effects wrote:Did 8Sqn RAFO have hunters? Possibly causing this mistake.
Not as far as I can find out, in fact I can't find a RAFO 8Sqn, either way it's wearing the characteristic roundel bars of RAF 8 Sqn.
Alanko wrote:With such a histrionic thread title I thought perhaps that another Hunter had crashed somewhere. This Hunter, in a slightly iffy scheme, is still better than a Hunter in a skip. It might not be a perfect scheme but, ignoring the colours, it is a freshly repainted Hunter that will withstand the weather for a while longer. I'm sure there are some cosmetically rough Hunters out there waiting a "proper" repaint if you fancy a challenge?
This complete lack of seeing the forest for the trees seems to be pervasive in UK historic aviation circles. That fastidious, anally retentive and rivet-counting need for the paintwork to be 100% authentic is ridiculous. All the while a Shackleton rots where it stands at Long Marston, several large collections (Strathallan, Southend, Wales Aircraft Museum) have vanished since the early '80s and historic fast jet flying, which was dying in the UK before Shoreham, has all but gone (a few JPs and Gnats are not the same as a few Canberras, Hunters, Meteors). VTTS show that even the 'professionals' have only a limited business brain, and lack of creativity, between them.
But you have to get the colours right!
Histrionic - I like that, first use on UKAR??
Perhaps a little OTT but why on earth would you link "ruined" with "crashed"?? If a Hunter had crashed I would probably of not even posted- the less air time the better on that score.
I get completely where you're coming from I really do though I fail to see the connection between me having a moan about people spending thousands of pounds to get a dud job and the closure of several aviation museums..
Was the vintage jet scene dying pre-Shoreham - 2 Canberras, 2 Meteors, 3/4?Hunters, F-86, Vampires, Venoms, Sea Vixen, Vulcan along with aforementioned Gnats, JPs and Strikemasters would suggest to me no.
Why shouldn't stuff be painted 100% accurate? As I've said many times before if you can afford to do it why nearly get it right, even down to daft things like using completely the wrong font for serial numbers. Okay XL612 has been painted in nice shiny colours to preserve it, but what exactly is it preserving? - An accurate replica of one of Hawkers finest? A true memorial to a cold war warrior that saw active service in the mid-East and during it's test career contributed to pilot and aircraft safety and development? Or a meaningless half a job that might as well be painted gloss pink with star and bars all over it...
But at least it will stand the weather for a few years..
You caaan't trust the system... Maaan!