Battle of Britain Memorial Flight: 50 Years of Flying by Jarrod Cotter

Author:Jarrod Cotter [Cotter, Jarrod]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781783408993
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Published: 2007-11-12T22:00:00+00:00

‘PZ’ was photographed in 1974 wearing the DT-A code of the 257 (Burma) Squadron Hurricane of Squadron Leader R R Stanford-Tuck during the Battle of Britain. (BBMF Archives)

PZ865’s next cosmetic makeover was for another movie appearance, this time the 1969 classic Battle of Britain. As one of the airworthy Hurricanes in the film, PZ865 was given various identities, including ‘OK-I’ to portray the personal aircraft of AOC 11 Group Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park.

A period of static display at Dunsfold as part of the company’s unofficial ‘museum’ collection followed, before the Hurricane was restored back to flying trim in 1971. Hawker presented the fighter to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight on 30 March 1972 while it was based at Coltishall, Norfolk.

During its career with the Flight to date, PZ865 has worn seven schemes. It was delivered in its The Last of the Many! scheme, but a few months later this was replaced with the identity of Hurricane I V6962 DT-A, which was the aircraft of the then Squadron Leader Robert Stanford-Tuck, OC 257 (Burma) Squadron, while based at Debden during the late summer of 1940.

[Personal note: The Author feels privileged to have met Robert Stanford-Tuck during an Air Training Corps summer camp to RAF Manston in 1982. The occasion was a visit to the then newly opened Spitfire Memorial Building, and who better to show a group of keen aviation-minded cadets around a Spitfire than a legendary wartime fighter ace such as this! JC]

This paint scheme saw the Hurricane applied with a black underside on its left wing. Stanford-Tuck’s Hurricane was unusual to have retained this early war paintwork at that stage. The scheme was retained until the end of the 1977 season, when PZ865 went for its next major service.

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