HAWKER HURRICANE IIc - SERIAL LF 751

(Displayed as BN 230 of No. 43 Squadron (RAF) - Coded FT-A

LF 751 was built at Langley in 1944 and issued to No. 22 Maintenance Unit (MU) at Silloth on the 19th March of that year. On the 8th April LF 751 joined her first unit, No. 1681 Bomber Defence Training Flight. Later that year she moved to No. 27 Operational Training Unit based at Waterbeach: LF 751 was to remain there for the remainder of her operational life - and beyond. With No. 27 O.T.U. she received the codes 'FB-B'.

During July 1945 LF 751 was inhibited and relegated to instructional purposes with the code 5466M. Also based at Waterbeach at this time was Hurricane LF 363 which later formed part of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight now based at RAF Coningsby. To keep LF 363 flying many components from LF 751 and two other Hurricanes on the station - namely Z 3687 and PG 953 - were removed. Later on LF 751 was refurbished for long-term external display and at the same time making LF 751 a somewhat complex hybrid. These alterations almost turned her into a Mark IID.

751 then spent nearly 30 years standing outside as proud gate-guardian in the superb grounds of RAF Bentley Priory, the Headquarters of No. 11 Group, Fighter Command. By then 751 was one of only two surviving gate-guardians in the country - the other being LF 738 at RAF Biggin Hill. Incidentally LF738 has also been restored by the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society and is now on display at RAF Cosford.

To return to LF 751. Although an eye-catching and evocative sight, the Hurricane's steel and timber frame had suffered very, very badly from exposure to the elements and it was obvious that something had to be done very quickly to save further deterioration. Fortunately for LF 751, as in the case of Spitfire TB 752, deliverance came in the form of the Medway Aircraft Preservation Society (MAPS) based at Rochester Airport. She was removed to Rochester Airport from Bentley Priory on the 20th March 1985, on the back of two Queen Mary transporters.

Following detailed and lengthy assessment of damage to the aircraft MAPS began the task of repairing the severe damage caused by corrosion and hand crafting many of the replacement parts whilst remaining as close as possible to the original specification. MAPS estimate that some 40% of the original aircraft has had to be replaced or copied, including propeller blades, cowlings, panels, timber and fabric, a task not eased by an almost total lack of production drawings most of which were destroyed just after the end of World War II. So bad was the overall condition that MAPS requested the MOD to release Hurricane LF 738 from RAF Biggin Hill and this aircraft was removed to Rochester Airport later the same year so that the task of rebuilding could be reduced by exchanging parts from both aircraft. (LF 738 is now housed at RAF Cosford). As a matter of interest the control column came from a Hurricane which crashed at West Malling in September 1940 and the 'spade-grip' was from a similar aircraft which force-landed at RAF Manston in May 1940.

Considerable research has gone into the finish of the aircraft and with the approval of the MOD the Hurricane is displayed as BN 230 of the famous 'Fighting Cocks' - No. 43 Squadron.

BN 230 was flown by Squadron Leader D.A.R.G. 'Danny' Le Roy Du Vivier DFC, the first Belgian to command a RAF Squadron. BN 230 was the first RAF fighter over Dieppe on 19th August 1942, leading the Tangmere Wing in 'Operation Jubilee'.

On the 22nd April 1988, LF 751 was wheeled out at Rochester in pristine condition ready to join her illustrious stable-mate in the Hurricane and Spitfire Memorial Building. The rebuild took MAPS some 22,000 man hours and cost some £18,000.