ADF Serials - Sea Venom

RAN.Serial	Ex-RAN/RN	Type	C/N	Delivered To RAN	RAN Codes	Aircraft History
N4-893	WZ893	FAW.53	12750	27/02/56	882, 803	Served with 805 Sqn. Part of the Checkmates Aerobatic Team (RAN). Damaged 02/10/62 when it collided with WZ940 over Sydney Harbour, landed at Nowra. Crew; LEUT B. Roberts. Scrapped 05/67.
N4-894	WZ894	FAW.53	12751	27/02/56	205, 868, 806, 806/M	Crashed 11/05/59 Jervis Bay NSW. Flown by LEUT(P) P.Vickers, RAN of 724 Sqn, heard a thump, ASI failed, vibrations, fire warning light, undercarriage and flaps could not be lowered, engine off. Pilot made a dead stick landing at Jervis Bay airfield, aircraft overshot runway and written off. Disposed off 4/02/60.
N4-895	WZ895	FAW.53	12752	27/02/56	804, 865, 870, 867	Used by de Havilland Christchurch Hampshire, UK to design ejection seat layout. Damaged 04/02/58, Nose wheel failed to lower when with 808 Sqn. Restored to ground running by ABATA Steve Long 1981 and to taxying condition in 1982. Participated in the last fixed wing airday at Nowra and led the A-4’s and Trackers out to runway 21 with Fairey Firefly WD-826. Restoration to flying condition started 1986 but was cancelled. VH-NVV ntu Aircraft currently stored at Nowra
N4-896	WZ896	FAW.53	12753	27/02/56	206, 206/Y	Crashed 28/08/57 Nowra NSW. Flown by LEUT(P) Rowe, RAN & LEUT(O) A.L Eccelston, RAN from 808 Sqn. Crashed on finals at RANAS Nowra into bush 500 yards short of runway 26. Crew survived suffering from shock and abrasions. Aircraft written off 10/12/57.
N4-897	WZ897	FAW.53	12754	27/02/56	801/M, 864/M, 864/NW, 211/Y, 206/Y	First Sea Venom to fly in Australia. Ikara missile trials aircraft Damaged 29/10/58 whilst being flown by SBLT(P)C.Patterson RAN of 724 Sqn Aircraft descended to low and hit trees on approach to Nowra. To Swan Hill Vic. Fuselage pod moved from Swan Hill to Sydney Tech College, date unknown, as spares support for WZ-910. Label found in cockpit states aircraft reduced to spares 1972 Sold to Camden Aviation Museum. Fuselage pod under restoration by Steve Long Currently located at Camden Museum of Aviation This is a private collection and not open to the public
N4-898	WZ898	FAW.53	12755	27/02/56	862, 863, 874	Damaged 22/10/57 during landing. To HMAS Nirimba as an Apprentice training aid 1970, Still there in 1976 with side No's 874/NW. Used as spares support for WZ937 Has had major component changes with WZ910 and WZ937 Listed for disposal as scrap 1979 and bought by Queensland Air Museum on 25/07/79. Now on display at Queensland Air Museum as 862/M. Has tail of WZ910 fitted.
N4-899	WZ899	FAW.53	12756	27/02/56	801, 885	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-900	WZ900	FAW.53	12757	27/02/56	866	Served with 816 Sqn, B Flt. Crashed 28/04/66, off HMAS MELBOURNE Philippine Sea Arrestor wire parted during carrier landing, aircraft crashed into sea. (Accident happened approx 1500 Hrs, not at night as we previously stated) Pilot ejected at near sea-level and rescued with minor injuries. Observer also ejected but was lost at sea. Crew; LEUT (P) J. Dacosta, LEUT (O) E. Kennell. RAN Ejection number 4.
N4-901	WZ901	FAW.53	12758	27/02/56	810/M, 867/NW, 876/NW, 875/NW, 875/M	1968 made a heavy landing on HMAS Melbourne and distorted the main spar. Withdrawn 20/08/70. On display as 867/NW. Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin, Vic.
N4-902	WZ902	FAW.53	12759	27/02/56	807, 865, 884	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-903	WZ903	FAW.53	12760	27/02/56	812, 817, 871	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66. To Warbirds Museum Mildura NSW. Later to Chino, California USA as N903WZ.
N4-904	WZ904	FAW.53	12761	27/02/56	804, 864, 868	Damaged 06/04/65,when with 724 Sqn, Port main undercarriage failed to lower, pilot carried out successful two wheel landing. Ikara missile trials aircraft. Sold 25/07/66. Townsville Air Museum 10/74. On display Beck Collection, Mareeba QLD.
N4-905	WZ905	FAW.53	12762	27/02/56	863, 886	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-906	WZ906	FAW.53	12763	27/02/56	803, 804, 880	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-907	WZ907	FAW.53	12764	27/02/56	808, 864, 886, 866	Currently located at the Camden Museum of Aviation This is a privately owned collection and is not open to the public.
N4-908	WZ908	FAW.53	12765	27/02/56	804, 864M, 864, 875, 887, 866	Arrived at Hurn, England 29/06/55. Flown to RNAS Stretton 29/07/55 thence to Glasgow, Scotland on 30/01/56. Allocated to RAN on 27/02/56. Loaded onto HMAS Melbourne at King George V Dock on 11/02/56 sailing for Australia. Served with 805 Sqn as 864/M and 724 Sqn as 864 & 887, Placed in storage with Hawker De Havilland at Bankstown until sold by the Department of Supply on 25 /07/66, Scrapped 05/67.
N4-909	WZ909	FAW.53	12766	27/02/56	887, 865	Crashed 21/05/59, Fatal. When with 724 Squadron. Flown by LEUT(P) S.R Carmichael RAN & ASLT(O) Mike Williams RAN on a photographic exercise crashed into sea off Ulladulla NSW. Crash seen by a passing Merchant ship. Twenty nine years later on 18/05/88 remains of aircraft bought to surface by CSIRO vessel. Port wheel cover at Australia's Museum of Flight.
N4-910	WZ910	FAW.53	12767	27/02/56	802, 808, 867	To Sydney Technical College. Stored Queensland Air Museum QLD - some parts used for WZ898/N4-898.
N4-911	WZ911	FAW.53	12768	27/02/56	207, 806M, 887, 810/M, 867/NW	Crashed 04/03/64 while coded as 867/NW with 724 Sqn after windscreen imploded resulting in a forced landing and damaging the aircraft. Written off 4/03/64. Later sold and for a while at Chewing Gum airfield, Tallebudgera, Qld. By 01/80 in a rather dilapidated state with faded side No's 810/M Still with Museum when it closed in 1989. Later reported in Brisbane. Current status and location unknown
N4-927	WZ927	FAW.53	12769	27/02/56	802, 865, 867	Served with 724 Sqn. Crashed 15/06/60 RAN Air Station Nowra NSW. Aircraft hit trees in circuit for night landing. Crew; SBLT (P) B. Dutch, LEUT (O) E. Sandberg, ejected safely. RAN Ejection number 2.
N4-928	WZ928	FAW.53	12770	27/02/56	806, 886	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-929	WZ929	FAW.53	12771	27/02/56	800, 801, 803, 810, 881	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-930	WZ930	FAW.53	12772	27/02/56	806, 804, 805, 865	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66. Tocumwal & District Historical Society VIC. Noted in outside storage at Tocumwal airport for many years Sold to a concrete plant owner in Sydney Tail booms, horizontal stabilisers, elevators, rudders and tip tanks stored in Auckland NZ Outer wing sections (the folding part) stored at Dairy Flat NZ We believe that the pod and inner wings remain in Australia
N4-931	WZ931	FAW.53	12773	27/02/56	887, 868, 877	Damaged when with 724 Sqn during display 8G imposed, false spar cracked, starboard stub plane buckled Previously reported date of 3/11/56 must be incorrect due to aircraft having UHF radio mods that were incorporated until 1964 Aircraft dumped at NAS Nowra (date unknown) until 1981 when it was bought back to Air Training Department and paint stripped It was used as spares support for the restoration of WZ895 Was on display at Naval Aviation Museum, Nowra Currently owned by and on display at South Australian Aviation Museum
N4-932	WZ932	FAW.53	12774	27/02/56	866, 864, 864/NW	Whilst attached to 724 Squadron, crashed on landing at RANAS Nowra on 03/12/64, The pilot ASLT(P) G.J Geerlings RAN undershot the runway and was killed. Aircraft written off.
N4-933	WZ933	FAW.53	12775	27/02/56	207, 207/Y	Crashed whilst attached to 808 Squadron, Fatal 08/08/56, Flown by LEUT(P) B.Y Thompson, RAN & LEUT(O) K.C.M Potts, RAN. On being catapulted from HMAS Melbourne crashed into the sea killing the crew.
N4-934	WZ934	FAW.53	12776	27/02/56	208, 864, 872	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66.
N4-935	WZ935	FAW.53	12777	27/02/56	210, 865, 878	Withdrawn 06/73. Sold to Maitland Aero Club NSW 12/73. FAAM Nowra 07/89 on external display. Some members of the ADF-Serials team purchased this aircraft in 2005 to save it from the scrap man. Now owned by Steve Long
N4-936	WZ936	FAW.53	12778	27/02/56	203, 210/Y	Coded as 210/Y Crashed 25/06/57 when the aircraft undershot runway 26 at RANAS Nowra crashed and burned. The crew of Leut (P) Knowlis RAN and Leut(O) B. McKeon RAN were injured in the crash but survived. Aircraft written off.
N4-937	WZ937	FAW.53	12779	27/02/56	211	Used as a training aid at HMAS Nirimba until 1984 Returned to HMAS Albatross for the Naval Aviation Museum Aircraft was to be restored to running condition but on inspection was found to have a collapsed front engine bearing An engine change was carried out by VC 724 Squadron and was regularly ground run until being put on permanent dispaly. Current at Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra.
N4-938	WZ938	FAW.53	12780	27/02/56	208, 872	Firefighting HMAS Albatross, 30/07/68.
N4-939	WZ939	FAW.53	12781	27/02/56	212, 803	Was mounted on pole at the front of Gold Coast War Museum at Caloundra Qld. Removed from pole and stored disassembled atMudgeeraba, Qld Was mounted ton another pole at Tuggarah Lakes. NSW Sold to and on display Classic Fighter Jets Museum SA. Offered for sale 2016, not sold as of 01/2018 There is another disassembled Sea Venom that was advertised on Gray's On-Line Auction. This is fitted with tail booms and other parts that were on WZ939 We are currently looking into what went where.
N4-940	WZ940	FAW.53	12782	27/02/56	887, 809	Served with 805 Sqn. Part of the Checkmates Aerobatic Team (RAN). Collided with WZ893 02/10/62 during formation aerobatics display over Sydney Harbour. Pilot ejected at about 500 ft over water, suffering only minor injuries. Recovered by HMAS Kimbla. Crew; LEUT A. Riley. RAN Ejection number 3. WZ893 recovered to Nowra.
N4-941	WZ941	FAW.53	12783	27/02/56	875, 866, 875	Damaged 11/10/56. Brake and radio failure, aircraft ran off runway at Nowra. Served with 724 Sqn. Crashed 11/02/60, RAN Air Station Nowra NSW - Fatal. Crashed during practice PFL. Ejection seats fired on ground impact but outside safe ejection envelope. Crew; 724 Sqn SBLT (P) F. Hodgson, EMAW2 M. Holloway. RAN Ejection number 1.
N4-942	WZ942	FAW.53	12784	27/02/56	207, 809	Damaged 15/4/57 when attached to 808 Sqn, Flared out on finals at NAS Nowra, aircraft landed 200 yards short of the airfield perimeter. Withdrawn 15/01/63. Use for fire training at Nowra NSW.
N4-943	WZ943	FAW.53	12785	27/02/56	805, 807, 865, 876	With 805 Sqn, damaged 8/8/58,undershot the runway at Nowra, lost both oleo legs. Withdrawn 06/73, last Sea Venom to fly. Was on display on Pole Nowra as '876'. Returned to HMAS Albatross 1985 for cosmetic restoration. Remaining cockpit fittings were stripped out and the fuselage pod was filled with expanding foam. The Perspex canopy was replaced with sheet metal Became structurally unsound and removed from the pole. Cockpit and forward fuselage became separated from rest of aircraft Was located at the rear of Australia's Museum of Flight (now Fleet Air Arm Museum) Nowra Some members of the ADF-Serials team purchased this aircraft in 2005 to save it from the scrap man. Now owned by Steve Long
N4-944	WZ944	FAW.53	12786	27/02/56	810, 873	Sold 25/07/66. Warbirds Museum, Mildura VIC. Sold in USA as N7022H 1971. Owned by Rich Grinnell, Ontarion, Oregon Currently under restoration to airworthy by John Hammons' Ultimate Aviation, Ogden, Utah
N4-945	WZ945	FAW.53	12787	27/02/56	804, 805, 866	Sold for Scrap 25/07/66. Fuselage pod purchased by Camden Aviation Museum. Cockpit internals stripped out and pod sold to Syd Beck Instrument panel on display at Camden Aviation Museum Fuselage pod on display at Syd Beck Collection, Mareeba Qld
N4-946	WZ946	FAW.53	12788	27/02/56	807/M, 809/M, 809, 817/M, 869	28/3/1960 While taxiing forward the brakes failed and the aircraft struck the Island of HMAS Melbourne, nose on. Sold by DOS to Chieftain Aviation, Bankstown NSW. In 1974 placed on a pole at the clubs entrance. On display there for approx 25 years. Removed in 1993 it went into storage at Murrurundi NSW. Inner wings noted in Penrith car yard some time after sale Shipped to Portland, Oregon USA. Was offered for sale on eBay 11/2002.