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<\/a><\/p>\nThe Caterham Seven 360R has been created to raise money for injured servicemen and women and will be on display for the first time at this weekend\u2019s Formula 1 British Grand Prix.<\/p>\n
To be auctioned off through Collecting Cars, it\u2019s hoped the joint project between the Royal Air Force, Caterham, Mission Motorsport and Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund will raise more than \u00a3100,000.<\/p>\n
This project between Caterham and the RAF is in support of the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) division, allowing those part of the program external opportunities to grow their skills.<\/p>\n
Operated by Joint Aviation Command (JAC) at RAF Benson, XW232 entered service in 1972 and operated around the world. Upon reaching the end of its service life recently, teams at Benson and Caterham decided to create a tribute to the Puma and its servicemen and women.<\/p>\n
Based on a Seven 360R, the external finish remains as it was when taken from the aircraft, while the remaining panels have been painted in matching \u2018NATO Green\u2019. The chassis also mirrors the aircraft beneath the surface, finished in \u2018Desert Sand\u2019.<\/p>\n
Aluminium skin from the aircraft\u2019s tail boom and doors have been used as panels for the Seven\u2019s exterior as well as the internal rear bulkhead, where the door jettison handle remains in place.<\/p>\n
Details from the Puma are carried through to the interior. The aircraft\u2019s quilted soundproofing lines the door panels, tunnel top, and forms padding for the carbon fibre seats. The helicopter\u2019s evacuation instructions have been preserved and stitched into the lining.<\/p>\n A unique satin black dashboard features to match the Puma\u2019s military-grade switchgear, replacing the regular dash switches. The 360R also features a helicopter-style three-stage ignition sequence for added theatre to start-up, while the aircraft\u2019s navigation clock forms the centrepiece of the dash.<\/p>\n Underneath the bonnet, the ammunition box now contains the car\u2019s battery.<\/p>\n Assembly of the car was a joint effort between Caterham and serving personnel from RAF Benson. The names of all those involved in this project are featured on the bonnet.<\/p>\n Puma HC2 medium support helicopters are used for a variety of combat roles including tactical movement of troops and weapons, as well as the extraction of casualties on the frontline. They are also employed for humanitarian and disaster relief operations.<\/p>\n Corporal McCreadie said:\u00a0\u201cIt has been an honour to be a part of the Caterham project. As an Aircraft Technician (mechanical), I volunteered my time to remove the decommissioned materials from the Puma for the Caterham RAF Seven 360. To see the transformation of the materials has been fascinating.<\/p>\n \u201cThrough the course of the project, I had the opportunity to refine my skills and learn some new engineering techniques. I am proud to have been a part of the team that made this car and to promote Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics within the RAF.\u201d<\/p>\n Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, said:\u00a0\u201cWhen the RAF approached us about this project we jumped at the chance to be involved. Firstly, because it was an interesting build process for us as it\u2019s the first time in our history that a Seven has been made from recycled helicopter parts.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a true team effort as well, with engineers from the RAF supporting us throughout the build. But, more importantly, it\u2019s great to know that any proceeds from the auction will go to incredibly important causes.\u201d<\/p>\n Squadron Leader Morley said:\u00a0\u201cRoyal Air Force Benson Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) team will be attending multiple events throughout the summer, promoting STEM in both the military and industry. Along with support from RAF Engineering & Cyber Recruitment, the team have an amazing opportunity to host and present this one-off Caterham car made with former RAF Puma components.<\/p>\n \u201cThe car has been assembled by RAF personnel with the help of Caterham and highlights the amazing skills of the engineering teams that both maintain the RAF Pumas and that work in industry. It\u2019s our opportunity to celebrate the history of the RAF Puma Force while showcasing the opportunities that are available within the RAF and wider STEM community.\u201d<\/p>\n Bidding for the car opens August 15 and ends September 12 through\u00a0Collecting Cars<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n The car is scheduled to be displayed at several events throughout the Summer. For more information, visit\u00a0caterhamcars.com<\/u><\/a>\u00a0ENDS.<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Caterham Cars and the RAF have unveiled a special one-off Seven\u00a0built using exterior and interior components from a Puma HC2 helicopter, paying tribute to the […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29876\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tkc.grainwork.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\n