Commemorative Battle of Britain Eurofighter Typhoon unveiled
- Published
The painted Eurofighter Typhoon will fly at a number of events during the summer
A specially painted Eurofighter Typhoon commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain has been unveiled.
The jet has been painted in the colours used at the time of the battle, which ran from July to September 1940.
It also bears a red devil emblem in honour of the only RAF Fighter Command pilot awarded a Victoria Cross in the conflict.
It was revealed during a ceremony at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.
The Battle of Britain was the German air force's attempt to gain air superiority over the RAF. Their ultimate failure was one of the turning points of the Second World War and prevented Germany from invading Britain.
During the unveiling ceremony, Wing Commander James Heald from RAF Coningsby, said: "What we've tried to do is recreate the paint job of the Hurricane flown by Flt Lt James Nicolson, who was the only Victoria Cross winner of the Battle of Britain.
"He was damaged and wounded and was in the process of bailing out when an enemy aircraft appeared in front of him," he said.
"So he climbed back in - shot down the enemy aircraft - then continued with his bail out."
The Typhoon's colour scheme matches that used by the RAF at the time of the Battle of Britain
Flt Lt James Nicolson's Hurricane featured a red devil emblem on its port side
It is estimated that between 10 July and the end of October 1940, the RAF lost around 1,023 aircraft whilst the Luftwaffe lost 1,887
The Luftwaffe's principal fighter planes were the Messerschmitt Bf109 and the Messerschmitt Bf110
The commemorative Typhoon will fly alongside a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire at air shows during the summer.
It will be flown by Flt Lt Ben Westoby-Brooks, who said: "It is a great privilege to fly this extraordinary aircraft in recognition of the sacrifices made by our predecessors 75 years ago.
"Their task of securing the skies was critical in the summer of 1940 and it's an honour to pay tribute to those few brave airmen who gave their all when the stakes were so high."