Fairey Swordfish I W5856

Swordfish W5856 is the oldest surviving example left anywhere in the world. It was built in 1941 by the Blackburn Aircraft Company at Sherburn-in-Elmet. The aircraft was flown from Sherburn-in-Elmet to Lichfield on 21 October 1941, and was packed by 82MU (Maintenance Unit), ready for shipment overseas. It was delivered to Liverpool via Southport. for shipping. Her intended destination was Bermuda, but instead was sent to Gibraltar aboard SS Empire Moon.

It remained in the Mediterranean for the next twelve until returning to the UK for rerurbishment during the winter of 1942/43.
W5856 was test flown at Stockport on 4th February 1943, and two months later it was based at RAF Errol in Scotland. Here it was used to take trainee pilots who had completed basic flying training through more advanced aircraft type flying and weapons training.

On Sunday 5 March 1944 W5856 crashed on take-off due to engine failure from Errol due to fuel starvation. The pilot decided to land straight ahead and stalled the aircraft on to the road in order to bounce the aircraft over the perimeter fence. Unfortunately the aircraft hit the fence with its undercarriage, and came to rest inverted in a ploughed field. It appears that the aircraft was aircraft was subsequently dismantled at Errol, and sent to Fairey's Hamble factory for repair. It was then crated for dispatch to Canada.

W5856 was taken on charge at No 1 NAGS (Naval Air Gunners’ School) at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on 15 December 1944. This RCAF station had been transferred to Fleet Air Arm use on 1 January 1943. W5856 remained in use until March 1945 when the Unit was disbanded.
It was eventually sold off by the Canadian War Estates Commission, and passed through the hands of 2 civilian operators (used for crop-spraying) before being purchased (in a fairly dilapidated state) by Sir William Roberts and brought back to the UK to join his collection of static exhibits at the Strathallan Museum.

Airshow Bookings for W5856
[courtesy of the RNHF]

The availability of W5856 for the 2005 airshow season is still to be confirmed by the RNHF.

In 1990 W5856 was bought by British Aerospace for restoration and eventual presentation to the Swordfish Heritage Trust/RNHF. The partly restored airframe was moved by road to BAe Brough for a complete restoration to flying condition. Its Pegasus engine was ‘zero-houred’ by Rolls Royce at Filton. Following the successful test flight at Brough on 3 May 1993, it was donated to the Swordfish Heritage Trust for display flying with the Historic Flight. The aircraft was painted in pre-war colours, representing a Swordfish of 810 NAS embarked in Ark Royal, wearing the codes [A2A].
In September 1996 W5856 was adopted by the City of Leeds and now proudly wears the City’s coat of arms and name on her port side just forward of the pilot’s cockpit.

Sadly during early 2004, corrosion was identified in W5856's wing spars. This has enforced it to be grounded until the problem can be addressed and fixed.
It therefore seems likely that W5856 will be off the circuit during the 2005 airshow season.

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