THE Sea Vixen is something of a local hero.

Returning to the Bournemouth Air Festival in 2014, the De havilland DN110 Sea Vixen FAW lives at Bournemouth International Airport, where she is lovingly maintained by the same team that restored her to her current glory.

See our best Sea Vixen pictures here

She's become a big hit with the crowds thanks to her high-speed manoeuvres and the howl of her Rolls Royce Avon powerplants.

It was more than a decade ago that the Sea Vixen arrived at DS Aviation, known at the time as De Havilland Aviation, based at Bournemouth Airport.

What followed was five years of painstaking work to bring her back to flying condition - she became then, and remains still, the only airworthy example of her kind in the world.

Originally built as a supersonic fighter, the Sea Vixen was a versatile bird, being able to carry the complete array of airborne weapons - all the way up to nuclear bombs.

She could also perform the role of in-flight tanker.

The Sea Vixen holds the honour of being the fastest privately-owned aircraft in Europe, still capable of hitting supersonic speeds.

When she was in service, she was crewed by a pilot and an observer.

She is capable of 690mph at sea level and has a range of 790 miles from internal fuel.