Date:	Sunday 17 April 1949
Time:	day
Type:	Fairey FB-1 Gyrodyne
Owner/operator:	Fairey Aviation Co Ltd
Registration:	G-AIKF
MSN:	F.8465
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Ufton Nervet, near Theale, Berkshire -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Test
Departure airport:	White Waltham Airfield, Maidenhead, Berkshire (EGLM)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Fairey Gyrodyne: First civil registered (C of R 10751/1) 10 September 1946 to the Fairey Aviation Co Ltd., Hayes, Middlesex. The first Gyrodyne made its initial flight on 5 December 1947 wearing its civilian registration, G-AIKF, although it had already appeared in the static display at the SBAC Display at Radlett in September 1947

On 28 June 1948, flown by test pilot Basil Arkell, the Gyrodyne made two flights in each direction over a low altitude two-mile (3 km) course at White Waltham, achieving 124 mph (200 km/h), enough to secure the world speed record for helicopters. A maximum airspeed of 133 mph was achieved during the flight keeping seven inches of boost in reserve in the event a rapid climb became necessary as the flight was conducted at an altitude of less than 100 feet AGL.

An attempt was to be made in April 1949 to set a 62 mile (100 km) closed-circuit speed record, but on 17 April 1949, two days before the date selected a poorly machined flapping link in the rotor hub failed during flight and resulted in the crash of the aircraft at Ufton Nervet, near Theale, Berkshire, killing the pilot, Foster H. Dixon and Flight Test Observer, Derek Garraway.

The Gyrodyne had been selected for use by the British Army for use in Malaya, beating both the Westland/Sikorsky S.51 Dragonfly and Bristol 171 Sycamore, with an order for six approved by the Treasury at the time of the accident. Though the Gyrodyne's projected performance was significantly better than that of the Dragonfly, and was expected to be in service earlier than the Sycamore, the crash of the first prototype delayed the development programme and the Army, having no other choice, acquired three S.51 Dragonflies, followed by Sycamores at a later date.

Note that the helicopter in question is quoted by some sources as G-AIKF, and by others as VX591. Both markings were allocated, but its thought that the civil registration was the one that was applied to the airframe at the time of the accident.

Registration G-AIKF cancelled by the Secretary of State, Air Ministry on 17 April 1949 as "crashed and burned out" [sic]

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_FB-1_Gyrodyne#Testing_and_evaluation
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 217/1689: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C402721
3. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 217/2489: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C576643
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 217/2496: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C576650
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT 217/2502: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C576656
6. https://cwsprduksumbraco.blob.core.windows.net/g-info/HistoricalLedger/G-AIKF.pdf
7. https://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/memorial/entry.php?id=190
8. http://www.aviationbanter.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=57120&d=1342612483
9. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=VX
10. http://www.aviastar.org/helicopters_eng/fairey_gyrodyne.php
11. Air Britain Aeromilitaria Spring 2009 pp.3-7: https://air-britain.com/pdfs/aeromilitaria/Aeromilitaria_2009.pdf
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ufton_Nervet.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Dec-2019 18:41	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Dec-2019 15:05	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative]
13-Dec-2019 18:18	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Location, Source, Narrative]
01-Nov-2020 04:50	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Date, Source]