For those who are not really aware of the history of our museums unique P111a thought this maybe of use.
She first flew on 6th October 1951 with Squadron Leader R H Smythe at the controls. Flying from Boscombe down the aircraft had been transported by road from the Boulton Paul factory. The aircraft was designed esentially to test the theory and benefit of delta flight. Remember following the end of WW2 the Allies found themselves in possesion of a lot of german research data. The delta theory been one area they had researched in great depth.
When the VT935 first flew as RobMac states she was wearing an overall silver colour scheme. The national maarkings were pretty much as you see them now with a black anti glare panel around the cockpit but with the yellow national prototype markings (ie the yellow P in a circle) each side of the nose forward of the roundal. The black fuselage cheatlines you see today had not been painted at this point. Interestingly which nobody has mentioned so far is that when the aircraft first flew the wingspan was a lot smaller. The aircraft was designed with detachable wingtips to further explore delta theory. There would eventually be three differant wing tips fitted that gave the aircraft a span of either 25ft 8inch ,29ft 8inch or 33ft 6inch.
In 1951 the aircraft appeared at the SBAC displey ina slightly modified scheme. Whilst still silver the P markings had been removed and a dark blue fuselage flash incorporating the black anit glare panel had been applied. The blue flash was rather dramatic being and flowed nicely under the cockpit continuing along the fuselage sides above the wing finishing approx in thee position of the trailing edge.
In 1953 the P111 was converted into the P111a. Here it received the bright yellow colour scheme along with the black flash that you see in Robs wonderful pics (no im not takin the mickey matey). The modification to P111a status also included the addition of some fuselage airbrakes and a rather long nose probe.
Hope this is of use to you all.
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