ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 241464
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| Date: | Tuesday 26 March 1957 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Fairey Firefly U.8 |
| Owner/operator: | RAE Llanbedr |
| Registration: | WM883 |
| MSN: | F.8938 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cardigan Bay, 3.5 miles off Aberporth Beach, Ceredigion, Dyfed -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAE Llanbedr, Gwynedd (EGOD) |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Fairey Firefly U.8 WM883: Ordered from Fairey Aircraft Ltd., Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheshire as a Firefly AS.7, but completed as a Firefly U.8 drone, and first flown as such 25/8/1954 at Ringway Airport, Manchester
Placed into short term storage at Fairey Aircraft, Ringway Airport, Manchester from 31/8/1954 until delivered to HMS Nuthatch, RNAS Anthorn RDU, Cumberland 26/10/1954 for further short term storage. Returned to Fairey Aircraft, Ringway Airport, Manchester 5/6/1956 for modifications
First issued for service 14/1/1957 at RAE Llanbedr, near Harlech, Gwynedd. Written off (destroyed) 26/3/1957 when crashed into Cardigan Bay over the Aberporth Ranges, three-and-half-miles off Aberporth Beach, Ceredigion, Dyfed (at a bearing of 013 degrees).
According to one source (see link #5 and embedded YouTube video below), Firefly U.8 WM883 was shot down by a Fireflash missile from an Armstrong Whitworth Meteor NF.11. However, although Firefly U.8 WM883 can clearly be seen taking off and flying in the video, the rest of the footage is dated 1956. Which means, if that is the case, the actual Firefly shot down in the camera-gun footage was WP352 (shot down over Aberporth Ranges on 18/10/1956)
Firefly U.8 WM883 was formally Struck Off Charge as Cat.5 on 1/4/1957
Sources:
1. Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing aircraft Since 1946 (Ray Sturtivant, Lee Howard & Mick Burrows, Air Britain,2004 p.300)
2. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WM
3. http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_fairey_firefly_U8.html
4. http://www.ukserials.com/losses_drones.htm
5. https://www.reddit.com/r/GunCameraClips/comments/fechi7/fairey_firefly_umk_8_target_drone_shot_down_by_a/
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberporth
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Sep-2020 19:34 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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