The Princess Royal Pays a Royal Visit to Fleet Air Arm Museum’s Barracuda rebuild project to see conservation in action

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal paid a visit to Barracuda Live: The Big Rebuild at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, on Friday 13 September 2024. The Princess Royal was able to meet staff and volunteers whilst viewing first-hand the project aiming to save the world's only Second World War Fairey Barracuda from extinction.

The museum, now in its 60th year, was opened by His Royal Highness Prince Phillip in 1964. The National Museum of the Royal Navy is showcasing a complex engineering and archaeological task, rebuilding this iconic aircraft as part of visitor experience at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton.

Piece by piece, a passionate team of staff and volunteers at the museum has been given Ministry of Defence (MOD) permission to gather scattered parts from wreck sites across the British Isles. Their unwavering commitment is driven by a desire to not just preserve the aircraft but also to honour the courageous individuals who built, flew and maintained them.

Matthew Sheldon, CEO of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said: “It was such a privilege to host Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. We are very proud of the ground-breaking work that our team of conservationists are putting into the Big Rebuild. What we’re learning here will benefit other conservation projects across the UK and beyond. We hope Her Royal Highness thoroughly enjoyed the experience.”

Barracuda Live: The Big Rebuild gives you the chance to hear the incredible story of the Barracuda and Fleet Air Arm Museum’s 50-year journey to rebuild the aircraft. Their ambitious mission is to reconstruct a complete (non-flying) Barracuda aircraft. For an in-depth look at the incredible restoration work happening right now visit www.nmrn.org.uk.