York Guides

Paul Jeeves (Yorkshire Post)

IT WAS seen as the Harrier jump jet of its day and played a vital role in ferrying the Allies' secret agents behind enemy lines during the Second World War.

But a flight to Yorkshire proved one step too far for the distinctive Westland Lysander, which had an enforced two-day stop-off in the North before being able to return to its base in Bedfordshire.
The aircraft, which dates from the late 1930s, is the last surviving airworthy example and had been booked to appear at last weekend's Yorkshire Air Show at the Elvington airfield near York.
But a problem with its ignition system meant the Lysander was left grounded until engineers from the Shuttleworth Collection of historic aircraft at Old Warden in Bedfordshire had driven up with replacement parts borrowed from another aircraft.
The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington played host to the Lysander as it waited for the repair work to be completed.
The plane is famed for its extremely short take-off run, which enabled the Special Operations Executive to drop secret agents off in confined areas behind enemy lines in wartime and earnt it the nickname of the "spy taxi".
But it is feared that Tuesday afternoon's 5pm take-off could be the last time that a Westland Lysander is seen above the skies of Yorkshire, amid escalating insurance and operating costs.
Yorkshire Air Museum spokesman Ian Richardson said: "We sometimes get blasé about the unexpected happening here at the Yorkshire Air Museum, but we were delighted to help our friends at the Shuttleworth Collection.
"It is these unexpected incidents that make the museum so interesting, because you never know what is going to happen next.
"I am very pleased that a number of visitors had such a rare chance to see this beautiful and totally unique aircraft at close quarters."
The aircraft has been fully restored by a specialist team at Old Warden, and is now painted in the black colours of the Special Operations Executive and fitted with a dummy long-range fuel tank and the side passenger ladder used by the agents. It represents V9367/MA-B of 161 Squadron, as flown by Pilot Officer Peter Vaughan-Fowler on Operation Apollo during the winter of 1942.
The Lysander's 50ft wingspan and its specially configured elevators are vital to allow it to take off over such short runways.
The chief engineer at Shuttleworth, Chris Morris, who travelled to Yorkshire to complete the repairs, said: "It was a real shame that we were not able to fly the Lysander during the air show, and everyone was extremely disappointed.
"But we are indebted to the Yorkshire Air Museum for all the help they provided us while we carried out the repairs to the aircraft."