SOPWITH 1 ½ STRUTTER - A flying ‘replica’ being built by the Aircraft Preservation Society of Scotland is nearing completion at East Fortune, Edinburgh. It will be powered by a 150 hp Rotec 3600 radial engine.
SOPWITH PUP - Restorer Larry Howard of Spokane, Washington, is building a flying replica using Sopwith drawings. The engine is an original 80 hp Le Rhone rotary.
HART - Guy Black’s Retrotec company in Sussex is constructing a flying, Bristol Mercury powered, Swedish Hart for Swedish enthusiast Joakim Westh using parts recovered in southern Sweden in the 1980s. A Mercury engine is available.
HURRICANE - A Canadian-built Mk XII is being rebuilt to fly at Thruxton.
GNAT TMk2 - XS105 was destroyed in a fatal crash in July near Georgetown, South Carolina.
HUNTER - FMk6A XF475 has
been restored at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, Old Sarum, in
its red and white Empire Test Pilots’ School livery. FMk2 WN904 is on
show at the Sywell Aviation Museum, Northants, together with a
sectioned Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire engine. FMk1 XE606 has been
restored in 8 Squadron colours and now stands outside that unit’s
headquarters at RAF Waddington.
HARRIER - TMk8 ZB603 has
been presented to the Fleet Air Arm Museum. As a TMk4N it was the
Navy’s first Harrier two-seater. It was converted to T8 standard in
1994.
HAWK - The Indian Navy has
started to take delivery of 17 Hawks built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd
making it the third navy to operate Hawk, after the USN and the RN.
BAES has responded to an Indian Air Force request for proposal (RFP)
for 20 Hawks for the national aerobatic team.