Aviation News — September 2017

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Lancaster PA474 was recently repainted,

providing the opportunity to represent two

more Bomber Command units – 50 and 460

Squadrons.

There is a huge amount of work required

to ensure that the BBMF’s 72-year-old

bomber remains airworthy for many more

years, so at the end of the 2016 season,

PA474 was  own to Duxford to begin a

scheduled ‘Major’ service by the Aircraft

Restoration Company, including being

repainted. The port side now wears the

squadron code letters and artwork of 460

Sqn’s W5005 ‘AR-L’, and features a kangaroo

playing the bagpipes while wearing ‘wellies’,

as the crew consisted of Australians,

Scot and a Welshman. Its new ‘identity’

commemorates the wide-ranging mix of men

and women from Australia, Britain and other

Commonwealth nations who maintained and

 ew the Lancasters of Bomber Command,

and of 460 Sqn RAAF in particular.

The starboard side is now painted with

the code letters of 50 Sqn’s ‘VN-T’, as worn

by Lancaster I LL922 in which the current

Officer Commanding BBMF Sqn Ldr Andy

‘Milli’ Millikin’s grandfather, Fg Off Douglas

Millikin DFC,  ew 27 of his tour of 35 ops

with 50 Sqn between May and July 1944.

PA474 is now painted as 460 Sqn’s W5005 ‘AR-L’ on the port side and 50 Sqn’s ‘VN-T’ on the

starboard. The nose art re ects the crew’s mixed nationalities: the kangaroo for the Australians,

the bagpipes for the Scot and the wellington boots for the Welshman. David Billinge

New Markings for BBMF Lancaster

In an inspired piece of retro-thinking the

Lightning Preservation Group in conjunction

with a private sponsor, Steve Comber, has

repainted its Lightning F.3 XR713 on the

starboard side as F.3 XR718 of 56 Sqn (The

Firebirds). In the early to mid-1960s RAF

Lightnings were often adorned with  amboyant

squadron markings and with the introduction of

the F.3 variant the trend continued. No.56 Sqn

applied a lavish chequerboard scheme which

was looked upon by RAF officialdom as being

somewhat over the top. Consequently, some

senior RAF officers decreed that  ghter aircraft

should be decorated more conservatively and

ordered that the markings be toned down.

Within a year the days of chequerboards,

colourful spines and  n  ashes were gone.

The new paintwork was officially unveiled

on July 23 at Bruntingthorpe and was chosen

in honour of LPG pilot John Ward, who

undertakes regular fast taxy runs at the air eld

and  ew XR718 operationally. The F.3 retains

the markings of 111 Sqn on the port side

and is seen pictured along with the Group’s

Lightning F.6 variants XS904 and XR728.

Richard Hall

PRESERVATION

18 Aviation News incorporating Jets September 2017

Flamboyant Firebird

The Lightning Preservation Group’s

Lightning F.3 XR713 is now painted on the

starboard side as F.3 XR718 of 56 Sqn (The

Firebirds). Richard Hall

Californian Sea Fury Flies Again

After around ten years of work Hawker Sea

Fury T.20 WE820 (formerly known as Critical

Mass) made its  rst post-restoration  ight on

July 1 from Auburn, California, in the hands of

Ken Dwelle. It was accompanied in the air by

a second T.20,  own by Dennis Sanders and

Ken’s brother Tom, to Ione airport, the home

of Fury specialists Sanders Aeronautics. After

three successful  ights Ken said “It’s been a

long road. It’s exciting and very rewarding to

have reached this point. The Sea Fury is a

wonderful machine.” Stephen Chapis

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