Right hand drive 'Ford', anybody ? #1

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Backstory....
Following the debacle during the second Suez 'action' in 1959 when French and British Naval air arms were roundly trounced by Egyptian MiG 15's & 17's; the Admiralty (in a change from their more usual cautious approach to aviation). ordered an immediate review of their all weather fighter assets. The result was the procurement of an 'off the shelf' aircraft to fill the gap until the arrival of the DH110 (Sea Vixen) promised for 1963.

The result:

The Douglas Skyray F Mk1 (later Mk.1A.)

The model represents a 'Ford' (F4D) of 803 Sqn on its final cruise aboard HMS Eagle in 1964, just prior to the squadron re-equipping with the Crusader FA.1.









These cockpit shots have been posted before, but I have to start somewhere....

Ian