Fairey Barracuda DP872 Rebuild

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Fairey Barracuda DP872 Rebuild The Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation is a charity, and this project is only possible because of the generosity of our donors. There is plenty to keep us busy.

To help us make the Barracuda a reality, please consider making a donation:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/barracuda-live As the Barracuda project develops, using more components gleaned from a growing number of Barracuda aircraft and sources to aid the build, it is clear (from a museum point of view) that while this re-construction will always be that of Fairey Barracuda DP872, it is no longer the pure ‘restoration’ of a single aeroplane and its original components. Being clear about what is restoration, conservation, preservation, reconstructed work or new manufacture is something that the Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation's Conservation and Engineering Team is keen to think about, identify and promote more accurately. The project incorporates many disciplines with individually restored, conserved, preserved parts, re-manufactured parts and sub-sections utilising components from various sources. To be accurate, we now see the project as a reconstruction and rebuild. The aim is still to create an exacting example of a Barracuda down to the last detail, using DP872 as basis, and using as many reclaimed original components as possible before we include any new material. The finished aircraft will be unique as the world’s only complete example of a Fairey Barracuda and will set the highest levels of museum standard engineering. We hope you will appreciate this level of correct and accurate Museum thinking associated with the project and continue to support us as the rebuild continues. Museum engineer Will is focussing on the reconstruction of the centre section structure in the pilot's cockpit and observer's compartment. This begins to add new shape to the build but brings with it more challenges. The continuing conundrum of what was bent in the factory, what was bent in the crash (or bent further in the crash and by how much), what fits in ahead of what (we have no manufacturer’s build schedule for the aircraft) and what can be salvaged and used that is original Barracuda material. Processing the salvaged Solent wreck components is also a background task that continues to surprise us at the quality and condition of many of the components that have been on the seabed for more than 70 years and now we also have the substantial remains of LS551 lost on Operation TUNGSTEN but only recovered in 2025 to process.

Having recently had access to 815 Squadron's diary for the periods when it operated Barracuda's, there were quite a few ...
27/09/2026

Having recently had access to 815 Squadron's diary for the periods when it operated Barracuda's, there were quite a few photos of the results of some accidents that had befallen 815's Barracudas. Two were the result of aircrew error, the third involved a Barracuda of 810 Sqn that 'took out' one of 815's aircraft and the fourth the circumstances are unknown. Additional information is contained in Air-Britain's Fleet Air Arm Aircraft 1939-1945 and Fleet Air Arm Fixed Wing Aircraft since 1946.

An awful lot of Barracuda photos here.
19/09/2026

An awful lot of Barracuda photos here.

Design work on the Fairey Barracuda began in 1937 to meet Admiralty specification S.24/37 to provide a replacement for the Albacore. The prototype first flew on 7 December 1940, but it was not until May 1942 that the first production aircraft was airborne, and entered service with 827 Sqn on 10 January 1943. The MkII was powered by a 1640hp Merlin 32 engine driving a four-blade propellor, by which time production was in full-swing at Fairey's Stockport factory, with Blackburn at Brough, Boulton-Paul at Wolverhampton and later at Westland in Yeovil.

The Barracuda Mk.IV was intended to have a Griffon engine, but was cancelled before construction began. A Mk.V arrived in 1945 but didn't reach front live squadrons until after the end of the war and was used by a training squadrons.

When the Barracuda arrived in the Pacific in 1945 it provoked the following comment from a US Navy Lieutenant, "Jesus, the Limeys'll be building airplanes next!" The Barracuda was the aircraft produced in the greatest numbers for the Fleet Air Arm, with over 2500 aircraft being built. The type was withdrawn from service after WWII, and in 1946 only three squadrons remained operational, and had gone altogether by 1953.

Click on the link below to learn about an amzing restoration/salvage project being undertaken by the FAA Museum. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Fleet-Air-Arm-Museum-Barracuda-Project?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Fleet-Air-Arm-Museum-Barracuda-Project&utm_campaign=pfp-share-mobile

A bonus post from me with Will's work on LS551's fin and the removal of its frame 27.
18/09/2026

A bonus post from me with Will's work on LS551's fin and the removal of its frame 27.

Back on LS931's fin today. There are plenty of weeks left on this with my one day a week. With this and LS551's fin an...
18/09/2026

Back on LS931's fin today. There are plenty of weeks left on this with my one day a week. With this and LS551's fin and other fin components I have a feeling I'll be 'finning' until Easter!

Back from holiday and back to work.
11/09/2026

Back from holiday and back to work.

Today we remember the crew of DP872, lost on 29 August 1944:Temp Acting Sub Lt (A) DH Oxby RNVR, pilot, aged 19, Temp Su...
29/08/2026

Today we remember the crew of DP872, lost on 29 August 1944:

Temp Acting Sub Lt (A) DH Oxby RNVR, pilot, aged 19, Temp Sub Lt (A) FR Dobbie RNVR, observer, aged 20 and Temp LA (TY) DAT Mew RN, Telegraphist Air Gunner, aged 19.

The rebuilding of DP872 commemorates all those lost on operations and training whilst operating the Fairey Barracuda.

22/08/2026
On Wednesday we had an unexpected visit from Val Harris and her family who had come to the museum to see the Barracuda r...
21/08/2026

On Wednesday we had an unexpected visit from Val Harris and her family who had come to the museum to see the Barracuda rebuild in progress. Val had brought her father’s Pilot’s Flying Logs with her, which showed many hours of her father, Temporary Sub Lieutenant (Air) Gordon Edgar Dunning RNVR, flying Barracuda IIs. Imagine our surprise when we spotted one entry that clearly shows that on 19 April 1944 he had flown DP872 whilst training at RNAS Easthaven with 769 Squadron, carrying out five Aerodrome Dummy Deck Landings that day! Gordon was only 20 at this time. It is rare to come across a Flying Log that shows a specific aircraft from the museum’s collection, even rarer to find an entry for DP872 or one of the other donor Barracuda airframes.
After training with 769 Sqn Gordon went on to fly Barracuda IIs with 831 Sqn aboard HMS Victorious as part of the East Indies Fleet and later became the Flying Control Officer at RNAS Arbroath and the Commanding Officer of the Runway Control School. Gordon returned to a job in banking in 1946 but remained a pilot in the Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve until at least 1960. A big thank you to Val and her family for making the effort to visit.

More stripping of LS931's tail fin, concentrating on the front spar and nose ribs. The jury is still out on how much we...
21/08/2026

More stripping of LS931's tail fin, concentrating on the front spar and nose ribs. The jury is still out on how much we can save.

"I'm needing to see structures being built up. Are you near any stages yet?" Fair question on our last post, which deser...
15/08/2026

"I'm needing to see structures being built up. Are you near any stages yet?" Fair question on our last post, which deserves an answer in the form of a Workshop Update. We show the observer's floor which is coming along and work on tail structures and trailing edges. Putting stuff back together is a lot more satisfying than pulling it apart but much of our effort has to go into recovering and re-working or making from new the parts to assemble. Add in some periods of head scratching - see Will describing the positioning of frames where one degree matters. Hope you enjoy.

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Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation
Yeovil
BA228HT

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