Dave Cotton has been in contact with Wings Museum who provided the
following information…
Wings Museum, based in West Sussex, has acquired
Hawker Siddeley
Kestrel XS694 from a private collector in Florida, USA. The aircraft
first flew on December 10th 1964 from Dunsfold aerodrome and was the
first Kestrel delivered to the Tripartite Kestrel Evaluation Squadron
at RAF West Raynham, on February 8th 1965. When the squadron was
disbanded XS694 was shipped to the USA on the 11th January 1966 and as
XV-6A 64-18268* participated in US Tri-Service trials from Eglin AFB.
On the July 23rd 1966 the aircraft was transferred to the NASA Langley
Research Center in Virginia as NASA 520. On 27th August 1967 XS694
suffered a crash landing and was subsequently written off and used as a
spares source for the other NASA Kestrel. The remains were bought and
used in a paintball field, where it suffered most of its current
damage, before it was rescued by the private owner who sold it to the
Wings Museum.
The Museum has started a full restoration to static
display
standard and has already acquired an early RR Pegasus engine for the
aircraft but many components are still needed. The Gatwick Aviation
Museum and the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection are assisting. The
museum would like to hear from anyone who may be able to help with the
project in anyway or provide sponsorship and funding.
The team would
also like to make contact with anyone who knows more about the
aircraft’s history or indeed worked with XS694 either here in the UK or
in the US.
The restoration team has already made considerable progress
with the project, using the latest CAD drawings packages to have a new
front cockpit bulkhead frame laser cut to replace the damaged one. A
set of cockpit instrument panels has also been produced and progress
has been made collecting the appropriate instruments but there are
still many items needed.
In 2017 the Wings Museum submitted a planning
application to erect a new museum building on Dunsfold Aerodrome. The
aerodrome has been the subject of much debate for several years
regarding the application from developers to build a new garden
village, Dunsfold Park. This was finally approved in 2018 by Secretary
of State, Sajid Javid. From the outset the Museum has been in regular
communication with the property developer with a view to establishing a
museum on the site to celebrate Dunsfold Aerodrome’s significant
wartime and post-war contribution to the UK’s aviation heritage.
Despite a recommendation by planning officers for approval, local
councillors refused the application in late 2018, based on incorrect
information from a handful of objectors who were opposed to the scheme.
Wings Museum filed an appeal early this year which they have now
successfully won, so HS Kestrel GRMk1 XS694 will be returning to its
home at Dunsfold.
Restoration progress can be followed at
<www.facebook.com/wingskestrel>.
Editor’s Note * ‘Prelude to the Harrier’ by HCH Merewether, gives the
US serial as 18267. ‘Harrier-The Vertical Reality’ by RM Braybrook
states that 18268 was allocated but not taken up, 18267 being applied.