Photographer Darren Harbar captures the ‘new look’ Hurricane over Duxford

Warbirds frequently acquire new liveries that are fitting to their background. It’s relatively rare – though certainly not unheard of – for aircraft to be marked up with ‘dual’ schemes meaning that they have different markings or colours on either side. The idea is to pay tribute to two aviators or units at the same time.

This is what’s happened recently via the Duxford-based Polish Heritage Flight. Well known photographer and writer Darren Harbar was on hand to capture the aircraft in flight over its home base recently. Hawker Hurricane Mk.XIIa G-HURI is the machine in question – a fighter meticulously rebuilt during the 1980s and making a first post-restoration flight in 1989. It’s been operated in the respected hands of the Historic Aircraft Collection since 2004 (they acquired it two years earlier, and put it through an 18-month refurbishment).

Today it has a slightly new look, saluting 302 ‘City of Poznan’ Squadron and pilots Flt Lt Tadeusz Chlopik and Wg Cdr Julian Kowalski. Specifically, the Hurricane wears Chlopik’s markings (P2954/WX-E) on its starboard side with those of Kowalski (P3935/WX-D) to port. The work was carried out by Audley End’s Vintage Fabrics. With thanks to Darren Harbar