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Corsair
Firefly
Sea
Fury
Tracker |
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| HMS
Vengeance as Minas Gerais A-11 |
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GOODYEAR FG-1D CORSAIR KD345 [130-A]
(G-FGID/88297)
The Chance Vought Corsair Mk.IV's. first saw service with HMS Vengeance
in January 1945. The FG1D Corsair had the biggest and most powerful
engine and the propellor of any fighter in history when it was introduced
in 1940, it was also the first to exceed 400mph. During 1945-1946, HMS
Vengeance embarked 24 Corsairs from HMS 1850 Naval Air Squadron. Today,
one aircraft remains in the UK painted in the markings of an 1850 squadron
Corsair from HMS Victorious in December 1945, Corsair FG-1D KD345. See
The
Fighter Collection website.
See the Fighter Collection's website for full details.
Photograph
by Ben Rogers
FAIREY FIREFLY WB271
Fairey Firefly FR.1's first saw service with HMS Vengeance in January 1946
when her Fairey Barracuda II were replaced. The extant Fairey Firefly WB271
of the Royal Navy Historic Flight, Yeovilton (UK) entered service with
814 squadron at RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall, in July 1949 and spent nine months
at sea with HMS Vengeance and afterwards to Korea. She was then transferred
to the Royal Australian Navy and served on the Carrier ‘Sydney’ before
conversion for target towing duties in 1957 (see
RNHF website).
The extant Fairey Firefly WB271 of the Royal Navy Historic
Flight, Yeovilton (UK) flew from HMS Vengeance 1949-1950
HAWKER SEA FURY
The Sea Fury was
used from 1949 to 1962 as the principal fleet defence fighter of the Royal
Australian Navy. 101 Sea Furies were operated during that period, and they
saw service on the Aircraft Carriers HMAS Sydney and HMAS Vengeance. The
Sea Fury was eventually replaced by the Sea Venom.
RAN Seafury WM587 preserved and airworthy
SUPERMARINE SEA OTTER
The Sea Otter
was used by the RAN from 1948-1953 for Air-Sea rescue duties. They were
primarily acquired to operate from the RAN Aircraft Carriers HMAS Sydney
and HMAS Vengeance. The Navy operated two of these amphibious aircraft
until helicopters began to assume the Air-Sea-Rescue (ASR) role.
GRUMMAN P-16 TRACKER
P-16E
FAB 7032 e 7033 a bordo do NAeL "Minas Gerais" (via L. Thiesen).
With the Vengeance in the commission of the Brazilian Navy as "Minas
Gerais", the Brazilian squadron 1º Esquadrão do 1º GAE
was assigned to operate the Tracker, having as its land base Base Aérea
de Santa Cruz - BASC. From November 1958, 1º Esquadrão do 1º
GAE operated a a Fleet of North-American B-25, North-American T-6D and
Bell H-13J aircraft. In July 1961, 1º Esquadrão do 1º
GAE received it its first S2F-1, designated as P-16 in the Brazilian Air
Force (FAB), thirteen being acquired directly from Grumman. From January
1965, the P-16 were permitted to operate from the deck of Minas Gerais
and on 22nd June 1965, Ten.-Av. Antonio Claret Jordão undertook
the first landing on the " Minas Gerais ", piloting P-16 7021.
Aircraft 7034 was the last to serve with the aircraft carrier when it
alone came back to fly and be catapulted for one last time on 9 October
1996 from " Minas Gerais ". Preerved Tracker P-16E's from the Minas Gerais
include P-16E 7037 of the BASC at the Rio Aerospace Museum - MUSAL, along
with P-16 7016. Another Tracker conserved for display is P-16E 7032,
of the BASC. Two others (one of them being the 7034) had been acquired
by the airline TAM for display in its museum in Americana/SP. 12 more remain
stored in the São Paulo Aeronautical Material Park- PAMA/SP (Parque
de Material Aeronáutico de São Paulo).
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