Meatbox8 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 207's Winged lion would look good on a Lightning tail. Mind you, 809's Phoenix would look better. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo88 Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 Maybe we will end up with flights within a squadron being assigned squadron numbers, doubling the retention of numbers. Am sure I read of such an idea a while back. 207 and 809 are both worthy of use. Mind you, so are 43, 74, 111 etc....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 20 hours ago, Seahawk said: Eh, what? 207 Sq? Thought the next squadron was to be a FAA one, 809. Is this another round in the evil RAF plot to throttle FAA fixed wing aviation? See my comment above it's not 207 its 736nas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted July 19, 2019 Share Posted July 19, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, Timbo88 said: Maybe we will end up with flights within a squadron being assigned squadron numbers, doubling the retention of numbers. Am sure I read of such an idea a while back. 207 and 809 are both worthy of use. Mind you, so are 43, 74, 111 etc....... 801,800,899and 892 so that's 50 ish for the roger nigel and the juniors can have the rest. Edited July 19, 2019 by junglierating 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truro Model Builder Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 On 7/19/2019 at 2:53 PM, Meatbox8 said: Have 3,11 and 29 lost their unit markings then? Last time I looked they all had unit badges and fighter bars. Pretty much, aside from a few that the fun police have yet to catch up with. It was nice to see a couple with No.9 Squadron markings at Fairford in the week but the other four had no unit markings at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Truro Model Builder said: Pretty much, aside from a few that the fun police have yet to catch up with. It was nice to see a couple with No.9 Squadron markings at Fairford in the week but the other four had no unit markings at all. Central servicing or is it because there aren't enough aircraft to go round? I read that even though new squadrons are standing up there will be the same amount of aircraft. Seems daft to me. Maybe they need to take it in tuns to fly, hence no squadron markings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted July 21, 2019 Share Posted July 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Meatbox8 said: Central servicing or is it because there aren't enough aircraft to go round? I read that even though new squadrons are standing up there will be the same amount of aircraft. Seems daft to me. Maybe they need to take it in tuns to fly, hence no squadron markings. I imagine there is a security aspect to it but then it doesn't the brains of an archbishop to work out how many fast jet air stations there are 🤔😬 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent K Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 On 7/19/2019 at 2:53 PM, Meatbox8 said: Have 3,11 and 29 lost their unit markings then? Last time I looked they all had unit badges and fighter bars. I think 29 still have just a few aircraft in markings, but 3 and 11 don't anymore (I stand to be corrected but I don't think they've been seen in markings for some while). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent K Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 On 7/18/2019 at 9:16 PM, Seahawk said: Eh, what? 207 Sq? Thought the next squadron was to be a FAA one, 809. Is this another round in the evil RAF plot to throttle FAA fixed wing aviation? 207 was always the next planned squadron, it's the OCU, chosen for reasons of having a joint RAF and RNAS/RN heritage. The next operational squadron to stand up will be, of course, and as always planned, 809. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hook Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 16 hours ago, junglierating said: I imagine there is a security aspect to it but then it doesn't the brains of an archbishop to work out how many fast jet air stations there are 🤔😬 How many F-35's can hover on a pin? That sort of archbishop? 😉 Perhaps, since the UK Lightnings have dropped bombs on Islamic State, the current situation is similar to the removing of unit markings on the P-3's of the USN in the late Eighties to prevent terrorists targeting specific units. Cheers, Andre 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 2 hours ago, Agent K said: I think 29 still have just a few aircraft in markings, but 3 and 11 don't anymore (I stand to be corrected but I don't think they've been seen in markings for some while). Could this be because they have been operating against IS? It is usual for the RAF to remove unit markings while on ops. As the operation is ongoing perhaps its easier to not have markings as, presumably, the aircraft are rotated regularly. Maybe the Lossie aircraft are being kept in the UK for QRA, hence them retaining squadron markings, and 29, being the OCU, wouldn't be going to the Middle East anyway.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent K Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 21 minutes ago, Meatbox8 said: Could this be because they have been operating against IS? It is usual for the RAF to remove unit markings while on ops. As the operation is ongoing perhaps its easier to not have markings as, presumably, the aircraft are rotated regularly. Maybe the Lossie aircraft are being kept in the UK for QRA, hence them retaining squadron markings, and 29, being the OCU, wouldn't be going to the Middle East anyway.. QRA is, I believe still split between the 2 bases, and SHADER aircraft have come from both bases I believe so although yes the security implications are what I've always heard, it doesn't quite make 100% sense if fleets are pooled from both stations? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo88 Posted July 22, 2019 Share Posted July 22, 2019 Squadron markings come and go I guess. At least the Typhoon squadrons had markings. Let's hope the Lightning units do eventually see a bit of colour. On the topic of terrorist retaliation, presumably the limited number of remaining RAF squadrons and bases would tend to mean that at some point most of the units/airframes will at some point see action, meaning everyone is a target. What troubled times we live in. Seems bizarre to think that back in the 80s we were at risk of nuclear oblivion but there was colour to be seen in bucket loads at airshows. Now we have a seemingly constant background rumble of distant conflict, year in year out, with the related risk to those involved daily, and all colours sanitised out of use. As I say, what troubled times... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted August 2, 2019 Share Posted August 2, 2019 Is it just me who thinks that they have missed a trick by not having 208 Sqn as the OCU rather than 207? Naval Eight was possibly the most famous RNAS unit of WW1 and since then as 208 Sqn has carved an impressive history right into the fast jet era. I hate this business speak that senior officers use these days,....... surely the lightning flash is a 617 Sqn emblem,...... not Lightning Force Branding?? Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 12 hours ago, tonyot said: Is it just me who thinks that they have missed a trick by not having 208 Sqn as the OCU rather than 207? Naval Eight was possibly the most famous RNAS unit of WW1 and since then as 208 Sqn has carved an impressive history right into the fast jet era. I hate this business speak that senior officers use these days,....... surely the lightning flash is a 617 Sqn emblem,...... not Lightning Force Branding?? Cheers Tony Euch. Lightning Force branding! What a horrible thought. And the RAF's nasty branding logo we see on some of the bigger aircraft as well. Yuck. Still it's good to see the UK defence budget being spent on such important things. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 (edited) 17 hours ago, tonyot said: Edited August 3, 2019 by junglierating Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 (edited) Several years ago , possibly before it was even flying , there was a quote from one senior RAF source saying that all UK F-35 would carry a shared lightning tail flash marking irrespective of which RAF/RN unit was operating them. Quite unusual that seems to be happening - RAF Leuchars is safe for the next thirty years - the Nimrod MRA.4 will enter service as planned - were all said with similar certainty. No doubt in time full colour tail markings will appear if someone else does it first as was the case with the Typhoon and the official view that the surface could not be painted until the Luftwaffe managed to do so ..... again ..... and again ..... Edited August 3, 2019 by Des Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XV107 Posted August 3, 2019 Share Posted August 3, 2019 (edited) 22 hours ago, tonyot said: Is it just me who thinks that they have missed a trick by not having 208 Sqn as the OCU rather than 207? Naval Eight was possibly the most famous RNAS unit of WW1 and since then as 208 Sqn has carved an impressive history right into the fast jet era. I hate this business speak that senior officers use these days,....... surely the lightning flash is a 617 Sqn emblem,...... not Lightning Force Branding?? Cheers Tony 208 was in the running. The rumour is that someone in dark blue with a lack of knowledge of their air power history declared that 208 had spent too long as a single-service squadron and was inextricably associated with the RAF, thus a ‘more joint’ numberplate was required. AIUI, after various persons had picked themselves up off the floor and attempted to illustrate that this was a crass failure to understand 208’s history - an illustration which was given a stiff ignoring, 207 (which was in the running because of its RNAS past and still notable seniority) got the nod instead. 207 was emphatically not the obvious choice on the small list of numbers offered up for selection.... Edited August 3, 2019 by XV107 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Armadillos Posted August 4, 2019 Share Posted August 4, 2019 18 hours ago, Des said: Several years ago , possibly before it was even flying , there was a quote from one senior RAF source saying that all UK F-35 would carry a shared lightning tail flash marking irrespective of which RAF/RN unit was operating them. Quite unusual that seems to be happening - RAF Leuchars is safe for the next thirty years - the Nimrod MRA.4 will enter service as planned - were all said with similar certainty. No doubt in time full colour tail markings will appear if someone else does it first as was the case with the Typhoon and the official view that the surface could not be painted until the Luftwaffe managed to do so ..... again ..... and again ..... Luftwaffe can happily paint their Typhoons due to the difference in finish, UK and Italy (i think) have a "stealthy/low observation finish whereas German and Spain have just a standard finish at least thats how it used to be causing fun in the common spares concept. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted August 11, 2019 Share Posted August 11, 2019 On 8/3/2019 at 8:08 PM, XV107 said: 208 was in the running. The rumour is that someone in dark blue with a lack of knowledge of their air power history declared that 208 had spent too long as a single-service squadron and was inextricably associated with the RAF, thus a ‘more joint’ numberplate was required. AIUI, after various persons had picked themselves up off the floor and attempted to illustrate that this was a crass failure to understand 208’s history - an illustration which was given a stiff ignoring, 207 (which was in the running because of its RNAS past and still notable seniority) got the nod instead. 207 was emphatically not the obvious choice on the small list of numbers offered up for selection.... Thanks so much for this insight,....... I`m gob smacked!! No wonder the Fleet Air Arm is nothing but a helicopter force relying on the RAF to provide fixed wing aircraft for its carrier/s now,....... with people like that in charge. Their Airships who conducted the hostile takeover under Joint Force Harrier must have been sniggering into their gin and tonics back in the ante room! Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawkkeeper Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 On 7/19/2019 at 6:07 PM, junglierating said: See my comment above it's not 207 its 736nas No it isn't we have BAe Hawks. not getting anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglierating Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 43 minutes ago, Hawkkeeper said: No it isn't we have BAe Hawks. not getting anything else. ?? Sorry mate not sure what you mean .. 736nas has hawks and a lightning flash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nocoolname Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 On 7/16/2019 at 10:31 PM, GMK said: Looks sharp: Apparently there’s also the Union Flag on the underside of direct lift fan cover. Looking for pics. But they're all so... grey... What's wrong with a bit of colour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatbox8 Posted September 5, 2019 Share Posted September 5, 2019 On 7/19/2019 at 3:16 PM, Timbo88 said: Maybe we will end up with flights within a squadron being assigned squadron numbers, doubling the retention of numbers. Am sure I read of such an idea a while back. 207 and 809 are both worthy of use. Mind you, so are 43, 74, 111 etc....... I believe that's what the Armee De l'Air already do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMK Posted October 14, 2019 Author Share Posted October 14, 2019 On 7/16/2019 at 5:31 PM, GMK said: Looks sharp: Apparently there’s also the Union Flag on the underside of direct lift fan cover. Looking for pics. Here it is: 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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