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Hurricane AY:W PG442 - Interesting.


diamant

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Hello

I found this picture of the Hurricane AY/W PG442.

352752102.jpg

The reference read “Hurricane AY:W PG442 a rare picture of an aircraft of 17 OUT. Note the interesting extension of sky on the nose.”

I checked the serial number in the Hurricane Manson’s book but I doesn’t appear. The picture has a very bad quality. Does anyone know something more about this aircraft? Version?

I suppose that it was finished in Ocean grey – Dark Green / Medium sea grey. Am I correct? She had the sky fuselage band painted but I don’t know if she carried the yellow leading edges bands.

The serial appears to be 4 inch high in black and the code letter aprox 30 inch high in ¿Red?.

It could be an interesting addition to our project.

Kind regards

Santiago

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Many thanks Graham. Sorry but what do you mean with " SOC 31/7/47 ".

Please tell me if I am wrong but if this aircraft was used as trainer (OTU) she didn't have the cannons right?

Do you think that she carried the yellow leading edges bands?

Kind regards

Santiago

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It may have had the cannons - I know that the Inskip-based Sea Hurricane featured in the Revell kit didn't, but that's because it was used for deck-landing and rocket-firing training. A normal RAF OTU may have included gun-firing training, but it could have been left for the OCU. Perhaps the latter is more likely.

I would assume the full Day Fighter scheme with Fighter Command trim. I do wonder whether the nose band was yellow, but have no information on it.

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Graham . S.O.C means STRUCK OFF CHARGE proberbly scrapped.

Thanks for that.

Many thanks Graham for your responses. So we will not know with certainly if the cannons were removed or not.

What OCU means? Operational C….. Unit?

Thanks. I only know only one Hurricane with a yellow nose band. It was the L1669 at Martlesham Heath in May 1939 used for tropical filter trails. I understand that the yellow nose band means that it was an unarmed aircraft.

For me the color of the spinner and the nose band is very similar to the fuselage band but of course I am not an expert on this matter.

Kind regards

Santiago

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O.C.U. Operational Conversion Unit.

Phil

Thanks for that.

Many thanks Graham for your responses. So we will not know with certainly if the cannons were removed or not.

What OCU means? Operational C….. Unit?

Thanks. I only know only one Hurricane with a yellow nose band. It was the L1669 at Martlesham Heath in May 1939 used for tropical filter trails. I understand that the yellow nose band means that it was an unarmed aircraft.

For me the color of the spinner and the nose band is very similar to the fuselage band but of course I am not an expert on this matter.

Kind regards

Santiago

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The Operational Training Unit is where the pilot learns to fly combat aircraft, often an obsolescent type or at least variant, and is introduced to the basics of aerial warfare. The Operational Conversion Unit is where he encounters the type of aircraft he is going to fly in combat, and the specific tactics he is expected to know. Crews at the later stages of their OCU training may be called on for operations, at least in the case of multi-engine types.

There is a yellow-nosed Hurricane visible in a colour SEAC photo. Not enough of it is seen to identify the individual aircraft or unit. One of the Spitfire Mk.VIII units operated with a yellow spinner and nose band, see the Hasegawa kit, so I presume the Hurricane belongs to that unit. Nothing to do with this one, of course.

The cannons are easy to add (or remove) should better information appear. The stub fairings would be there.

Edited by Graham Boak
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WWII Pacific War Eagles, by Jeffrey Ethell and Warren Bodie, Widewings publications. It is one of a series produced from Ethell's collection of WW2 colour photos.

The main aircraft in the photo is a PR Mk.XI Spitfire, but behind it, and a better view than I'd remembered, is a Mk.IIc Hurricane. Dark Green/Dark Earth with Medium Sea Grey undersides, small SEAC roundels, fin flash positioned quite high and against the rudder post, yellow band around the nose behind black spinner. No white bands - the photo is dated 1944. The serial cannot be made out, and there is some indeterminate code letter behind the (assumed) fuselage roundel.

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Many thanks for the valuable information, Graham

Although it is very difficult for us to obtain that book I will try to see if I can find something more about that Hurricane. I will let you know if something new appears.

Kind regards

Santiago

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17 OTU was stationed at Silverstone from 6 May 1943 (after Mowlem had upgraded the airfield) to 1 November 1946, mainly flying Wimpeys, Ansons and Martinets, although they also had at least one Lysander. 17 OTU was part of 92 Group, Bomber Command.

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Thanks for the information Ratch.

The reference of the picture that I posted is "Airfix Magazine - 1973/03. "Squadron codes and colours 1939-1956" by Michael J. F. Bowyer. "

Kind regards

Santiago

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