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Icon of Naval Aviation comes to Fleet Air Arm Museum

Wednesday July 9th will see the formal acceptance of the Sea King HAS Mk 6 XZ574 helicopter flown by HRH Prince Andrew during the Falklands conflict in 1982.

Sea King aircraft The aircraft will be officially handed over by the Defence Equipment & Support Rotary Wing Cluster Leader Commodore David Evans Royal Navy and will be received by The 2nd Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Sir Adrian J Johns KCB CBE ADC Royal Navy, Head of Naval Heritage and a former Sea King pilot, who will accept the aircraft on behalf of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Board of Trustees.

Sea King XZ574 was built by Westland Helicopters in Yeovil and first entered service with the Royal Navy on 6th October 1976. The aircraft was finally retired from service in 7th October 2004 having flown 9168 hours and then held in reserve until it was decided that the aircraft could no longer be returned to active service.

The Sea King Integrated Project Team (SKIPT), working closely with colleagues from the Defence College Aeronautical Engineering (Gosport) have prepared the aircraft to appear as it would have done in 1982. Assistance was also provided by Vector Aerospace (Formerly the Defence Aviation Repair Agency) Fleetlands who manufactured the stencils and decals for the markings.

The SKIPT's strategic partners, Agusta Westland, have fully supported the project by completing a re-spray of the aircraft, restoring the aircraft to its original 1982 colour scheme.

It is planned to display XZ574 within the Fleet Air Arm Museum next year when this icon of Naval Aviation History will add to one of the world's largest collection of Westland aircraft and form an important addition to the Museum's Falklands collection.

Programme of Events

1045 Guests arrive Cobham Hall (Opposite Museum)

1100 Formal Presentation by Cdre Evans RN

1110 Photographs

1115 Coffee

Icon of Naval Aviation comes to Fleet Air Arm Museum

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July 2008 News