Long Description:The Fairey Firefly was a British Second World War-era carrier-borne fighter aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft. It was superior in performance and firepower to its predecessor, the Fulmar, but only entered operational service towards the end of the war.
The Fairey Firefly served in the Second World War as a fleet fighter but in postwar service, although it was superseded by more modern jet aircraft, the Firefly was adapted to other roles, including strike operations and anti-submarine warfare. Both the UK and Australia Fireflies flew ground attack operations off various aircraft carriers in the Korean War. In foreign service, the type was in operation with the naval air arms of Australia, Canada, India, and the Netherlands whose Fireflies carried out a few attack sorties as late as 1962 in Dutch New Guinea.
WB518 was one of the first 10 Mk 6s built, but retained the earlier Mk 5 fuselage. It was originally delivered to the Royal Australian Navy's 817 Squadron and then served in 816 Squadron before being retired and ending up as a memorial on a pole in Griffith, New South Wales, Australia.
WB518 was then purchased by American Eddie Kurdziel, a Northwest Airlines captain and former U.S. Navy pilot and was extensively restored.
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Restoration of WB518 used parts salvaged from WD828 which was written off after a crash into a cabbage field in Camden, New South Wales in 1987.
WB518 was recently damaged when its landing gear failed during its landing run at the Wings over Gillepsie airshow June 2012. The pilot was able to exit the aircraft unharmed and the plane was described as “not being a total loss” by the meeting’s spokesperson. Photos at (
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Serial #: WB518
Construction #: F.8646
Civil Registration: None
Model(s): AS Mk. 6
Status: Airworthy
History:
- Delivered to Royal Australian Navy as WB518 Dec. 1950.
- To Bankstown, NSW, Mar. 3, 1965.
- Returned Services League, Griffith, NSW, Feb. 1967-1991. - Displayed on pole as WB518/903NW.
- Classic Aviation Pty Ltd, Bankstown, NSW, 1991-1992 - Restoration to airworthy using parts from WD828, Bankstown, NSW.
- Ed Kurdzeil.
Serial #: WD828
Construction #: F.8656
Civil Registration: VH-HMW
Model(s): AS Mk. 6
Status: Static Display
History:
- Delivered to Royal Australian Navy as WB828. Dec. 1950.
- To Bankstown, NSW, Mar. 3, 1965.
- Moorabin Air Museum, Melbourne, Victoria, Feb. 18, 1967-1982.
- Trucked to Essendon, Victoria, July 21, 1973.
- Rebuild to airworthy started. Michael B. Wansey, Newcastle, NSW, 1982-1989.
- Registered as VH-HMW.
- Rebuild completed, Ballarat, Victoria.
- First flight, Sept. 28, 1984.
- Flew as WD828/271K/Mickey's Mouse.
- Crashed during forced landing, near Camden, NSW, Dec. 4, 1987.
- Classic Aviation Pty Ltd, Bankstown, NSW, Feb. 1989-1991.
- Rebuilt using parts from WD518, Bankstown, NSW.
- Rebuilt for static display. Returned Services League, Griffith, NSW, 1991-1992. Displayed on pole.
