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The United
Kingdom trip 2010 |
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Yeovilton |
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A visit to the Agustawestland
airfield at Yeovil today found some new helicopters. Flying was
one of the six AW-101 Merlins for the Algerian Navy.
purchased for SAR duties. The aircraft appears similar in
configuration to those used by the Portuguese Air Force, with a
search radar under the fuselage just behind the cockpit.
On the flight line was a luxury variant of the AW101, the AW101
VVIP (Very Very Important Person). One of two ordered by Saudi
Arabia still in primer preparing fore a test flight. De rest of
the day was spend around Yeovilton with some of the RHF
returning from Culdrose and more then enough helicopter action. |
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Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton,
or RNAS Yeovilton, sited in South West England a few miles north
of Yeovil in Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm
bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) and is currently home to
the Royal Navy's Lynx helicopters and the Royal Marines Commando
Westland Sea Kings.
Opened in 1940 and expanded
after the war for jet operations, Yeovilton's future has come up
for debate on a number of occasions. With the recent retirement
of the Sea Harrier, it has become a primarily rotary wing
station, excepting the few resident Hawks and the Royal Navy
Historic Flight
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The surface combatants of the
Royal Navy have their helicopters provided for the most part by
the Lynx HAS3 and HMA8 aircraft.
These Lynxes have primarily an
anti-submarine warfare role and anti-surface vessel role. They
are able to fire the Sea Skua anti-surface missile, which was
used to combat the Iraqi navy in the 1991 Gulf War. It can be
armed with Stingray air-launched torpedoes and depth charges for
anti-submarine warfare, as well as a machine gun.
The Lynx was originally
envisaged for surface combatants that were too small for the Sea
King, but now equips most surface ships of the Royal Navy. |
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The Fleet Air Arm’s heritage is also
an integral part of Yeovilton - the Fleet Air Arm Museum is
collocated and houses a wonderful collection of naval aircraft,
as well as an extensive records and research department.
The Royal Historic Flight is
also based here, and has the only airworthy Swordfish and
Seahawk in the world, as well as a Sea Fury.
The former parish church of
Yeovilton village has always had a naval cemetery, and was
rededicated in 1993 as the Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church |
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