This was a surprise behind the Pan Am hangar as I came back from breakfast in the canteen. Thirty years previously in March 1943 the first Firefly had been delivered from Fairey's Great West Aerodrome(Heath Row)

At the Air Day, 1979. I had previously photographed this at Heathrow in 1973. It crashed in 2003

Destroyed in a display crash at Duxford on 12 July 2003.

Operated by the Royal Navy Historic flight based at RNAS Yeovilton and seen passing the RAF Red Arrows at Cranfield's Airshow and Helifest in 1994.

Built in August 1949 and served Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy operational squadrons until 1966. During preservation painted as 'R-204' of 812 Squadron with Korean War markings. Destroyed in a display crash at Duxford on 12 July 2003.

This is one of those tricky ones! The original WB518 was built for the RAN and delivered in 1950. In 1965 it was delivered to Bankstown for disposal and eventually bought by the town of Griffith, NSW, as a war memorial and mounted on a pole in the centre of town. After VH-HMW/WD828 crashed in 1987, WB518 was removed from its pole and the forward fuselage and centre-section was used to rebuild WD828. The corresponding bits from WD828 were used to reconstruct WB518, and it was re-mounted on its pole.

1840 Squadron RNVR Firefly AS.5 at Fairey Aviation, Ringway, for servicing. Newly built Firefly T.7 WM776 in the background.

This Firefly AS.5 served 814 Squadron Fleet Air Arm in 1949/50. It was shipped to the Far East in late 1951 and passed to the Australian Navy. Modified as a TT.5 in 1955. Sold and returned to the UK in 1967 for the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Crashed on 12 July 2003.

At Fairey Aviation at Ringway for modification. Later to 825 Squadron on HMS Ocean. Written off in South Korea on 12 July 1952.

The Firefly is undergoing an engine test at Ringway where it had been fitted with power folding wings. Ex 812 Squadron, it later served 817 Squadron before being retired in December 1954.