Researched 2026-10-11 from the sources listed below. Airframes move between hangars, workshops and loans: check with South Wales Aviation Museum before travelling to see this one.
The airframe in brief
| Serial / registration | XP534 |
|---|---|
| Type | Folland Gnat T.1 |
| First flew | 28 March 1963 |
| Delivered | 23 May 1963 |
| Units / operator | Central Flying School; No. 4 Flying Training School |
| Instructional serial | 8620M (Halton, 1979) |
| Civil registration | G-BVPP (22 April 1994) |
| Grounded | Forced landing at North Weald, September 2004 |
| Arrived | 7 April 2019 |
| Status | In store |
| Where | South Wales Aviation Museum, Barry |
The story of XP534
XP534 first flew on 28 March 1963 and was delivered to the RAF on 23 May 1963. It began as an advanced trainer with the Central Flying School. From 1965 it served with No. 4 Flying Training School. It ended its RAF flying career with those two schools.
In November 1978 it went to RAF Abingdon, then in March 1979 to No. 1 School of Technical Training at Halton. There it served as instructional airframe 8620M. It was sold off in the early 1990s. A private consortium returned it to flight, with Kennet Aviation at Cranfield maintaining it. It was registered G-BVPP on 22 April 1994.
As G-BVPP it was painted in Red Arrows colours as 'XR993' and flew on the airshow circuit for several years. It later moved to North Weald in Essex. In September 2004 a fuel supply failure forced it down short of the runway, and it did not fly again. On 26 August 2010 it reached Bruntingthorpe. Its damaged underside was reshaped, the paint touched up and nose flashes added. It joined the static line-up at open days from 2015. On 7 April 2019 it was taken by road to St Athan. It is complete inside but has no engine.
Seeing XP534 today
Wears Red Arrows red as 'XR993'. It was shown indoors in the main hangar from 2019, but a 2026 listing records it as stored outside, so check before travelling.
| Museum | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Wales Aviation MuseumBarry, Vale of Glamorgan | £10 | 73 | The resident Harrier and a growing VC10/Tornado-era collection, most with steps and open canopies. Kids exit wearing thousand-yard grins. |
Also known as: XR993 · G-BVPP · 8620M · Red Arrows Gnat