De-Havilland Sea Devon ✈️🇬🇧

The Sea Devon Is a Royal Navy version of the de Havilland DH.104 Dove 4 and was used in the light transport and communications role.
The Dove was a British short-haul airliner developed and manufactured by de Havilland as a monoplane successor to the prewar de Havilland Dragon Rapide biplane. The design came about from the Brabazon Committee report of 1942 which, amongst other aircraft types, called for a British-designed short-haul feeder for airlines. The prototype Dove first flew on
25 September 1945. Initial production was performed at de Havilland's Hatfield factory, but from 1951 onwards, the aircraft were built at the company's Broughton facility near Chester. The final example of the type was delivered in 1967, Production of the Dove and its variants totaled 544 aircraft, including two prototypes, 127 military standard Devons and 13 Sea Devons.
Early in Dove production a batch of 30 Devons was delivered to the Royal Air Force, these aircraft were used as VIP and light transports for over 30 years. The Royal Navy ordered 10 aircraft on 25 November 1954 as the Sea Devon C.20, followed by a further 3 aircraft on 04 November 1955. The last two operational Sea Devons were flown to RAF Shawbury for storage and eventual sale in December 1989.
A longer four-engined development of the Dove, intended for use in the less developed areas of the world, was produced as the de Havilland Heron. A considerably re-designed three-engined variant of the Dove was built in Australia as the de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover, The Dove was a popular aircraft and is considered to be one of Britain's most successful postwar civil designs.

This aircraft:
XK895 was delivered to the Fleet Air Arm on 18/04/56. After short periods with Flag Officer Flying Training, Yeovilton and 728 Naval Air Squadron, Hal Far, Malta, it moved to Lee-on-Solent on 25/06/57, initially with the Station Flight and then 781 NAS. Over the next 32 years it moved between 781 NAS and Culdrose Station Flight at various times, ending its career at Culdrose in 1989. in March 1990 It was sold and civillanized as G-SDEV, initially being based at Swansea. After several owners it ended up with the Cornwall Aviation Meritage Centre at Newquay, from where it was acquired by John Sparks, Arriving at St Athan by read on 08/07/18 it is on loan to SWAM prior to a planned restoration to flying condition.

Length: 39 ft 3 in (11.96 m)
Wingspan: 57 ft 0 in (17.40 m)
Height: 13 ft 4 in (4.06 m)
Max. take off weight: 8,950 lb (4,060 kg)
Maximum speed: 230 mph
Range: 880 mlles (1,415 km)
Powerplant: 2 x de Havilland Gipsy Queen 70-2 6-cylinder in-line inverted air-cooled engines, 380 bhp (285 kW) each
Capacity: 2 crew and 8 passengers