Cuban Sea Furies
Friday, 18 March 2011 00:00

Q Dr Augustin Campos Tenenbaum writes regarding Hawker Sea Furies supplied to Cuba, some of which were used in the Bay of Pigs incident. Cuban sources claim that only a handful of Sea Furies were ready for delivery at that time, while other sources claim nearly a dozen.

A Kev Darling in his book Hawker Typhoon, Tempest and Sea Fury (Crowood 2003) says that 15 FB.11s and two T.20s, all ex-Fleet Air Arm aircraft bought by Hawker from the MoD for refurbishment, were delivered to the Batista government, unarmed and crated, by sea in 1958. When the government was overthrown by Castro in 1959, Britain placed an arms embargo on Cuba, stopping delivery of a further ten Sea Furies and arms. By November 1959 only 12 remained serviceable in spite of efforts by a civilian maintenance team from Hawker which had been contracted to repair them.

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Blenheim crash
Saturday, 19 February 2011 00:00

Q Jim Newman asked in the December issue for identification of a Blenheim which crashed near Topsham, Devon, in 1941–42.

A John Towell writes that it was Blenheim I L1123 of No 263 Sqn which on January 9, 1941, suffered an engine fire, dived into the ground and was destroyed. The solo pilot, Sgt Morton, baled out but was killed. This raises another question, as at that time 263 was operational with Westland Whirlwinds, so what was the unit doing with a Blenheim which had previously served with 5 OTU at Aston Down?

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Caterpillar fuselage
Saturday, 19 February 2011 00:00

Former Spanish Air Force Navajo in store at BentwatersFormer Spanish Air Force Navajo in store at BentwatersQ Richard Stoker sends a photograph taken in summer 2010 at an abandoned airfield in southern England showing a fuselage with apparently Belgian roundels and asks its identity?

A The fuselage is a former Spanish Air Force Piper Navajo serial E-18.2 which is stored at the Cold War Museum, Bentwaters, but why it is atop a caterpillar-tracked trailer is not known — it does not appear in the current Wrecks and Relics — maybe a reader can explain?

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