A rare British-built Percival Pembroke aircraft (XL954) is being given a remarkable second life in Cork, thanks to local businessman Eddie O’Sullivan of Cork Metal Company. Rather than consigning the aircraft to the scrapyard, O’Sullivan has overseen a painstaking restoration that has transformed a dismantled airframe into an impressive piece of aviation history.
The aircraft, a Percival Pembroke, was originally built in the 1950s as a military communications and reconnaissance aircraft. The type served with the Royal Air Force and several European air arms, with some examples carrying out photographic reconnaissance and Cold War observation duties. The Pembroke was developed from the earlier Percival Prince and became a familiar sight with RAF communications squadrons from the 1950s through to the late 1980s.
According to reports in the Irish Examiner and EchoLive, the aircraft had more recently found a second career in the film industry. It was used as a prop in the forthcoming film Jimmy, a biopic based on Hollywood star and decorated USAAF officer Jimmy Stewart. Parts of the production were filmed in West Cork during 2025, and the Pembroke was modified to represent a wartime military aircraft, complete with battle-damage effects and period equipment.
When filming was completed, the aircraft faced an uncertain future. O’Sullivan learned that the dismantled Pembroke was available and, despite being in the scrap metal business, decided it deserved saving. He subsequently purchased the aircraft and enlisted local engineering expertise to reassemble and restore it. Speaking about the project, O’Sullivan noted that the aircraft’s Cold War history and unique character made it impossible to simply break up for scrap.
The restoration has attracted considerable local interest, not only because of the aircraft’s military pedigree but also because surviving Pembrokes are now relatively rare. Only 128 examples of the type were built between 1953 and 1958, with comparatively few remaining today.
O’Sullivan’s intention is to place the aircraft on permanent display, preserving an important piece of post-war aviation heritage in Cork. The project demonstrates how aviation history can survive through the enthusiasm of private individuals and local communities, even when an aircraft’s journey appears to have reached its end.
For Irish aviation enthusiasts, the restored Pembroke is a welcome addition to the country’s modest collection of preserved historic aircraft and a reminder that significant aviation stories can emerge from the most unexpected places, including a Cork scrapyard.
