Thanks! 👍

[@christophertletski4894]

This has always been my favorite British aircraft.

[@ianseddon9347]

Superb film reminding us of what was and what the future could have held.

[@silverdale3207]

Gotta love the British, pilot and Nav were two great examples of a couple of fine British gents. Lovely aircraft.

[@robdave1974]

Love hearing these elderly gentleman talk about the plane. We would see these chaps at the shops and never realise these were the “Mavericks” of their day.

[@storkonstage]

Absolutely one of the most beautiful jets ever designed. A treasure from the golden era of British aviation. Would love to see the only one left fly.

[@Andrew-zr1jt]

Beautiful aircraft! what a design

[@Twirlyhead]

I do think it is very hard on a navigator who should have spent his naval career seeing open skies, seas and wonderful sights to be just stuck blind to all that in a viewless _coal hole._

[@mothmagic1]

The window by his knee was blacked out on the orders of the admiralty so that he couldn't cheat on Nav exercises - as though that tiny window situated where it was would have been of any assistance.

[@shable1436]

Lots of roles in today's skies still have roles where you go up and never see anything, not just navigating, but weapon controllers

[@Twirlyhead]

​@@shable1436 Of course. AWACs etc, etc, in that era Canberra is an example but that is not what I refer to. Usually the navigator in a two seat naval fighter has a good view.

[@bobbyduke777]

That vixen is one beautiful jet

[@tthams73]

What a beautiful aircraft!

[@marth6271]

What a beauty!

[@well-blazeredman6187]

There's a van that sometimes appears near my home that has a nicely-painted Sea Vixen covering much of the side. Good-looking aircraft - and van.

[@mehmetalitekin4528]

Thanks! Nice video

[@corujariousa]

Such an interesting looking aircraft. It could easily have come out of a Japanese Anime movie. I've never seen it before. Thank you!

[@Horizon344]

I kept expecting Harry Enfield to come out as Mr. Cholmondley-Warner watching this

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘Good evening Grayson’

[@daviddelossantos6075]

This was pretty fascinating.

[@CIS101]

Great video

[@daviddarrall9384]

A very admirable plane from any angle!

[@Rogue-7.62]

What a beautiful aircraft.❤

[@nudebaboon4874]

Beautiful aircraft.

[@ChipMIK]

Only a British engineer would put a guy down in such a hole vs. the pilot LOL I used to work as ECPO on the only non-RAF IUKADGE EW site (7 Keystrokes to get IFF presented on the operators screen). British engineers have some amazing solutions. I used to say back then that you should do the prototypes, then send it to America to make it ready for serial production & then let the Japanese produce it, that would make the grounds for a perfect product. TY for a very nice video of another very beautiful British plane.

[@daszieher]

Basically what happened to the Merlin. 😅 Except, of course, for the Japanese production

[@ChipMIK]

@@daszieher Yes 😀Although i believe the British was spot on with that engine, beside a little something with inverted flight for the 1. part of using it.

[@daszieher]

@@ChipMIK the British (Rolls-Royce) Merlin was great, when all parts came together well. The advantage of the Packard Merlin, was the automotive style mass production with tighter tolerances and repeatability, that Rolls Royce was incapable of at the time.

[@ChipMIK]

@@daszieherI wasn't aware of that. I thought Merlin was produced in the US for the P-51´s after the engine really converted it into an incredible fighter with very long endurance and high altitude power which was perfect for the bomber escorts where the Hurricanes & Spitfires couldn't follow the bobbers all the way. TY

[@bigredracingdog466]

Look at the RA-5 Vigilante. It had its own coal hole.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

A very beautiful aircraft to be sure.....Thanks..... Shoe🇺🇸

[@philreading3836]

Spent best years of my life with sea vixen on hms centaur hms hermes 892 squadron much underrated especially mk 2 version when fitted with redtop giving virtually all angle attack

[@caledophil]

Beautiful jet !

[@auldflyer]

Excellent presentation, so hard to believe these days that some of the best and most beautifully designed aircraft in the world were British, built during days of severe austerity following WW2. Long gone are great designers like De Havilland, Vickers, Avro, Hawker, Supermarine, Gloster, Handley Page, Fairey, Bristol and many others. Thank goodness for videos such as this one to keep memories alive for those who can remember seeing the Vixen and other great planes like the Meteor, Vampire, Javelin, Hunter and Canbera flying during their service years.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

They weren't... which is why Britain no longer has any companies that make modern jet aircraft.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

The Vixen was a horrible design... de Haviland went tits-up in 1958 after the infamous Comet Disaster, the worst engineering failure in aviation history.

[@petemaly8950]

​@@WilhelmKarsten *_It's interesting that some of the aircraft on the list should really have been noticeably safer than the Comet due to being a similar type but of much later design & manufacture but they definately were not safer._* How things were back then - *_Accident losses - % of aircraft built._* DeHavilland Comet 4 UK 14% DeHavilland Comet all mks 17% Vickers VC10 UK 5% *_The DH Comet had better safety than or similar safety to many other commercial passenger aircraft of a similar era_* Douglas DC-1 99% Douglas DC-2 47% Douglas DC-3 30% Douglas DC-4 26% Boeing s300 72% Boeing 307 70% Boeing 247 48% Boeing 707 20% Lockheed Electra Turboprop 29% Fairchild FH-227 30% McDonnell Douglas DC-8 14% Sud Aviation Caravelle 15% Canadair CL-44 Turboprop 46% Convair CV-580 Turboprop 22% A comparison of more recent aircraft. Accident losses comparison examples. 1970s - 1980s % of total Aircraft built Similar aircraft type, date / decade, useage, size. Biz Jets BAe-125-800 1.7 % Beechcraft Beechjet 400 2.2 % Cessna 550 Citation II 7.1 % Learjet 35 / 36 12 % Beechcraft 1900 6% Dassault Falcon 10 11.5% Aérospatiale SN.601 22.5% Medium size jets / Turboprops. BAe-146 5.1% Fokker 100 6% McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 9.5% Fairchild FH-227 30% McDonnell Douglas DC-8 14% Canadair CL-44 Turboprop 46% Convair CV-580 Turboprop 22% Beechcraft, Fokker, McDonnell Douglass, Learjet, Fairchild, Aerospatiale, Canadair, Convair companies defunct. All Comets, including some Comet 1s, had full civilian use certification at some point after 1954, civilian use certification only being withdrawn after commercial flying stopped. Examples were flying until 1997 - one example did a signals research global circumnavigation flight series in 1993 via Australia virtually without a rest travelling 28000 miles, only had an ice warning indicator issue during the flights. *The DH Comet - World Firsts.* 1st gas turbine jet powered airliner. 1st high altitude 8psi pressurised full fuselage length passenger cabin airliner, not a trivial feature as structure strength required for pressurisation considerably exceeded strength required for normal flying stress. Nobody else had done anything similar before the Comet. The b-47 used 2 relatively small, heavily built pressurised modules (the aircraft where 6 had their wings fold up in 2 months while flying & some had their wings fall off while parked). The 1937 Boeing piston engined airliner pressurised passenger cabin was pressurised to 2 psi only - in fact that could easily be done as the normal unpressurized fuselage cabin structure strength for flying stresses only was all that was needed to be adequate so no significant weight increase issues needed addressing. 1st all hydraulically powered flying surface controls & actuators airliner with under carriage wheel disk brakes + ABS. 1st jet airliner to cross the Atlantic. 1st jet aircraft to do a world circumnavigation flights series. *Of course De Havilland had prior experience building many all metal construction airframe aircraft including thousands of jet powered fighter aircraft that were primarily of metal construction with pressurised cockpits & jet engines built by De-Havilland & we know the world's first all metal construction airframe airliner was built in England in the 1920s by Handley Page.* *_De Havilland did indeed always work to better than industry standards at the time, no evidence of negligence ever being produced in relation to the DH Comet._* The course of De Havilland & the general UK aerospace industry sector was not affected even slightly by the DH Comet. *_Other interesting World firsts_* _World's first turboprop aircraft._ *Vickers Viscount Turboprop Airliner 1947.* *A 1945 Gloster Meteor Aircraft with Turboprop Gas Turbine Engine.* They might like to answer these questions. *Which airline has just ordered* *60 RR England Trent XWB Engines* *& What aircraft are the engines for?* _Bonus question for 10 points._ Which country has the *World's Highest Combined Per Capita* *Nuclear + Defence + Aerospace Sector Activity?*

[@WilhelmKarsten]

@@petemaly8950 *NAME A BRITISH JET PLANE IN PRODUCTION?*

[@petemaly8950]

​@@WilhelmKarsten *_DID SOMEBODY ACTUALLY SAY SOMEWHERE THAT THERE'S AIRLINER ASSEMBLY LINES OR SIMILAR IN THE UK OR IRELAND OR THAT Airbus or BOW-WING is actually British? (B-47 wings on many occasions folded up in flight or dropped off while parked)._* Of course Brazil makes very good airliners & Brazil is 100th down list along with Indonesia for wealth per capita. *Norway Holland Denmark Ireland Belgium - Top 20 wealth per capita - Don't make airliners - its as simple as that.* BAe Systems & RR combined now do more Airbus work than Germany on an absolute basis & significantly more work on a per capita basis. _BAE systems announced recent £4 Billion takeover of Colorado based US based Ball Aerospace._ *BAE systems now does a significantly higher value of work for Airbus than it did when it was a major Airbus shareholder before 2005.* *_RR now owns US Engine maker Allison for example which does classified Aerospace work for the US Govt._* The UK has more important stuff to do these days. _Routine simple passenger aircraft airframe assembly is becoming more of a 3rd world / trailer park area thing._ *_The DH Comet - world's first high altitude capable pressurised passenger cabin jet airliner in regular service, world's first jet airliner aircraft to cross the Atlantic, worlds first jet airliner aircraft to complete a global circumnavigation flight series._* *They might try to sensibly answer this question - why do they believe that BAE Systems & RR (aero engines etc) & other companies, for example should be doing anything other than what they currently do & where do they get the idea from that the DH Comet had any affect at all on the progression UK aerospace sector.* *Anybody currently flying on a widebody airliner stands a good chance of being on an aircraft powered by RR gas turbine aero engines built in England.* 📯📯📯📯 *The New RR Trent Ultrafan* *Built In England* *_World's Largest (see T&Cs)_* *_Gas Turbine Aero Engine_* 📯📯📯📯 👍Manufactured by the people on a small island with less than 1% of the world's population.👍 *_A typical but small glimpse of what goes on in the very internationally orientated British aerospace sector._* - Boeing Apache Attack Helicopter. AH-64: *75 UK suppliers,* 7% UK content, global fleet of 1280+ aircraft. *F35B more than 130 UK Suppliers, more than 30% UK content.* *_F35A & F35C more than 130 UK Suppliers, more than 15% UK content._* They might like to answer these questions. *Which airline has just ordered* *60 RR England Trent XWB Engines* *& What aircraft are the engines for?* _Bonus question for 10 extra points._ Which country has the *World's Highest Combined Per Capita* *Nuclear / Defence / Aerospace Sector Activity?* 👍& 🙂 Cheers & of course 😎 Toodle *PIP* _Old_ *_Chap_* . ... ... . ... . ... .. ... xcxvxcxvxcvxcxvi

[@JJ-of1ir]

Great video, great plane.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

Good video... horrible plane

[@petemaly8950]

​@@WilhelmKarsten The OP was correct of course. The Sea Vixen was indeed a great aircraft.

[@samuelclayton4405]

Beautiful Aircraft.

[@chazsutherland]

I never understood why the canopy was skewed to one side until I realized the designers were just making it easier for the pilot to reach the glovebox [@9:21].

[@androidemulator6952]

:) ;)

[@peterclarricoats2014]

Beautiful.

[@oscoe]

Omg they used a Dalek head for the scanning! Genius use of alien technology!

[@socaljarhead7670]

In the 50s and 60s the Fleet Air Arm had a tremendous variety of unique aircraft.

[@fourthplanet]

what a beautiful jet

[@akhtarnadeem621]

Very Nice!

[@markroberts2379]

Sweet aircraft !

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

I'd never even heard of it until I joined the RAF in 1983. The New workshops were full of aircraft, including a couple of these. They dwarfed everything else.

[@utub1970]

It's like something out of Thunderbirds.

[@grahamunderwood9353]

a joy to watch

[@Ploskkky]

This beautiful plane could and should be in a Star Wars movie.

[@liberatumplox625]

That awful Redbull livery really doesn't do her justice. Such a shame, a bit of an insult really.

[@RoboticPope]

True. At that time they needed the sponsorship money to keep it flying though.

[@liberatumplox625]

​@@RoboticPope I figured it would be something like that, overall that's a good thing then.

[@Pillowcase]

Could be worse.

[@liberatumplox625]

@@Pillowcase I mean, they could be sponsored by Mr. Blobby or something.

[@otgunz]

The Tomcat before the Tomcat, that beautiful.

[@allancopland1768]

One of my old friends, now departed, flew the Vixen and Venom. Bob Hambleton-Jones. Fleet Air Arm pilot.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

Was he killed in the Vixen or the Venom?

[@petemaly8950]

​@@WilhelmKarsten As they will be aware. *_British military aircraft at the time did not have unusually high accident losses rates._* *For example* De Havilland Vampire & Sea Vixen & Gloster Meteor accident losses were not high or unusual for fighter aircraft at the time. Non combat phase accident losses % of Aircraft built. *Lockheed XF104 (ff 1954) 100%* *Lockheed P80 (ff 1944) 43%* *Lockheed F104 (ff 1954) 45%* *McDonnell FH Phantom (ff 1945) 35%* *_Gloster Meteor (ff 1943) 17%_* *_DH Vampire (ff 1943) 23%_* *_DH Sea Vixen (ff 1951) 33%_* Cheers 🙂 & 😎 & of course 👍 Indeed. _Toodle_ *PIP* -Old- *_chap._* . ... . .. ............... ixxcxiixxcxixxcv

[@allancopland1768]

@@WilhelmKarsten Neither. He went on to fly for Computaplane and as a captain with Loganair.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

@@allancopland1768 Well he was very lucky indeed... many RAF pilots didn't survive their service in de Havilland jets.

[@WilhelmKarsten]

@@petemaly8950 Please name a de Havilland jet still in service or production?

[@andywells397]

Superb

[@ertwander]

Even the slightest look at the development of the D.H.110 isn´t complete without mentioning John Derry and the 1952 Farnborough disaster.

[@jonathansteadman7935]

Beautiful aircraft, reminds me of going to ATC meets with my dad, who was an officer, in the late 60s, I was too young to join. There would be models of Vixens, Javelins and Lightnings, and occasionally an Airframe outside. Not sure about that garish redbull finish!!

[@seanjoseph8637]

Jacked one up and did undercarriage functionals on one at RAF Halton as part of my trade training in 83.

[@fredericklee4821]

Pray the pilot sitting next to you doesn't fart.

[@jhstony]

With Harry Enfield doing the voice over, I keep think he’s going to do a funny line Women know your place😆

[@grahamthebaronhesketh.]

Whoever designed that cockpit should have been jailed.

[@gmac8852]

In the cockpit

[@scottnixon2899]

Salute to this great jet from the USA!