Some of the aircraft in the storage area awaiting their turn for attention

In an impressive line of six Harrier variants. Operating with 233 OCU, ZD353 was badly damaged in an inflight fire that resulted in an emergency landing at RAF Wittering in July 1991. The aircraft was considered too badly damaged to be fully repaired, so the airframe was used for ground instructional purposes at BAe Brough.

Great to see three aerobatic team aircraft together that are in genuine colours. Positioned with a Blue Angels F-11 Tiger and a Thunderbirds F-4, this Hawk joined the collection in 2020 and had flown with the Red Arrows from around 1999 until placed into storage at RAF Shawbury in 2009. In 2017 it was moved to Bentwaters.

This was a composite restoration with apparently 5662 providing the basis of the restoration with components contributed from five other airframe hulks also obtained from Canada. In 2006 it was loaned to the Pima museum and exhibited as 257 Sqdn Hurricane Mk.I V6864 'DT-A', flown by Battle of Britain ace Robert Stanford Tuck. Then it was repainted again to represent a 33 Sqdn Mk.II with the addition of a tropical chin radiator as operated in North Africa in 1942, being placed back on display in 2020

Displayed in the Desert Storm colours as operated by 6 Sqdn from Bahrain in 1990

Constructed as a Kestrel FGA.1 by Hawker Siddeley at Dunsfold, this aircraft was one of a handful assigned to the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron at West Raynham in 1964. After testing was concluded in England at the end of 1965, six of the aircraft were sold to the US for further testing. They were re-designated as the XV-6A and given USAF serials, this one being 64-18264. The initial conclusion was that there was not a need for such an aircraft in the US forces, but of course history proved otherwise, the AV-8 becoming a great success in the USMC

Despite expensive enquiries I have not been able to determine the authenticity of this unusual paint job. Pima's site states that these are RAF test colours from 1961 at Dunsfold but I think it more likely that the colours were simply inherited from the previous private owner who had the aircraft painted like this, perhaps to look like an Indian Gnat/Ajeet. Pima's Head of Collections was very helpful in correspondence, but we were not able to resolve this question. What we do know is that the aircraft was used by the A&AEE, Bristol Siddeley Engines and the RAE before becoming a ground trainer.

Visiting Norwich Airport, with another Tucano from RAF Linton-On-Ouse.

A nice clean shot of an SE.5a. The source says 'Curtiss SE.5a' but this surely isn't the single SE.5a completed by Curtiss in America. Photo from: Museum of Flight