FighterControl

On 9th April 1991 two Lynx and a Wasp were noted at HMS Daedelus (Lee on Solent) North side. The Lynx were both painted a sort of olive drab green, unlike any camo green. Both were cabs with no booms

On one you could see the red colours underneath and the serial had been painted around, XW837 which had arrived from Foulness. It was a cab, no boom, but on skids. Also the PEE "holes" match up to photos taken at Foulness. The other was green overall with a grey starboard exhaust surround, the port one was green. This lay on the floor, no skids and no boom. The port side cab roof was missing which may give a further clue to its identity.

- Wrecks and relics 13 suggest this was XW836, but was this not the Westland 606 mock up at Middle Wallop? (There are reports of it still there in 1994 on the dump). I do not believe XW836 moved from Wallop to Daedelus, as it was still there afterwards and the Daedelus one had no skids or boom. (XW837 next to the mystery one still did have skids so they were not just removed for transport), also would it make more sense both (arriving at roughly the same time) came from the same place?

- There are photos of a yellow Lynx cab at Foulness on ABPic (https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1338658) in 1989, the same time XW837 was there. The photographer says it was not the prototype XW835, but it was yellow with a grey starboard exhaust surround. Britmodeller (https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/ind ... rototypes/) however uses the same photo and says it is XW835! Either way there is no photo of the port side to check out the cab roof, which was missing on the Daedelus one. Also I do not know if XW835 was converted back from PT6 engine trials as the exhausts were like the early Gem exhausts. XW835 was at Dishforth by 1993 but I do not recall a large roof section missing, it was just a cab on skids. So I do not think it was this one.

- Wrecks and Relics 13 say XX153, now in Army museum at Wallop and a Lynx Rotor Rig plate WA/E/32 were at Foulness around 1991. So, was the yellow Lynx pictured on ABPic the rotor rig?? My thinking is on that one coming to Daedelus with XW837 but I may be wrong. Anyone know for certain or was it a completely different airframe?
Many thanks if anyone can confirm,
Bob

Photo I took of the two Lynx here https://flic.kr/p/2qUFsdw

Unsure if this helps but demobbed has:
001 XZ227 Westland Lynx HAS3 f/f 10/02/1976, d/d 11/08/1976, d/d 09/1994 to Pakistan Navy as 21, w.f.u. 2004
01/02 XW835 Westland Lynx f/f 21/03/1971, to G-BEAD, rtnd XW835, scr. 03/2003 at Sackers, Claydon
01/03 XW838 Westland Lynx f/f 08/03/1972, scrapped after 1977, boom fitted to TAD009
01/04 XW836 Westland Lynx f/f 24/03/1972, to Westland 606 mock-up, to Lasham 1993 and scrapped
01/06 XW837 Westland Lynx f/f 28/09/1971, scr. Yeovilton 10/2003
01/07 XX469 Westland Lynx HAS2 f/f 25/05/1972, to G-BNCL, rtnd XX469, w/o 20/11/1972, to A2657, b/u Heysham
01/08 XX907 Westland Lynx AH1 f/f 23/05/1973, scrapped Stafford 03/2013
002 XZ228 Westland Lynx HAS3GMS f/f 26/05/1976, d/d 08/07/1976, to RTP Middle Wallop 08/2017, stored Yeovilton
02/09 XW839 Westland Lynx f/f 19/06/1974, to A2710, pres. Weston-super-Mare Museum
02/11 XX153 Westland Lynx AH1 f/f 12/04/1972, preserved, MoAF, Middle Wallop, Hampshire

Hi Bob - I visited Lee on Solent on 8.6.91 and like you logged these two Lynx cabs.

I have them as XW836 and XW837 - I suspect I got the tie ups from either BAR or Wrecks & Relics.

There is a photo of a dumped XW836 on the link below but it doesn't say where the image was taken - note the many caravans - could it be Lee ( RN tail boom in foreground so likely a FAA base )


https://www.lynxfx.co.uk/xw836-details


HTH

Yammer, thanks. I think the pic with the caravans may be at Yeovilton with the building in the background? I am more convinced that XW836 was not at Lee. I read off XW837 at the time and other things like the PEE holes tie up for that one. I suspect the other was the yellow rig at PEE when XW837 was there https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1338658 The photographer says this is not XW835, which was the yellow prototype, but a rig. I saw the real XW835 at Dishforth in Camo and the cab was complete then, ie roof intact, which the Lee one was not, hence it could be this rig. Don’t know if the rig’s roof was intact on port side. Bob

Sea_Harrier_FA2 wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 31, 2025 7:04 pm

Yammer, thanks. I think the pic with the caravans may be at Yeovilton with the building in the background? I am more convinced that XW836 was not at Lee. I read off XW837 at the time and other things like the PEE holes tie up for that one. I suspect the other was the yellow rig at PEE when XW837 was there https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1338658 The photographer says this is not XW835, which was the yellow prototype, but a rig. I saw the real XW835 at Dishforth in Camo and the cab was complete then, ie roof intact, which the Lee one was not, hence it could be this rig. Don’t know if the rig’s roof was intact on port side. Bob

BAR [Feb 1991] page F80 has the two Lynx listed at Lee as XW836 and XW837 [noted late 1990]

Looking again at BAR for the very detailed report from the Middle Wallop air show in May 1992, there is no mention of any Lynx on the dump at that time?

The May 1994 Middle Wallop show report in BAR lists the remains of XW838 on the dump [not 836]

Not sure if the listing below actually adds to or confuses matters?

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/ind ... rototypes/