Halifax repaint and Bomber Reunion

NX611 displays the codes of the two resident wartime sqns at East Kirkby. 57sqn and Im afraid the other number has slipped me.

steve

The Old Warden Glad has different Nowegean numbers on each side – I think that’s so it looked like a Squadron of Glads for the Norwegean film! 😉

Many of the 1930s aircraft at Quatros Ventos in Madrid have one side painted in Fascist colours, the other in Republican colours – the result being the line up looks quite different depending which end you are at, and neatly gets round a rather tricky political PR problem for the Spanish!

Can’t think of any others at the moment, but I’m sure there are plenty.

Cheers

The Lancaster NX665 at Motat in Auckland has worn two identities for decades. The idea behind the Lanc is that it is a memorial to all the NZ’ers who served in Bomber Command, and it wears the code ND752 (AA-O) of 75 (NZ) Sqn RAF on one side, and the other side is PB457 (SR-V) of 101 Sqn RAF, which was an aircraft crewed by some Kiwis. I think that it is a nice idea indeed, as many more NZ’ers served in sqn’s that were regular RAF than in the (NZ) bomber sqns.

The Halifax is just as fitting as a tribute. Are there other aircraft in museums round the world that use this dual identity idea?

Halifax Tail Markings

I visited Elvington a few weeks ago (I try to go there at least annually as it seems to get better every time) and I was very impressed with the standard of their finest (in my opinion) aircraft – the Halifax. I thought that having the aircraft painted to represent 2 different sqn machines would not work very well, but in fact, they seem to have managed it superbly, well done. There is an explanatory chart positioned on the hangar floor immediately under the ac’s nose which details the different tail codes used by some of the Halifax sqns later in WWII. I have tried to attach a photo of this but the file is way too large according to the Attach Files thingy! 🙁

As Cees says, the markings were for daylight as it was easy to get a bomber stream together. Give them a course to fly and then tell your bomber crews to get on with it. Easy! No fancy formation stuff at all.

As far as the Mossie goes, yes it will be restored to taxying condition, with the intention to do it to be able to fast taxi runs down the runway (there’s plenty of space, after all!). It won’t fly.

can imagine it must have been incredibly tricky trying to put a bomber stream together, at night, without lights, and with radio silence, hence the rather lavish and obvious tailfin markings
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Hi Steve,

These markings were actually intended for daylight operations as at the end of 1944/beginning 1945 the RAF was increasing its daylight sorties.

Cheers

Cees

Hi Dave,
Not a dig at you. The Poms are a bit sensitve about the Frogs at the moment; something about a round ball game and a funny spelling on a very fast ex-airliner. Doesn’t take mutch to get some forumites going…

I believe the tail markings on the Halifaxes were used to identify formation leaders, in much the same way as the BBMF’s Lancaster had the white fins when painted as WS-J a few years ago.

I can imagine it must have been incredibly tricky trying to put a bomber stream together, at night, without lights, and with radio silence, hence the rather lavish and obvious tailfin markings…

Pity about the Mossie not flying. There seem to be so many Mossies being restored around the world, but only for static. The only one I’m aware of that is planned to fly is the one here in NZ. Are there any others anywhere that will take to the air again?

Dave,
There are 3 other potential airworthy restorations at various stages. In Canada, Bob Jens is restoring B.35 VR796/CF-HML to flight status.
And in the USA Paul Allen has the ex-IWM/ex-TFC T.3 TV959, that presumably will be restored to flight status at some stage.
Also in the USA, Kermit Weeks has TT.35 RS712 that was airworthy until about 10 years ago, but suffered de-lamination of the wings, and has been grounded since. I guess at some stage Kermit will undertake a wing rebuild to enable her to take to the skies again.

Don’t think we’re ever likely to see a Mossie in UK skies again though now… 🙁

I admit I am Xenaphobic (i.e. afraid of butch women in leather!
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Or do you mean Dutch women in leather!!??? 😎 😉 :rolleyes:

Cheers

Cees 😀 😀

I was not attempting to make a Xenophobic remark. I simply meant that the French markings looked unusual. I have never seen a photo of a Halifax without RAF roundels before I saw this. My natural reaction was to expect an RAF scheme. However when I first saw a photo of the new paintwork a month or so ago I was looking for a while thinking ‘something’s odd here’, because I hadn’t twigged that it wasn’t the RAF roundel for a few seconds.

I soon realised that it was portraying a French flown aircraft, which I think is rather interesting and commendable of the museum to do, considering the rarity of Halifaxes and the number of schemes it could have been given. I do like the French scheme, it is a very interesting choice. But I simply prefer the other side, that’s all.

Pity about the Mossie not flying. There seem to be so many Mossies being restored around the world, but only for static. The only one I’m aware of that is planned to fly is the one here in NZ. Are there any others anywhere that will take to the air again?

PS – I admit I am Xenaphobic (i.e. afraid of butch women in leather! 😮 )

TheFrench side is a commemoration of all the brave Frenchmen who died flying Halifaxes for the liberation of Europe. (Just before we descend into Xenophobic remarks, chaps…)

Dave, I believe the plan for the Mossie is or maybe was to get it to ground running condition but this would be a long term aim I guess. This has been reported in several aviation mags in the past.

best regards, steve.

Dave
The Mossie will be static I believe.
Flypast ran an article a little while back on the coloured tails. The variations, reasons and the like. Sure someone will dig it out before I can (at work at moment so…)
OAW

The Halifax looks great. Interesting that it carries two schemes, just like the Lancaster in Auckland.

Do the owners intend to change the scheme often? Or was this a one-off repaint?

That French roundel just doesn’t look right on a lovely British bomber. I prefer the other side. However I like the tail on the French side. What are the crosses or X’s all about? Why did they do that? Any reason of just French flare for design?

Is that Mossie going to be a flyer? Or just static? It looks very nice.

thanks very much for sharing the pictures!

Mmmmm, nice Halibag 😉
I can sense a feeling coming up to meet the girl again soon. Don’t tell the wife :rolleyes:

Cees

It`s interesting to compare with these taken exactly 10 years earlier.

Thanks for the photos! Good to see Tony’s got both radiators fitted now – it’s getting onto the home stretch with the restoration.