FRADU aircraft archive - Hawker Hunter - Martin Morley's slide collection

"Martin Morley lives in Somerset. He like me is an aircraft enthusiast and went up to Yeovilton a few times a week to photograph the aircraft.
He lent me a second selection of his vast collection of slides on Royal Navy aircraft to put up on the FRADU Hunters site, mostly taken in the 1980's showing the older style schemes."

(1) We start off with a shot of one of the FRADU's seven T.22 Canberras that were on strength with the Unit between 1973 and 1985.
This particular example, the prototype T.22 WT510 but was the fifth delivered is shown with no call-sign/number painted on the side, no doubt remedied shortly after this photo was taken in May 1984.

(2) A TT18 is caught coming into land on Yeovilton's 27 runway. This particular example is WJ614/846 and was delivered to the FRADU on 9th July 1974, and was based at Yeovilton for the next 18 years, being one of the last three to be retired in 1992.

(3) A T.8C showing off its 1970's era scheme on 24th April 1986. The aircraft is WV363/872 and it flew on for the next six years with the FRADU, for further information click here.

(4 & 5) This Hunter, GA.11 XF301/834 was spared the dark sea grey paint-shop experience until 1991, keeping its rather smart extra dark sea grey and white scheme for the majority of its FRADU career.
It is pictured firstly on 24th April 1984, then just under six months later on 7th October.

(6) Here seen taxiing out to Yeovilton's main runway in December 1987 is one of 899 Sqn's two Hunter T.8M's, XL603/720. They were used as trainers for the Fleet Air Arm's Sea Harrier pilots during the 1980s, until the FRS.1 Sea Harrier variant were phased out in 1994.

(7) Another shot of XL603, but this time taken earlier then photo no.6. It shows the aircraft coded up as "718" minus 899 Sqn markings on the tail.

(8) Every day when I went up to Yeovilton I hoped that the wind would force the aircraft to land using runway 09, then I could get close to the end of the runway, and see sights like this :)

(9) A very nice nose-on shot of GA.11 WW654/833 is seen here, taken on 24th April 1986. The aircraft was retired for ground duties at RNAS Culdrose a few months after this photo was taken, and received a new colour scheme - grey and white and a new call-sign - 834/DD.

(10) GA.11 XE685/861 photographed after a FRADU sortie on 7th October 1986.

(11) The SHAR force of the FAA is now, like the FRADU Hunters, consigned to the history books. This photo captures two aircraft at the beginning of their Naval career at Yeovilton, and shows both schemes that the SHAR FRS.1 wore in service, grey and white and the Falklands-style grey.

(12) Taken at the time around the Falklands conflict, this shows 809 Sqn's complement of SHAR's on the VLN pan.

(13) The prototype FRS.1, XZ440, seen over Yeovilton in March 1984.

Martin Morley gave all images shown above to myself. If you wish to use these photos on another web-site you must first get his permission.


11. [© Martin Morley]	12. [© Martin Morley]	13. [© Martin Morley]