Shuttleworth Hind's New Identity & Kiwi Connection

[Dave Homewood]

The lovely Hawker Hind with the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden has received a new paint scheme, and it is now marked as K5533, a Hind that ended up as NZ1515 with the RNZAF in WWII.


LINK


From NZDF Serials:

Built to contract number 404654/35 and delivered between January and August 1936.

Previously K5533 with RAF. Delivered to No.3 ASU on 15 July 1936.

To No.605 Squadron 19 August 1936.

To General Aircraft Limited for conversion to trainer on 08 May 1939.

To No.27 Maintenance Unit 04 March 1940.

To No.47 Maintenance Unit 12 July 1940.

To RNZAF on 21 August 1940.

Assembled at No.1 Aircraft Depot and BOC 05 October 1940 at Hobsonville.

Converted to instructional airframe INST56 with No.2 TTS, Nelson in 1943.

[Deleted]

How lovely! I do like that scheme.

[davidd]

Looks like the standard scheme typical of RAF single-engine aircraft in Middle East in 1920s, and into early 1930s. Don't know if any Hinds were shipped out east, I think majority remained in UK to equip the newly formed squadrons during the early expansion of Bomber Command - have I got that right? It is still a very snappy scheme!

Pondering a little on the above, I soon realized that the black upper fuselaage/otherwise aluminium scheme was also used on RAF S/E aicraft "at home" (UK) in 1920s, such as on Fairey Foxes and the like, and on most Fairey IIIF's, as well as Gordons, but not on any of the Hawker or Vickers aircraft (if my memory is firing on all cylinders, which is unlikely). Don't like being caught out by my own statements, but I get humiliated frequently nevertheless.