Hello, I was looking at photos of NX611 recently and saw a white box around the H on the left side, just under the front gunner’s position. Does anyone know why there is a white box and what it resembles? Or is it just a thing for fun they put on? It seems to be a relatively new thing.[ATTACH=CONFIG]260734[/ATTACH]
Thanks
By: Hampden Project - 29th May 2018 at 17:26
Tin Triangle is right, the box was to let the crew bus know that it was the 630 Sqn “H” and not the 57 Sqn “H”. Painting the letter a different colour wouldn’t be distinguishable in the dark.
By: SADSACK - 29th May 2018 at 16:02
Considering it is 30 years since the museum opened has it been celebrated?
By: Tin Triangle - 29th May 2018 at 14:29
Might it have been to distinguish from aircraft of another unit sharing the same base? Assuming you’re driving past along the perimeter track with the aircraft facing you, the unit codes wouldn’t be that visible, and you wouldn’t be able to distinguish 630 Squadron’s “H” from another unit’s “H”. Although Wes’ argument still applies, why not paint the small code letter a different colour for different units?
By: wes - 29th May 2018 at 13:23
Would it not have been easier to paint the H white then?
By: antoni - 29th May 2018 at 11:54
Not a gas patch. 1 Group Lancasters hasd gas patches but they were circular. Probably they just wanted to highlight the position of the individual letter. I.e., it was easier to spot where it was from a distance.
By: QldSpitty - 29th May 2018 at 10:01
Gas patch?
By: olly_s - 29th May 2018 at 09:50
So was there a reason for the white box? Did it resemble anything or was it just to make the aircraft unique?
By: David_Kavangh - 29th May 2018 at 09:23
NX611 has on the port side the 630 Squadron codes LE-H. Squadrons repeated the aircraft’s individual code on the nose. 630 had a white box around theirs. It’s historically accurate. On the starboard side is the 57 Squadron codes DX-F. The F is repeated on the starboard side of the nose. That squadron didn’t have a white box around it. I’m sure you can guess why H and F were chosen.
Sign In
May 29, 2018 at 9:13 am